Compressive Cooling

Concept: Temperature controlled compression sleeve spanning one’s forearm/hand that can reduce tremors by providing cooling temperatures below 15°C. The sleeve consists of two layers of fabric with a layer of non-toxic cooling gel placed in between. Prior to use, the sleeve will be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to cool it. Materials: Non-toxic, cold gel pack that can be chilled in refrigerator/freezer before use; gel thickness of 1 cm for the forearm; 0.5 cm for the top of hand. (silica gel, sodium polyacrylate, hydroxyethyl cellulose) Sleeve/glove material: comfortable, compression like fabric providing enough insulation to cool the arm and hand without inducing pain or discomfort; 1mm fabric thickness (Moisture wicking, spandex like material) Usage: The user will first place the sleeve in the refrigerator/freezer before use. After the sleeve reaches freezing, the user places the sleeve over the limb suffering tremors. After usage for at least 5 minutes, tremor reduction is expected for a duration of at least 30 minutes once removed. Problems: - Maintaining the sleeve at the correct temperature with no external power/control - Comfort of the user; how long can they wear it without feeling pain/discomfort from the cold - Ease of use/removal - Gel thickness: Enough to provide sufficient cooling without hindering movement? References: Effectiveness of ice packs in reducing skin temperature under casts. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8804296 Ankle and Thigh Skin Surface Temperature Changes With Repeated Ice Pack Application http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1318915/ Limb temperature and human tremors http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/57/1/35.full.pdf