Palm Cooling Reservoir Using Phase Change Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Muscle fatigue and elevated core body temperature during workouts impede athletic performance and recovery, as muscle pyruvate kinases become inactive at higher temperatures, and vasoconstriction limits heat exchange.
Innovation Solution
A portable cooling device utilizing heat pipes and an insulated thermal reservoir with a phase change material to maintain a controlled temperature for efficient heat transfer from glabrous tissues, avoiding vasoconstriction and optimizing thermal regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice bath is used to cool glabrous tissue, then heat exchange is enhanced, but vasoconstriction occurs which limits heat exchange
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from extreme cold (ice bath) to controlled cool temperatures (50-65°F) that achieve cooling without triggering vasoconstriction, thereby maintaining blood flow and continuous heat exchange capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses heat pipes to copy and distribute the cooling effect uniformly across the glabrous tissue surface, achieving efficient heat transfer without the need for direct ice contact that would cause vasoconstriction
2Loss of energy
If extreme cooling is applied to glabrous tissue, then heat loss is maximized, but tissue injury risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from extreme cold to controlled cool temperatures (50-65°F) that achieve effective heat loss while remaining within safe physiological limits to prevent tissue injury
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces heat pipes as an intermediary between the cooling medium and glabrous tissue, providing controlled thermal transfer that maximizes heat loss while preventing direct contact with temperatures that would cause tissue injury
3Stability of the object's composition
If phase change material is used to maintain constant temperature, then thermal regulation is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes phase change material that transitions from solid to liquid at a specific temperature, absorbing excess heat and maintaining constant reservoir temperature (50-65°F) without requiring active temperature control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change material provides self-regulating temperature control, automatically absorbing heat when temperature rises and maintaining constant temperature without external intervention or complex control mechanisms
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 device effectively cools or warms glabrous tissues to maintain muscle activity and accelerate heart rate recovery, enhancing athletic performance and recovery by managing core body temperature.
Implementation Method 1
The device and methods of use presented herein provide means for a highly efficient transfer of heat from the glabrous tissue of an individual via heat pipes in contact with a working fluid contained in an insulated thermal reservoir
Implementation Method 2
the reservoir fluid is maintained at a constant temperature via an encapsulated phase change material of suitable properties
Implementation Method 3
When the glabrous tissue is exposed to extreme coolness, such as an ice bath, the AVAs restrict blood flow by means of vasoconstriction, thereby limiting the heat exchange to the core of the body
Data Source
AI summary
Muscles held under tension undergo a chemical reaction that generates heat within the muscle, and subsequently that heat contributes to muscle fatigue. Research in the field of physiology and sports medicine has demonstrated that actively cooling an athlete's core body temperature can rapidly rejuvenate a fatigued muscle thereby allowing the athlete to extend the muscle's potential. Mammalians have several areas of glabrous tissue wherein a dense network of veins near the surface of the skin act as heat exchangers for cooling and regulating their core temperature. The process for effective cooling via glabrous tissue is optimized within a narrow range of temperatures. Presented herein is a handheld cooling device which is optimized for the efficient transfer of heat away from the fatigued muscles via direct contact with glabrous tissue.