Therapeutic
hypothermia is a fairly common medical practice for brain
injuries. The goal is to reduce brain temperature, thereby reducing
swelling and tissue damage, and research has proven it to be a very
effective method. Inventor and designer J.J. Preston-Powers has
found a new application for this concept in his creation called the
“Thermahelm,”
which is a helmet designed to help prevent motorcycle related
fatalities.
Some skeptics, such as Iam Mutch of the Motorcycle Action
Group are opposed to the idea of ramping up helmet technology,
stating that, “anything like this distracts from the central
message which is don’t have the accident in the first place, be
careful, and … you’ve got to have consideration for
motorcyclists.” Others, like British Speedway racer Martin
Dugard believe that the most important thing is to protect yourself
[because] it’s the head you really want to protect.”
Regardless of the debate, the fact remains that brain
injuries are the leading cause of fatalities in motorcycle accidents,
which and are caused mainly by brain swelling and slow medical
response time.
Traditional helmets are lined with a thick layer of
polystyrene foam, exacerbating brain injuries by acting by an
insulating layer and allowing the brain to reach its fatal threshold
temperature. The Thermahelm is a clever invention that combines the
insulating properties of traditional helmets and the medical
advantages of therapeutic hypothermia to create a helmet that may
prevent fatalities in motorcycle crashes induced by brain damage.
The helmet works by adding an additional layer to the
polystyrene that, upon impact undergoes an endothermic reaction,
meaning that heat is removed from the head, and subsequently the
brain.
Additional information can be found at the Thermahelm
website
