COOLING VEST SYSTEM TO ASSIST REGULATION OF CORE BODY TEMPERATURE

Body area networks can be utilized to monitor and maintain core body temperature for individuals with impaired thermoregulation. An imbalance between heat gain and dissipation may lead to higher core body temperature. Heat stress caused by abnormally high body temperature increases the risk of heat stroke that may lead to tissue damage, neuronal impairment and potentially death. Thermoregulation may become impaired due to neurological dysfunction resulting from spinal cord injury, head injury, disease, cancer treatments or old age. This project developed a prototype of a scaled down (10:1) model of a cooling vest system. Sensors of core body temperature would be utilized by a microcontroller module to regulate the perfusion of water within a cooling vest. Water was pumped from a reservoir, perfused through a vest, and returned back to the reservoir. A thermoelectric cooler (Peltier device) transferred heat between the water in the reservoir and atmosphere air. An experimental test of the ability of the cooling vest system to lower the temperature of saline in a bladder in the chest of a teddy bear model was conducted. The pre-warmed saline was cooled more during the 4 minute test if the cooling vest system was on the bear compared to when the vest was not on the bear. Testing on a larger scale model will be necessary for further development of the system.