The Effect of Clothes on Physical Reaction to Heating of Local Part of the Body with a Prototype Heating Device of “KAIRO” type

Abstract

Recently “KAIRO (disoosable body warmer) ” has come into use for heating of local part of the body in cold environments. In order to examine the physical reaction to heating of local part of the body with “KAIRO” and effect of clothes, we have made a prototype heating device of “KAIRO” type, and experiments were performed on the condition that wearing two sort of clothes (lclo and 2clo) in a laboratory (15°C, 50±5%RH) . We measured skin temperature and pulse waves, as well as thermal and comfort sensation. Heated parts were neck, abdomen, hip, upper arm, thigh. The rise in skin temperature around local heating points appeared rather upside and downside than left and right side. The effect of clothes on mean skin temperature and pulse waves thermal and comfort sensation were observed.