COMPACT, FAST-RESPONSE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MONITOR/ TEMPERATURE SENSOR SUITE

OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM EMPHASIZED THE VERY REAL THREAT OF CHEMICAL WARFARE AND THE CONCOMITANT NEED FOR TROOPS TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION IN FULL MOPP IV INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING WITHOUT SUCCUMBING TO HEAT STRESS. SINCE THE CHEMICAL WARFARE ENSEMBLE INHIBITS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BODY'S EVAPORATIVE COOLING MECHANISM, MEDICAL CASUALTIES INDUCED BY AN INAPPROPRIATE BALANCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE WORK LOAD CAN JEOPARDIZE MISSION EFFECTIVENESS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED PHASE I PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP AN OPERATIONALLY VIABLE, HAND-HELD ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MONITOR/TEMPERATURE SENSING SUITE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AN EARLY WARNING OF IMPENDING HEAT-STRESS PROBLEMS. THE PROPOSED SUITE OF SENSORS WILL ACCURATELY, RELIABLY, AND RAPIDLY PROVIDE THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS (I.E. , WET BULB, DRY BULB, BLACK GLOBE TEMPERATURES) AND SUPPORTING DATA NEEDED TO MINIMIZE HEAT-STRESS CASUALTIES AND PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION. AS OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE APPLICATION OF BLACK-GLOBE THERMOMETER TECHNOLOGY INDICATES A PRESSING NEED TO REDUCE THE TIME REQUIRED TO DEFINE HEAT- STRESS CONDITIONS---FROM 15 TO 20 MINUTES TO A MATTER OF SECONDS RESPONSE. CONSEQUENTLY, RESPONSE TIME WILL BE AN IMPONANT FACTOR IN SENSOR DESIGN. WITH A CAPABILITY TO CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, MODELING MAY BE APPLIED TO PREDICTING HEAT STRESS EFFECTS TO INDIVIDUAL MILITARY PERSONNEL (I.E.) SPECIAL OPERATIONS). HARDWARE CONCEPT(S) DERIVED FROM AN INTEGRATED SYSTEMS APPROACH WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR PHASE II DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MONITOR.