New helmet technology: Thermahelm. Cools your brain after an impact.

[Nickds7]

A pretty interesting new product out. Curious as to the effectiveness of it. Claims to prevent most swelling after an impact to your helmet, by cooling your brain. Containing the same contents as an instant cold pack, there is a layer of ammonium nitrate and water that mix to create an endothermic reaction.

"The chemical reaction will maintain a 37-degree [Celsius] brain temperature, which is said to stave off oxygen loss to the brain.

According to Thermahelm, its technology will add roughly $250 to the cost of a helmet, and the company is currently working on a retrofit kit that will allow riders to install the system in their own helmets."

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/09/v...swell-err-not/

http://www.thermahelm.com/

[Purspeed]

Unless there is actually peer-reviewed studies on this technology, I am a major skeptic. You usually need bags of ice on your head to have any significant impact on brain temperature. This seems a bit too optimistic/gimmicky.

[Cool Child]

I don't know if you have noticed from their website but this brain cooling helmet thing has received backing by the United Kingdom govenment as a "Technology of Exceptional Potential". I have looked up "Brain Cooling and helmet" on the internet and found that is is entirely possible to cool the brain this way. firstly, you lose and gain heat through your head better than any other part of your body. Plus, 37C is 96F which is normal temp. seems like more than cool the brain they are trying to make sure the brain does not swell by overheating.

[mrlmd]

37C is 98.6F, which is normal body temperature. In order to provide any protection to the brain from a traumatic or ischemic (lack of blood flow) injury, you must get the brain temp down 10-20F, like by packing the head in ice like Purspeed said. Staying at 37C will not provide any possible protection. And if you are lying on the road with a head injury and/or other bodily injury, your temp will most likely go down, not up. The swelling comes from the trauma and bleeding, not from overheating. If this thing really got cold inside, enough to drop brain temperature, it might work like it was advertised.

[Chubbs032]

I feel like someone should say, do at your own risk or under direct supervision of a physician or don't try this at home.