Cooling Cervical Collar for Targeted Brain Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cervical collars lack the ability to effectively induce therapeutic hypothermia or manage temperature in patients with traumatic head or neck injuries, which can lead to spinal cord injuries and paralysis, and do not provide comfort in extreme temperature conditions.
Innovation Solution
A cervical collar with an integrated cooling device that targets blood flow through cerebral arteries, using a bladder to circulate cooling or warming fluid and includes an indicator to monitor temperature changes, allowing for targeted temperature management and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cervical collars are used for immobilization, then spinal cord injury risk is reduced, but therapeutic hypothermia capability is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the immobilization function of the cervical collar with the therapeutic hypothermia function by integrating a cooling system into the collar structure. The cooling system includes a cooling element positioned to contact the patient's neck and a fluid circulation system that delivers cooled fluid through channels in the collar, enabling both spinal protection and temperature management in a single device.
Solution Approach 2:
The cervical collar is designed to perform multiple functions: immobilization of the cervical spine and therapeutic hypothermia induction. The collar structure incorporates both rigid support elements for spinal stabilization and a integrated cooling system with fluid channels and temperature control mechanisms, allowing the single device to address both mechanical protection and thermal therapy needs.
2Temperature
If whole-body cooling is used for therapeutic hypothermia, then brain temperature is reduced, but side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to apply cooling locally to the neck region where major blood vessels are accessible. The cooling element is positioned to contact the anterior neck area, and the fluid circulation system delivers cooled fluid specifically to this region, enabling targeted cooling of the brain through the blood-carbon dioxide axis without requiring whole-body cooling, thus minimizing systemic side effects.
3Temperature
If cervical collar with cooling device is used, then therapeutic hypothermia is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is nested within the cervical collar structure. The fluid circulation channels are embedded in the collar body, the cooling element is housed within a recessed area of the collar, and the pump and reservoir components are integrated into the overall collar assembly. This nested arrangement allows the complex cooling system to be contained within the compact form factor of the cervical collar without requiring separate external equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A cervical collar that facilitates therapeutic hypothermia is provided and includes a cooling device having a front portion and a back portion fixedly coupled to the front portion on one side and removably coupled to the front portion on an opposite side. A fastening device removably couples the back portion to the front portion on the opposite side. The cooling device induces hypothermia in at least a portion of a patient. A sensor is provided that measures a physical characteristic of the patient.