Louisiana Patent of the Month – February 2022
Neck braces are used both as a therapeutic and cautionary measure to ease traumatic head or neck injuries by protecting the spinal cord. NeuroRescue, Inc. has worked on improving neck braces since 2010. Their neck brace combines the benefits of an immobilized neck and head with therapeutic hypothermia to further improve the healing aspect of the brace.
Therapeutic hypothermia can be induced by placing cold packs or compresses to the skin – usually to regions such as armpits or the groin. The cold packs cool the blood vessels, temporarily restricting blood flow. This restriction reduces the risk of tissue injury, especially in medical cases such as cardiac arrest or embolisms. Research has shown that patients at risk for ischemic brain injuries have better results if treated with therapeutic hypothermia within the first 60 minutes after the traumatic event.
By combining therapeutic hypothermia with a neck brace, pre-hospital care providers can quickly induce this aspect of care, increasing the chance of the patient benefitting. The cooling aspects of the neck brace can contact the pulse points within the spinal and neck regions, cooling as much blood in the area as possible. A sensor tracks the temperature of the patient, allowing medical personnel to monitor the patient’s body temperature so that they may adjust the cooling mechanism as needed.
This combined therapy can have life saving effects.
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