System and method for personal protective equipment

1. A method for use with a personal protective equipment (PPE) article, the method comprising:

determining, via at least one sensor, a first parameter indicative of a concentration of at least one substance in an ambient environment of the PPE article;

determining, via a processor, a second parameter indicative of a second order derivative of the first parameter with respect to time;

retrieving, via the processor, a first threshold value indicative of a protection threshold provided by the PPE article for the at least one substance;

comparing, via the processor, the second parameter with the first threshold value;

generating, via the processor, an alert signal based on the comparison of the second parameter with the first threshold value; and

providing, via a user interface, an alert to a user of the PPE article based on the alert signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the alert further comprises providing a countermeasure to the user of the PPE article.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of:

a portable sensor associated with the PPE article;

a portable sensor associated with another PPE article spaced apart from the PPE article; and

a stationary sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises an end of service life indication of the PPE article.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is generated if the second parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a third parameter indicative of a first order derivative of the first parameter with respect to time; and

comparing the third parameter with a second threshold value;

wherein the alert signal is further generated based on the comparison of the third parameter with the second threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, via at least one physiological sensor, a physiological parameter indicative of a physiological condition of the user of the PPE article; and

comparing the physiological parameter with a physiological threshold;

wherein the alert signal is further generated based on the comparison of the physiological parameter with the physiological threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprises determining a type of the PPE article, wherein the alert signal is further generated if the PPE article provides insufficient protection against the at least one substance.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first parameter comprises a plurality of first parameters indicative of concentrations of a plurality of substances;

determining the first parameter further comprises determining the plurality of first parameters;

determining the second parameter further comprises determining a plurality of second parameters corresponding to the plurality of first parameters, wherein each second parameter is indicative of a second order derivative of the corresponding first parameter with respect to time;

retrieving the first threshold value further comprises retrieving a plurality of first threshold values corresponding to the plurality of first parameters, wherein each first threshold value is indicative of a corresponding protection threshold provided by the PPE article for the corresponding substance;

comparing the second parameter with the first threshold value further comprises comparing each second parameter with the corresponding first threshold value; and

the alert signal is further generated based on the comparison of each second parameter with the corresponding first threshold value.

10. A system for use with a personal protective equipment (PPE) article, the system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to generate a signal based on a concentration of at least one substance in an ambient environment of the PPE article;

a processor configured to receive the signal from the at least one sensor, the processor configured to:

determine a first parameter indicative of the concentration of the at least one substance;

determine a second parameter indicative of a second order derivative of the first parameter with respect to time;

retrieve a first threshold value indicative of a protection threshold provided by the PPE article for the at least one substance;

compare the second parameter with the first threshold value;

generate an alert signal based on the comparison of the second parameter with the first threshold value; and

a user interface configured to provide an alert to a user of the PPE article based on the alert signal received from the processor.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the alert comprises a countermeasure for the user of the PPE article.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the alert comprises at least one of an audible alert, a visible alert, and a haptic alert.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of:

a portable sensor associated with the PPE article;

a portable sensor associated with another PPE article spaced apart from the PPE article; and

a stationary sensor.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the alert comprises an end of service life indication of the PPE article.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the alert if the second parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a third parameter indicative of a first order derivative of the first parameter with respect to time;

compare the third parameter with a second threshold value; and

generate the alert signal further based on the comparison of the third parameter with the second threshold value.

17. The system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one physiological sensor configured to generate signals based on a physiological condition of the user of the PPE article, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a physiological parameter indicative of a physiological condition of the user of the PPE article based on the signals received from the at least one physiological sensor;

compare the physiological parameter with a physiological threshold; and

generate the alert signal further based on the comparison of the physiological parameter with the physiological threshold.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a type of the PPE article, and generate the alert signal if the PPE article provides insufficient protection against the at least one substance.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first parameter comprises a plurality of first parameters indicative of concentrations of a plurality of substances, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the plurality of first parameters;

determine a plurality of second parameters corresponding to the plurality of first parameters, wherein each second parameter is indicative of a second order derivative of the corresponding first parameter with respect to time;

retrieve a plurality of first threshold values corresponding to the plurality of first parameters, wherein each first threshold value is indicative of a corresponding protection threshold provided by the PPE article for the corresponding substance;

compare the second parameter with the first threshold value further comprises comparing each second parameter with the corresponding threshold value; and

generate the alert signal further based on the comparison of each second parameter with the corresponding first threshold value.

20. A method for use with a personal protective equipment (PPE) article, the method comprising:

determining, via a plurality of sensors, a plurality of first parameters indicative of concentrations of a plurality of substances in an ambient environment of the PPE article;

determining, via a processor, a plurality of second parameters corresponding to the plurality of first parameters, wherein each second parameter is indicative of a second order derivative of the corresponding first parameter with respect to time;

retrieving, via the processor, a plurality of first threshold values corresponding to the plurality of first parameters, wherein each first threshold value is indicative of a corresponding protection threshold provided by the PPE article for the corresponding substance;

comparing, via the processor, each second parameter with the corresponding first threshold value;

generating, via the processor, an alert signal based on the comparison of each second parameter with the corresponding first threshold value; and

providing, via a user interface, an alert to a user of the PPE article based on the alert signal.