Human Factors Evaluation of the Hidalgo Equivital EQ-02 Physiological Status Monitoring System

Abstract : Soldiers are particularly vulnerable to thermal strain when they are required to react to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats. One solution to addressing this thermal strain is real-time physiological monitoring to improve situational and health state awareness. One proposed product is the Hidalgo, Ltd. (Cambridge, UK) Equivital EQ-02 physiological status monitoring (PSM) system. The usability and acceptability of this system has been tested previously and generally been found to be acceptable by Soldiers for military use. However, no study has examined its use in a CBRNE environment with CBRNE-PPE. This study addressed that need. A total of 28 Soldiers (26 men and 2 women) from the 22nd Chemical Battalion Technical Escort (TE), the 95th Civil Support Team Weapons of Mass Destruction (CST-WMD) and the 1st CST-WMD volunteered to participate. It was concluded that the Equivital EQ-02 system when worn under CBRNE- PPE provided utility and was comfortable to wear.