System and method for determining personal protective equipment comfort

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12307619-B2
Application number	US-202118007213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2021
Priority date	Aug 14, 2020
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A method for determining personal protective equipment (PPE) comfort for an individual wearer includes defining a first anatomical shape data representative of an anatomical area of the individual wearer prior to donning a PPE, a second anatomical shape data representative of the anatomical area of the individual wearer after donning the PPE, and comparing the first anatomical shape data with the second anatomical shape data. The method further includes determining a soft skin tissue deformation at a plurality of predetermined anatomical positions based on the comparison between the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data, and determining a displacement comfort threshold (CTd) value based on the soft skin tissue deformation. The method also includes determining a pressure pain threshold (PPT) value, and determining a comfort metric based on the PPT values and the CTd values. The method also includes generating a notification corresponding to the comfort metric.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining personal protective equipment (PPE) comfort for an individual wearer, the method comprising:
defining a first anatomical shape data representative of an anatomical area of the individual wearer prior to donning a PPE;
defining a second anatomical shape data representative of the anatomical area of the individual wearer after donning the PPE;
comparing the first anatomical shape data with the second anatomical shape data;
determining a soft skin tissue deformation at a plurality of predetermined anatomical positions based on the comparison between the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data;
determining a displacement comfort threshold (CT d ) value based on the soft skin tissue deformation at the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions;
determining a pressure pain threshold (PPT) value at the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions;
determining a comfort metric based on the PPT values and the CT d values; and
generating a notification corresponding to the comfort metric.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of defining the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data further comprises scanning the anatomical area of the individual wearer prior to donning the PPE and after donning the PPE using at least one three-dimensional scanner.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
defining a plurality of predetermined setting ranges for adjusting at least one adjustable feature on the PPE, wherein the plurality of predetermined setting ranges are defined based on at least one of a fit of the PPE and a comfort of the PPE; and
generating a notification for a predetermined setting range from the plurality of predetermined setting ranges for adjusting the at least one adjustable feature.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a soft skin tissue thickness at the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the individual wearer comfort metric to a predicted wearer comfort metric.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of generating the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions based on at least two dynamic movements performed by the individual wearer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of defining a first PPE shape data before donning the PPE by the individual wearer and a second PPE shape data after donning the PPE by the individual wearer.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a first contour data of the PPE based on the first PPE shape data;
determining a second contour data based on the second PPE shape data and the second anatomical shape data;
comparing the first contour data with the second contour data; and
generating a notification for the individual wearer based on the comparison between the first contour data and the second contour data.

9. A system for determining personal protective equipment (PPE) comfort for an individual wearer, the system comprising:
a processor configured to:
define a first anatomical shape data representative of an anatomical area of the individual wearer prior to donning a PPE;
define a second anatomical shape data representative of the anatomical area of the individual wearer after donning the PPE;
compare the first anatomical shape data with the second anatomical shape data;
determine a soft skin tissue deformation at a plurality of predetermined anatomical positions based on the comparison between the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data;
determine a displacement comfort threshold CT d value based on the soft skin tissue deformation at the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions;
determine a pressure pain threshold (PPT) value at the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions; and
determine a comfort metric based on the PPT values and the CT d values; and

an output module communicably coupled with the processor, wherein the output module is configured to provide a notification corresponding to the comfort metric received from the processor thereon.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions are generated using a static modeling module.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions are generated using a dynamic modeling module.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data is defined based on scanning the anatomical area of the individual wearer prior to donning the PPE and after donning the PPE using at least one three-dimensional scanner.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
define a plurality of predetermined setting ranges for adjusting at least one adjustable feature on the PPE, wherein the plurality of predetermined setting ranges are defined based on at least one of a fit of the PPE and a comfort of the PPE; and
generating a notification for a predetermined setting range from the plurality of predetermined setting ranges for adjusting the at least one adjustable feature.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a soft skin tissue thickness at the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the individual wearer comfort metric to a predicted wearer comfort metric.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the plurality of predetermined anatomical positions based on at least two dynamic movements performed by the individual wearer.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to define a first PPE shape data before donning the PPE by the individual wearer and a second PPE shape data after donning the PPE by the individual wearer.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a first contour data of the PPE based on the first PPE shape data;
determine a second contour data based on the second PPE shape data and the second anatomical shape data;
compare the first contour data with the second contour data; and
generate a notification for the individual wearer based on the comparison between the first contour data and the second contour data.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
access information pertaining to a plurality of PPE sizes for a PPE type;
compare, for the individual wearer, the first anatomical shape data with the second anatomical shape data;
predict a PPE size for the individual wearer from the plurality of PPE sizes based on the comparison between the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data; and
generate a notification for the individual wearer pertaining to the predicted PPE size.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to access information pertaining to a plurality of PPE types and a plurality of PPE sizes from a predetermined library to predict, for the individual wearer, at least one of a PPE type from the plurality of PPE types and a PPE size from the plurality of PPE sizes.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Sharma Ambuj
• Donoghue Claire R
• Gamble Stephen R
• Long Andrew W
• Mccool Christine L
• Meree Caitlin E
• Urban Henning T
• Viner Andrew S
• Webb Richard C
• Ylitalo Caroline M

Classifications

• G06T2219/2021

  Shape modification · CPC title

• G06T19/20 Primary

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• A62B18/08

  Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices (eye-pieces for protective goggles A61F9/02; composition of materials for the windows or other transparent parts A62D7/00) · CPC title

• G06V40/171

  Local features and components; Facial parts (eye characteristics G06V40/18); Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships · CPC title

• G06T2207/30196

  Human being; Person · CPC title