Water Cooling Vest

Abstract

Imagine that you are wearing a cooled vest during the hot summer time! Neurosurgeons have the same need in operating room. They are usually required to perform long surgical procedures wearing heavy lead vests underneath their surgical gowns in order to protect them from the x-ray sources used for image-guided surgery. The project is to develop a cooling system for these lead vests allowing for temperature control, giving comfort to the neurosurgeons. The system needs to be light-weight and able to maintain uniform body temperature. The project has many potential applications beyond the operating room. The military has investigated this concept extensively for combat soldiers’ clothing. It also can be used in civilian applications, such as for construction workers, or any hot-weather clothing – just thinking about carrying your own air conditioner on a hot summer day.