Method and apparatus to affect body-temperature regulation

Abstract

Disrupting an ability to regulate core body temperature of a human includes a cooling device having various components, and the cooling device is controlled in various manners to remove heat from an anatomical region (e.g., distal extremity). The cooling device might be programmed to maintain a range of temperatures designed to affect an ability to regulate body temperature. In addition, the cooling device might be programmed to operate in cycles. By disrupting core-body-temperature regulation, biological rhythms (e.g., Circadian) can also be disrupted and sleep induction may be countered. Countering sleep incidents in an automobile driver might make it more difficult for the driver to fall asleep or become drowsy while driving.

Claimed are: 
     
         1 . A cooling device for affecting core-body-temperature regulation of a human, the device comprising:
 a chilling medium that includes a temperature;   a thermoelectric component in communication with the chilling medium, wherein the thermoelectric component reduces the temperature of the chilling medium;   a controller programmed to regulate an operation of the thermoelectric component;   a power source that provides power to the thermoelectric component and the controller; and   an attachment component that attaches the device to a body of the human.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling device of  claim 1 , wherein the chilling medium includes solid state that has an external surface, which faces outward from the cooling device, and that has an internal surface that communicates with the thermoelectric component. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling device of  claim 2 , wherein the external surface is positioned against a body surface of the human when the attachment component attaches the device to the body of the human. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling device of  claim 1  further comprising, a heat-dissipation component that removes heat from the thermoelectric component. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a computer memory device storing computer-executable instructions, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, regulate the operation of the thermoelectric component. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling device of  claim 5 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are programmed to maintain the temperature of the chilling medium within a range of degrees from about 35 degrees Fahrenheit to about 49 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling device of  claim 5 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are programmed to maintain a cyclic operation of the thermoelectric component, and wherein the cyclic operations includes an on state that lasts a first duration of about 30 seconds and an off state that lasts a second duration of about 0.5 seconds. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller includes an interface component that receives a notification from an automobile drowsy-driving determiner, and   wherein the controller modifies the operation of the thermoelectric component to reduce the temperature of the chilling medium when the notification is received.   
     
     
         9 . A cooling device for affecting core-body-temperature regulation of a human, the device comprising:
 a solid-state chilling medium having an external surface that faces outward from the cooling device and an inward surface that generally opposes the external surface;   a sensor that measures a temperature of the external surface;   a thermoelectric component in communication with the inward surface of the solid-state chilling medium, wherein the thermoelectric component modifies the temperature of the chilling medium;   a controller programmed to regulate an operation of the thermoelectric component, wherein the controller receives a temperature reading from the sensor; and   an attachment mechanism that attaches the device to a body of the human to position the outward surface against a body surface of the human when the attachment mechanism attaches the device to the body of the human.   
     
     
         10 . The cooling device of  claim 9  further comprising a switch that controls an operational state of the cooling device, wherein the operational state is changeable between an on state and an off state. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling device of  claim 10 , wherein the switch is in communication with an ignition of an automobile, and wherein the operational state is in the on state when the ignition is started and is in the off state when the ignition is stopped. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling device of  claim 9 , wherein the attachment mechanism attaches the device to a distal extremity of the human and orients the outward surface against a surface of the distal extremity. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling device of  claim 12 , wherein the distal extremity comprises a leg of the human and the surface of the distal extremity comprises a shin surface of the leg. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling device of  claim 13 , wherein the attachment mechanism orients the outward surface at a position of the shin that is within a range of about three inches above an ankle region of the leg and about two inches below a knee of the leg. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling device of  claim 9  further comprising, a heat sink and a fan, wherein the fan blows an air across the thermoelectric component and through the heat sink to dissipate heat from the thermoelectric component. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller includes a computer memory device storing computer-executable instructions, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, regulate the operation of the thermoelectric component. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling device of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are programmed to maintain the temperature of the external surface within a range of degrees from about 35 degrees Fahrenheit to about 49 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling device of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are programmed to maintain a cyclic operation of the thermoelectric component, and wherein the cyclic operations includes an on state that lasts a first duration of about 30 seconds and an off state that lasts a second duration of about 0.5 seconds. 
     
     
         19 . Computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method of controlling an operation of a cooling device for affecting core-body-temperature regulation of a human, the method comprising:
 receiving from a sensor a first temperature measurement that indicates a temperature of a cooling medium;   comparing the first temperature measurement to a range of degrees from about 35 degrees Fahrenheit to about 49 degrees Fahrenheit to determine that the first temperature is not included in the range of degrees; and   sending an instruction to a thermoelectric component, which is in communication with the cooling medium, to modify an operation of the thermoelectric component in a manner that changes the first temperature measurement to a second temperature measurement, which is included in the range of degrees.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable media of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
 sending the thermoelectric component a first instruction prompting the thermoelectric component to operate in an on state, and   sending the thermoelectric component a second instruction prompting the thermoelectric component to operate in an off state, wherein the on state lasts for a duration of about thirty seconds and the off state lasts for a duration of about 0.5 seconds.