Facial respirator shape analysis using 3D anthropometric data
Riley Fenlon · 2007
For firefighters and first response crews, the facial respirator is the first and last defense against hazardous and potentially harmful airborne agents.That defense is crippled if the seal of the respirator sprouts a leak, exposing the wearer to the dangers of the surrounding environment.Due to the inherent limitations of traditional anthropometric measures in modeling the nuanced and complex human face, fit testing standards for respirators remain imprecise.A recent review of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) anthropometric survey called for 3D facial data to try and remove some of this uncertainty. Manufacturing Applications (SIMA) and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).The author would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of his advisor, Afzal Godil, who provided guidance and insight at every juncture.The author would also like to acknowledge the help of Kathryn Butler in providing the mask used in the analysis and reviewing this paper.Thanks are also given to Damien Bertot and Charles McLean for performing the 3D scan of the mask. DISCLAIMERCommercial products are cited in reference to the gap analysis procedures.The identification of such products is neither a recommendation nor endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, but is included for the purpose of experimental reproducibility.