Mean skin temperature in hyperbaric oxyhelium--its measurement and limitations
Hayes, P.A.; Wissler, E.H.; Påsche, A.
Undersea Biomedical Research 10(1): 29-37
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0093-5387 PMID: 6868179 Document Number: 203734
Local skin temperature was measured at 15 positions on the body surface in a range of hyperbaric oxyhelium environments (0.5-560 m; 1.5-57 bar) at temperatures between 18.3% C and 33.3% C. The 324 sets of data were collected from 17 seminude divers during experimental periods lasting from 10 min to 2 h at intervals from 2-15 min. Each of the 15 temperature measurements was weighted according to an area it represented, and the resultant addition produced an optimal formula for the calculation of mean skin temperature (.hivin.Tskopt). Several existing weighting formulae that use a small number of sites were compared to this optimal method; in addition, various alternative arrangements of both coefficients and sites of temperature measurement were investigated. By selecting 4 different measurement sites, and choosing the weighting coefficients carefully, a formula is obtained that is more accurate than either the traditional 7-point Hardy-Dubois or the 4-point arrangements.