Real-time human core temperature estimation methods and their application in the occupational field: A systematic review

Background The estimation of body core temperature (CT) is a central issue in the study of the human thermoregulation response in the occupational field. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the real-time CT estimation methods based on physiological measurements acquired through wearable devices. Methods According to the eligibility criteria, the articles published until 24th March 2020 were selected from Scopus, Pubmed and Web of Science and the potential risk of bias was assessed. Results 16 studies were included, which enrolled a total of 353 above all young males, with tests performed mainly in the laboratory under warm/hot environmental conditions. Several CT estimation methods were found, for which performance was evaluated with different approaches. Conclusion Promising solutions appear to be emerging from the literature to enable real-time CT estimation with a small number of wearable and non-invasive sensors for application in the occupational field.