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Hu J, Liu C, Wang X, Wang Z, Tong X, Li F, Jin Z, Wang X, Che L, Yu J, Yao D, Wang G, Dong L. A Positioning Alarm System for Explosive Impact Debris Protective Suit Based on an Accelerometer Array. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:4587. [PMID: 39065987 PMCID: PMC11280598 DOI: 10.3390/s24144587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Protection suits are vital for firefighters' safety. Traditional protection suits physically protect firemen from burns, but cannot locate the position of bodily injuries caused by impact debris. Herein, we present a wearable impact debris positioning system for firefighter protection suits based on an accelerometer array. Wearable piezoelectric accelerometers are distributed regularly on the suit to detect the vibration on different body parts, which is conducive to determining the position of injured body parts. In addition, the injured parts can be displayed on a dummy body model on the upper computer with a higher localization accuracy of 4 cm. The positioning alarm system has a rapid response time of 0.11 ms, attributed to the smart signal processing method. This work provides a reliable and smart method for locating and assessing the position of bodily injuries caused by impact debris, which is significant because it enables fire commanders to rescue injured firefighters in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianing Hu
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Chaoran Liu
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Xucong Wang
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Zai Wang
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Xin Tong
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Fangqi Li
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Zhenyu Jin
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Xiaoyuan Wang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Big Data, Hangzhou 321001, China
| | - Lufeng Che
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jing Yu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Big Data, Hangzhou 321001, China
| | - Defei Yao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Big Data, Hangzhou 321001, China
| | - Gaofeng Wang
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
| | - Linxi Dong
- Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Smart Microsensors and Microsystems, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.H.)
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Hu H, Wang J, Ouyang L, Luo L, Niu W. The impact of positive-pressure breathing apparatus on muscle fatigue of volunteer firefighter. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305599. [PMID: 38913654 PMCID: PMC11195949 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Muscle fatigue is one of the leading causes that contributes tremendously to injuries among volunteer firefighters in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of positive-pressure breathing apparatus on muscle fatigue in the shoulder, back, and legs of volunteer firefighters. A total of 60 volunteer firefighters were recruited to perform a running task on a motorized treadmill in a controlled laboratory environment. Surface electromyography and rating of perceived exertion scores were collected from all participants every 60 seconds during the running task. Results show that the median frequency values for all measured muscle groups were significantly lower, and the rating of perceived exertion score was significantly higher after running with the positive-pressure breathing apparatus. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in the median frequency values for the upper trapezius, erector spinae, and biceps femoris between the initial and final periods of running task without load. However, the median frequency values with load for gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, and tibialis anterior exhibited a greater downward trend compared to those without load. Additionally, using a breathing apparatus can cause asymmetric muscle fatigue in bilateral upper trapezius, erector spinae, gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles. The decreased performance due to muscle fatigue increases the risk of accidents, thereby posing a threat to the safety of volunteer firefighters. This study offers valuable insights into the effects of positive-pressure breathing apparatus on muscle fatigue among volunteer firefighters. These results may serve as a reference for developing improved fatigue management strategies and optimizing the design features of breathing apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Hu
- Ergonomics Laboratory, China National Institute of Standardization, Beijing, China
- SAMR Key Laboratory of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Wang
- School of Management Engineering, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ling Luo
- Ergonomics Laboratory, China National Institute of Standardization, Beijing, China
- SAMR Key Laboratory of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlei Niu
- Ergonomics Laboratory, China National Institute of Standardization, Beijing, China
- SAMR Key Laboratory of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Beijing, China
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Wu Y, Shen Y, Tian Y, Chen Q, Sun L. Quantifying the effects of ice hockey upper body pads on mobility and comfort. iScience 2024; 27:108606. [PMID: 38169817 PMCID: PMC10758976 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ice hockey is a high-intensity sport in which pads such as shoulder and elbow pads (S/EPs) are necessary to help players avoid injury. However, they can also affect mobility and comfort, thereby affecting players' on-ice performance. We aimed to quantify the effects of S/EPs on mobility and comfort by comparing the range of motion (ROM) of nine elite college-level ice hockey players performing static (nine single-DOF upper-body movements) and dynamic (wrist and slap shots) tasks under six pad conditions (no S/EPs and five types of S/EPs). We also analyzed the relationship between ROM and subjective comfort to provide an objective comfort evaluation of hockey pads. Five types of S/EPs restrict ROM at different levels, imposing additional mobility restrictions. We found significant differences among the five types and a high correlation between comfort and ROM. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of ice hockey pads on mobility and comfort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Wu
- AI Sports Engineering Lab, School of Sports Engineering, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yanfei Shen
- AI Sports Engineering Lab, School of Sports Engineering, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yinsheng Tian
- AI Sports Engineering Lab, School of Sports Engineering, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Sports Engineering Research Center, China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing 100061, China
| | - Lixin Sun
- AI Sports Engineering Lab, School of Sports Engineering, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
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Tochihara Y, Lee JY, Son SY, Bakri I. Heat strain of Japanese firefighters wearing personal protective equipment: a review for developing a test method. ERGONOMICS 2023; 66:676-689. [PMID: 35959644 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2022.2113150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this review was to develop a test method for the evaluation of heat strain for structural firefighters wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in Japan. We analysed a series of our laboratory's questionnaires and experimental studies and reviewed international standards on test methods. We investigated the actual average working conditions (total firefighting time on one incidence, working time with full PPE, maximum temperature and humidity during firefighting) at structural firefighting site in Japan by conducting a large-scale questionnaire survey of Japanese firefighters. We discussed test subjects (firefighters vs. non-firefighters; body size; physical fitness), exercise intensity (absolutes vs. relative; light vs. heavy) and duration, experimental temperature and relative humidity, experimental clothing items including station uniforms (shorts vs. long), and measurement variables (physiological and subjective responses), and suggested a standard test method to evaluate the heat strain of firefighters in hot and humid environments.Practitioner summary: We reviewed studies on human wear trials of firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) in hot environments and suggested a standard test method to evaluate the heat strain of firefighters. The test method can be internationally utilised to examine the comfort functions and heat stress of PPE in hot, humid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Tochihara
- Department of Human Science, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Joo-Young Lee
- Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Graphene Research Center for Convergence Technology, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon, Korea
| | - Su-Young Son
- Department of Home Economics Education Teachers College, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Ilham Bakri
- Industrial Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
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