Cooling mat comprising expandable elements for cooling a body or body part for medical or performance-enhancing purposes (cool app)
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for therapeutic hypothermia and other applications face inefficiencies due to poor thermal conductivity, formation of insulating liquid layers, and inaccurate temperature indication, leading to reduced cooling capacity and potential patient safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A cooling pad with heat sinks filled with water in small air-free cells, using melting energy for cooling and an expansion element to maintain contact with the body, combined with internal thermochromic temperature indicators for precise temperature monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling mats use heat sinks filled with cold liquid or gel to cool the body, then cooling capacity is provided, but thermal conductivity is poor and insulating liquid layers form at the interface, reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling mat incorporates a rolling mechanism that dynamically adjusts the contact pressure between the heat sink and the body surface. By rolling the mat back and forth, the system maintains optimal contact pressure to prevent insulating liquid layer formation, thereby sustaining high heat transfer efficiency throughout the cooling process while preserving the cooling capacity of the heat sink.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling mat employs periodic rolling motion to repeatedly restore contact between the heat sink and body surface. This periodic action removes accumulated insulating liquid layers at regular intervals, ensuring continuous efficient heat transfer from the heat sink to the body without compromising the overall cooling capacity.
2Reliability
If pressure is applied to heat sinks to improve contact with the body surface, then heat transfer is improved, but the insulating liquid layer formation cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying static pressure, the cooling mat uses dynamic rolling motion to periodically disrupt and remove insulating liquid layers. The rolling action creates varying contact pressure over time, which prevents the stable formation of insulating layers while maintaining adequate heat transfer contact between the heat sink and body surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling mechanism generates mechanical motion that disrupts the formation of insulating liquid layers at the heat sink-body interface. This mechanical action physically removes the harmful liquid barrier that would otherwise form under static pressure conditions, thereby maintaining efficient heat transfer.
3Temperature
If cooling devices use external cooling units with electrical energy to distribute cold medium, then cooling energy is provided, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling mat is designed to be self-cooling by utilizing the phase change properties of the heat sink material. The heat sink absorbs body heat and undergoes phase change (e.g., ice melting), providing cooling energy without requiring external cooling units or electrical energy. This self-service approach eliminates complex external cooling systems while maintaining effective cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling mat exploits the phase transition of the heat sink material (such as ice melting from solid to liquid) to provide cooling energy. During phase change, the material absorbs latent heat from the body, delivering substantial cooling energy without requiring external power sources or complex cooling mechanisms.
4Temperature
If cooling mats are filled with ice or frozen material, then cooling capacity is enhanced, but flexibility is reduced and air pockets form, reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling mat uses a composite structure combining frozen cooling material with a flexible encapsulating matrix. This composite design allows the inclusion of ice or frozen material for high cooling capacity while the flexible matrix maintains the overall flexibility of the mat and prevents air pocket formation, enabling both therapeutic cooling and adaptability to body contours.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling mat employs a flexible shell or film structure that encapsulates the frozen cooling material. This flexible enclosure allows the mat to conform to body surfaces while preventing air pockets from forming around the cooling elements, thereby maintaining both flexibility for ease of operation and high cooling capacity from the frozen content.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient, consistent cooling without external energy sources and provides accurate temperature feedback, enhancing patient safety and reducing costs by maintaining cooling capacity and preventing insulating liquid layers.
Implementation Method 1
heat sinks in the form of a meltable material, such as preferably water, which is placed in a cooling pad consisting of preferably small air-free individual cells in still liquid form and is frozen before use in a freezer
Implementation Method 2
is frozen before use in a freezer, preferably at temperatures of around -6°C
Implementation Method 3
a preferably centrally positioned expansion element exerts a directed pressure on the parts of the cooling body that are still solid
Implementation Method 4
Another important feature of cooling pads is to display the current temperature of the cooling pad. This signals to the treating medical staff or the other user that the cooling pad is still cooling sufficiently or needs to be replaced
Data Source
Figure 1~12
Figure 13~14
AI summary
Disclosed is a device for cooling a body or body part for medical or performance-enhancing purposes, said device consisting of one or more cooling elements (11), said cooling element (11) being provided with a cover (1) that is filled with a meltable cooling solid (2). The disclosed device is characterized in that an additional apparatus for displacing the already melted portion (8) of the cooling solid (2) from the contact surface (7) to the body is provided inside the cover (1), the expandable member (4, 6) being preferably designed in the form of a filled member (4) of a spring element (6) or of a foamed article. Also disclosed is an additional device which is characterized in that a layer (16) of thermochromic material indicates when a threshold temperature is exceeded, said layer (16) being applied to the bottom side of the expandable member and thus being pressed against the remaining solid portion of the cooling solid, the cover (1) being transparent in this case.