Cooling garments to help patients during extreme heat waves
Official title: Personal Cooling Garments to Protect at-Risk Patients from Extreme Heat Waves
Funded at General Engineering and Research, LLC · NIH-10822850 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on creating comfortable and easy-to-wear cooling clothes to help keep people with heart, lung, or blood conditions, as well as older adults, safe and cool during really hot weather.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | General Engineering and Research, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $275,765 |
| NIH project number | 1R41HL172682-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10822850 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include patients with heart disease, poor blood circulation, high blood pressure, obesity, and elderly individuals.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not at risk for heat-related illnesses or those without cardiovascular or respiratory conditions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing lightweight personal cooling garments designed to protect patients who are at higher risk during extreme heat events. The project aims to create prototypes that provide effective cooling, adjustable temperature control, and are easy to wear, addressing the limitations of current cooling solutions. By utilizing advanced flexible thermoelectric devices, the garments will be tested to ensure they meet the needs of patients with cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases, as well as the elderly. The goal is to enhance patient safety and comfort during periods of extreme heat.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce heat-related illnesses and fatalities among vulnerable patient populations.
How similar studies have gone: While personal cooling technologies exist, this approach utilizing advanced flexible thermoelectric devices is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested in this specific patient population.
Where this research is happening
-
General Engineering and Research, LLC
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ihnfeldt, Robin — General Engineering and Research, LLC
- Study coordinator: Ihnfeldt, Robin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.