Space-Age ‘Cool Suit’ Boon to Firefighters, Race Drivers

Borrowing a technology developed by NASA to stop astronauts from getting too hot, a Silicon Valley company is marketing an outfit that keeps everyone from firefighters to race car drivers cool.

Resembling one of the desert suits worn by the Fremen desert tribe in the movie “Dune,” the garments by Life Support Systems Inc. of Mountain View were derived from the “cool suit” developed in the 1960s at NASA’s Ames Research Center nearby.

“To think that something could go to the moon and help a child here on Earth--that’s what this thing is all about,” said Sara (Tootsie) Moody, whose nephew Steve Roper uses the garment because he was born without sweat glands. For him, the simplest exercise is a death-defying act.

The key to the garment is a cooling hat and vest, which absorbs warmth from the torso and head, where most body heat is given off, said William Elkins, president of the 7-year-old company, which is the sole U.S. manufacturer of the suits.

Tubes Carry Antifreeze

The hat and vest have tubes carrying chilled antifreeze and are also hooked to a portable pump and self-contained ice pack. A 13-pound support unit keeps the antifreeze at low temperatures and pumps it through the exotic-looking system.

Up to 1,000 children nationwide suffer from anhydrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a congenital condition that not only leaves victims without sweat glands but also without nose mucus and ear wax. That makes them vulnerable to infections and fevers that can be fatal.

Life Support designed the child-sized suit for Steve Roper, of Waynesville, N.C., charging his family only $2,100 for materials. For the child, the results were nearly miraculous.

“I can play outside in the summertime, and I can go to Disney World now if I want to,” he said in a telephone interview with the San Jose Mercury News.

The outfit’s primary purpose remains for use by the military and industry. It was used by astronauts during the space program in the 1960s to reduce body temperatures during re-entry.

The suit is being used by those who work in nuclear power plants or with hazardous materials to keep their temperatures down while they wear protective body suits. That allows them in some cases to double or triple work time between breaks, according to company-sponsored tests.

Fire Dept. Uses Suits

Four suits have been in use since 1983 by the San Jose Fire Department, where they have become standard gear during hazardous materials accidents, said Fire Capt. Dale Foster. He said the garment is worn inside a body suit.

“The inside temperature of the body suit gets extremely high, and it’s unbearably hot in 10 to 15 minutes,” Foster said. “The key thing is that your judgment is impaired. You’re hot, sweat is running in your eyes and you’re in a dangerous situation.

“With the suit, you can stay reasonably cool for a minimum of half an hour and possibly an hour.”

Other uses of the suit include by glass workers at a Gallo winery, military helicopter pilots and Canadian armored vehicle crews.

Life Support is designing a prototype cool suit for use by U.S. fighter pilots.

About 250 race car drivers--including Richard Petty and Paul Newman--use the suits to relieve heat fatigue during summertime racing.