Portable Thermal Pack for Sleep Induction via Phase Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cold and hot packs are inconvenient due to their reliance on refrigerators or electrical connections, lacking portability and temperature control, and they provide poor temperature regulation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a heat transfer machine and device that allows for portable, untethered temperature regulation using materials like gel or phase change materials, allowing for pre-cooled or warmed packs to be applied directly to the skin for extended periods to control skin temperature and induce sleep.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional cold packs use a refrigerator to chill the substance, then the cooling function is achieved, but portability is lost and user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cold pack is pre-chilled in a refrigerator before use, storing cold energy in advance. This allows the pack to be portable and usable without needing continuous refrigeration or power sources during actual application.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold pack is extracted from the refrigerator and used as a standalone portable device, separating the cooling function from the refrigerator system. The pack contains its own cooling medium (gel or phase change material) that can be independently applied to the user.
2Temperature
If traditional hot packs require an electrical connection, then heating function is provided, but portability is reduced and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from electrical systems and implemented through chemical heating elements or phase change materials that generate heat without requiring electrical connections, power outlets, or complex wiring.
Solution Approach 2:
The hot pack uses a disposable chemical heating element that provides heat through a chemical reaction (such as oxidation of iron powder). Once the chemical fuel is consumed, the pack is discarded and replaced, eliminating the need for reusable electrical components, batteries, or power management systems.
3Ease of operation
If traditional cold packs are extracted from the refrigerator, then the cold pack becomes available for use, but temperature control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses phase change materials that undergo specific phase transitions (such as gel to liquid or solid to liquid) at predetermined temperatures. This allows the cold pack to maintain a stable, precise temperature during the phase change process, providing automatic temperature regulation without requiring active control systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional hot packs provide heating without temperature regulation, then heating function is achieved, but temperature regulation precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hot pack employs phase change materials that melt or change phase at specific temperatures, providing automatic temperature regulation. As the material undergoes phase change, it absorbs or releases heat at a constant temperature, preventing overheating and maintaining a safe, consistent temperature without requiring external control systems.
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
Enables convenient, portable temperature regulation for skin, effectively slowing metabolic rates and inducing sleep by maintaining desired temperatures for extended periods without the need for continuous power or refrigeration.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-cooled heat transfer pack (temperature of, for example, 10° Celsius or below) on the subject's forehead so that the heat transfer pack is in thermal communication with the subject's forehead
Implementation Method 2
using materials like gel or phase change materials
Data Source
AI summary
A subject's forehead, and underlying pre-frontal cortex may be cooled by positioning a pre-cooled heat transfer pack on the subject's forehead so that the heat transfer pack is in thermal communication with the subject's forehead, the temperature of the pre-cooled heat transfer pack being below 10° Celsius. Thermal communication between the subject's forehead and the heat transfer pack may be maintained for a period of time sufficient to cool the subject's pre-frontal cortex. Cooling of the pre-frontal cortex may slow the metabolic rate of the subject's pre-frontal cortex and/or induce an onset of sleep for the subject.