NCT01595906

The Affect of a Ventilated Helmet on Physiological Load

The Affect of a Ventilated Helmet System on Human Physiological Load

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 12 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Medical Corps, Israel Defense Force · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 21 Years – 28 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The use of infantry helmets under heavy heat stress conditions, during physical exertion, may hinder the body's ability to effectively dissipate heat from the head area, thereby damaging the soldier's function. Therefore head cooling may potentially enable a longer duration of activity until reaching fatigue. An improvement in function may also be possible.The purpose of this research is to determine the extent of the cognitive and physiological strain caused by wearing a helmet under exertional conditions while exposed to heavy heat stress and to evaluate the effect of a unique ventilation system connected to the helmet on strain reduction.

Detailed description

12 young, healthy civilian volunteers, aged 21-28 will participate in the study. Following a day of examinations and 6 days of acclimatization in a climatic chamber in accordance with a well accepted protocol, the subjects will undergo 3 days of experiment that will include exposure to hot environmental conditions with different helmet-wearing scenarios, while wearing uniform and a combat vest: (a) without a helmet (b) with a helmet (c) with a helmet connected to a ventilation system. All 3 scenarios will include a two hour effort (walking on a treadmill) in heavy heat stress in the climatic chamber at our institute (the Heller institute of medical research).

Conditions

• Physiological Strain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Ventilated Helmet	The ventilation system is installed on the inner part of the helmet and connected to a bellows and an energy source placed on the vest worn by the soldier. The system's working principal is based on air perfusion with a small ventilator.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-09-01
• Primary completion: 2012-10-01
• Completion: 2013-02-01
• First posted: 2012-05-10
• Last updated: 2012-05-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Israel