초록 ▼

A thermodynamically efficient garment for cooling and/or heating a human body. The thermodynamic efficiency is provided in part by targeting the heat exchange capabilities of the garment to specific areas and/or structures of the human body. The heat exchange garment includes heat exchange zones and

A thermodynamically efficient garment for cooling and/or heating a human body. The thermodynamic efficiency is provided in part by targeting the heat exchange capabilities of the garment to specific areas and/or structures of the human body. The heat exchange garment includes heat exchange zones and one or more non-heat exchange zones, where the heat exchange zones are configured to correspond to one or more high density tissue areas of the human body when the garment is worn. A system including the garment can be used to exchange heat with the adjacent HD tissue areas under the control of a feedback control system. Sensed physiological parameters received by the feedback control system can be used to adjust the characteristics of heat exchange fluid moving within the heat exchange garment.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling body temperature, comprising: providing a heat exchange garment configured to cover both high density tissue areas as well as non-high density tissue areas of at least a portion of a human body, the heat exchange garment comprising at least one heat e

What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling body temperature, comprising: providing a heat exchange garment configured to cover both high density tissue areas as well as non-high density tissue areas of at least a portion of a human body, the heat exchange garment comprising at least one heat exchange zone configured to correspond to one or more of the high density tissue areas of the human body, wherein each heat exchange zone comprises heat exchange elements for use in transferring at least heat to the human body; and limiting the location of heat exchange elements in the heat exchange garment to substantially only in the at least one heat exchange zone so as to provide selective heat exchange when the heat exchange garment is worn on the body in the one or more high density tissue areas of the body selected for having higher coefficients of conductivity relative to the non-high density tissue areas. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising positioning at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment to be adjacent one or more high density tissue areas of the body. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning the at least one heat exchange zone comprises positioning the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment to be adjacent one or more high density tissue and highly vascularized areas of the body. 4. The method of claim 2, comprising exchanging heat between the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment and the adjacent high density tissue areas of the body. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein exchanging heat comprises cooling the adjacent high density tissue area with the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein exchanging heat comprises heating the adjacent high density tissue area with the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein exchanging heat comprises: cooling a first adjacent high density tissue area with at least a first heat exchange zone of the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment; and heating a second adjacent high density tissue area with at least a second heat exchange zone of the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cooling of the first adjacent high density tissue area and the heating of the second adjacent high density tissue area occur substantially simultaneously. 9. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises sensing one or more physiological parameters; and wherein exchanging heat comprises controlling at least one characteristic of a heat exchange fluid within a heat exchange garment based on the sensed one or more physiological parameters. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing one or more physiological parameters comprises sensing one or more physiological parameters at a position on a distal extremity. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing one or more physiological parameters at the position on the distal extremity comprises sensing one or more physiological parameters at a finger. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises controlling a flow rate of heat exchange fluid within the heat exchange garment based on the sensed physiological parameters. 13. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises controlling a temperature of heat exchange fluid within the heat exchange garment based on the sensed physiological parameters. 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the heat exchange garment comprises heat exchange elements containing the heat exchange fluid and located in two or more heat exchange zones, and wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises independently controlling a flow rate of heat exchange fluid within each of the heat exchange elements based on the sensed physiological parameters. 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the heat exchange garment comprises heat exchange elements containing the heat exchange fluid and located in two or more heat exchange zones, and wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises independently controlling a temperature of heat exchange fluid within each of the heat exchange elements based on the sensed physiological parameters. 16. A method for controlling body temperature, comprising: sensing one or more physiological parameters at a position on a distal extremity of a human body; and controlling at least one characteristic of a heat exchange fluid within a heat exchange garment based on the sensed one or more physiological parameters, wherein the heat exchange garment is configured to cover both high density tissue areas as well as non-high density tissue areas of at least a portion of the body, wherein the heat exchange garment comprises a plurality of heat exchange zones configured to correspond to one or more high density tissue areas of a human body, wherein each of the plurality of heat exchange zones comprises heat exchange elements for use in exchanging heat with the human body, and further wherein the location of heat exchange elements in the garment are limited to substantially only in the plurality of heat exchange zones corresponding to one or more high density tissue areas so as to provide selective heat exchange when the heat exchange garment is worn on the body in the one or more high density tissue areas of the body selected for having higher coefficients of conductivity relative to the non-high density tissue areas. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein sensing one or more physiological parameters at the position on the distal extremity comprises sensing one or more physiological parameters at a finger. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises controlling a flow rate of heat exchange fluid within the heat exchange garment based on the sensed physiological parameters. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises controlling a temperature of heat exchange fluid within the heat exchange garment based on the sensed physiological parameters. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the heat exchange garment comprises heat exchange elements containing the heat exchange fluid and located in two or more heat exchange zones of the garment, and wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises independently controlling a flow rate of heat exchange fluid within each of the heat exchange elements based on the sensed physiological parameters. 21. The method of claim 16, wherein the heat exchange garment comprises heat exchange elements containing the heat exchange fluid and located in two or more heat exchange zones of the garment, and wherein controlling at least one characteristic of the heat exchange fluid comprises independently controlling a temperature of heat exchange fluid within each of the heat exchange elements based on the sensed physiological parameters. 22. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises positioning heat exchange elements in at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment adjacent one or more high density tissue areas of a human body. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein positioning the at least one heat exchange zone comprises positioning the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment to be adjacent one or more high density tissue and highly vascularized areas of the body. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein exchanging heat comprises heating the adjacent high density tissue area using the one or more heat exchange elements of the heat exchange garment. 25. The method of claim 22, wherein exchanging heat comprises cooling the adjacent high density tissue area using the one or more heat exchange elements of the heat exchange garment. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein exchanging heat comprises: cooling a first adjacent high density tissue area with at least a first heat exchange element of the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment; and heating a second adjacent high density tissue area with at least a second heat exchange element of the at least one heat exchange zone of the heat exchange garment. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the cooling of the first adjacent high density tissue area and the heating of the second adjacent high density tissue area occur substantially simultaneously. 28. A heat exchange garment, comprising: a support material configured to cover both high density tissue areas as well as non-high density tissue areas of at least a portion of a body, wherein the support material is defined to conform to at least a portion of a human body, wherein one or more heat exchange zones and one or more non-heat exchange zones are defined in the support material; and heat exchange elements located primarily only in the one or more heat exchange zones, wherein each of the one or more heat exchange zones are defined in regions of the support material such that when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are positioned adjacent high density tissue areas of the human body so as to provide selective heat exchange when the heat exchange garment is worn on the body in the high density tissue areas of the body selected for having higher coefficients of conductivity relative to the non-high density tissue areas. 29. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a left forearm and a right forearm of the human body. 30. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a left half of a lateral thoracic area and a right half of the lateral thoracic area of the human body. 31. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are positioned adjacent high density tissue and highly vascularized sites of the human body. 32. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a left half of an occipital and parietal head area and a right half of an occipital and parietal head area of the human body. 33. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of paraspinal areas of the human body. 34. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a gluteal, a medial and an inner thigh area of the human body. 35. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a groin area of the human body. 36. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of an upper torso area of the human body. 37. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a left ankle and calve region and a right ankle and calve region of the human body. 38. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are defined to be positioned adjacent high density tissue of a right wrist joint of a hand and a left wrist joint of the hand of the human body. 39. The heat exchange garment of claim 28, wherein the heat exchange elements comprises tubing containing heat transfer fluid for transferring heat between the heat transfer fluid and the high density tissues sites of the human body. 40. The heat exchange garment of claim 39, wherein the garment further comprises one or more valves operatively coupled to the tubing, wherein the valves control the flow of heat transfer fluid in the tubing of the heat exchange elements. 41. A heat exchange system, comprising: a heat exchange garment comprising support material configured to cover both high density tissue areas as well as non-high density tissue areas of at least a portion of a body, wherein the support material is defined to conform to at least a portion of a human body and wherein one or more heat exchange zones and one or more non-heat exchange zones are defined in the support material, and further wherein heat exchange elements are located primarily only in the one or more beat exchange zones, wherein each of the one or more heat exchange zones are defined in regions of the support material such that when the garment is worn on the human body the one or more heat exchange zones are positioned adjacent high density tissue areas of the human body so as to provide selective heat exchange when the heat exchange garment is worn on the body in the high density tissue areas of the body selected for having higher coefficients of conductivity relative to the non-high density tissue areas; at least one heat exchange unit operatively coupled to the heat exchange elements of the heat exchange garment, wherein the at least one heat exchange unit is operable to move heat exchange fluid through the heat exchange elements, and wherein the at least one heat exchange unit is operable to add or remove heat from the heat exchange fluid; at least one sensor, where the at least one sensor detects one or more physiological parameters from the human body; and a feedback system controller operatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one heat exchange unit, wherein the feedback system controller controls the at least one heat exchange unit to add or remove heat from the heat exchange fluid as a function of the one or more sensed physiological parameters from the human body. 42. The heat exchange system of claim 41, wherein the heat exchange garment comprises heat exchange elements located in two or more heat exchange zones that correspond to regions of the support material, wherein each of the two or more heat exchange zones are located in regions of the support material such that when the garment is worn on the human body the two or more heat exchange zones are positioned adjacent high density tissue sites of the human body. 43. The heat exchange system of claim 41, wherein the heat exchange elements comprise one or more tubes containing heat transfer fluid. 44. The heat exchange system of claim 43, wherein the system further comprises one or more valves operatively coupled to the one or more tubes, wherein the feedback system controller controls the one or more valves to adjust the flow of heat transfer fluid in the one or more tubes as a function of the one or more sensed physiological parameters.