Good-bye Frozen Fingers.

[Longstreet]

I hope I have posted this in the correct area, but if not, my appologies and please move it to the correct one.

I found this article in Maclean's Magazine. Have a read and see what you think.


Maclean's magazine Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Canada wins the war on frozen fingers
The military’s finger-warming vest could be a hit with anglers

An amazing new invention by the Canadian military could mean you’ll never suffer from frozen fingers again.

Researchers at the Department of National Defence have developed the Torso Heating for Dexterity in the Cold system, a close fitting battery-powered vest with a built-in thermostat. Rather than covering the hands with a heated glove, the vest increases the wearer’s core temperature to the point where the body can keep fingers warm on its own. It’s the first of its kind in the world, says Darren Menabney, business development officer at Defense Research and Development Canada. “There’s nothing out there that really does the same thing.”

The vest uses a built-in control system to monitor the wearer’s finger temperature, and turns up the heat when they’re chilly. This fools the core into thinking that the body is overheating, triggering an automatic response to send warm blood to the extremities.


Defence scientists originally developed the vest for military snipers, helicopter flight engineers, medics and mechanics who do delicate work in frigid weather and can’t wear gloves. A working prototype of the vest has already been built and tested on soldiers, who took apart their rifles and put them back together again in -25° C conditions without any problems.

Now the military is accepting applications from private partners to license the technology and commercialize the product for consumers. Menabney predicts that the vest will be popular with people who want to keep their hands warm while performing detailed tasks, such as anglers, hunters, drivers who need to change a tire, or even homeowners who want to put up Christmas lights.

“It’s a neat idea, the fact that you can have your hands out in the cold and not feel it,” says Menabney. “It gives you a whole new kind of freedom.”

http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/01/20/c...rozen-fingers/

[AngelsSix]

Seems like the vest does indeed keep hands warmer, however, it does not increase dexterity.




http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14993041

Titre du document / Document title
Finger dexterity, skin temperature, and blood flow during auxiliary heating in the cold
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
BRAJKOVIC Dragan (1) ; DUCHARME Michel B. (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Human Protection and Performance Group, Defence Research and Development Canada-Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M3M 3B9, CANADA
Résumé / Abstract
The primary purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two forms of hand heating and to discuss specific trends that relate finger dexterity performance to variables such as finger skin temperature (Tfing), finger blood flow (Qfing), forearm skin temperature (Tfsk), forearm muscle temperature (Tfmus), mean weighted body skin temperature (Tsk), and change in body heat content (ΔHb). These variables along with rate of body heat storage, toe skin temperature, and change in rectal temperature were measured during direct and indirect hand heating. Direct hand heating involved the use of electrically heated gloves to keep the fingers warm (heated gloves condition), whereas indirect hand heating involved warming the fingers indirectly by actively heating the torso with an electrically heated vest (heated vest condition). Seven men (age 35.6 ± 5.6 yr) were subjected to each method of hand heating while they sat in a chair for 3 h during exposure to -25°C air. Qfing was significantly (P < 0.05) higher during the heated vest condition compared with the heated gloves condition (234 ± 28 and 33 ± 4 perfusion units, respectively), despite a similar Tfing (which ranged between 28 and 35°C during the 3-h exposure). Despite the difference in Qfing, there was no significant difference in finger dexterity performance. Therefore, finger dexterity can be maintained with direct hand heating despite a low Qfing. ΔHb, Tsk, and Tfmus reached a low of -472 ± 18 kJ, 28.5 ± 0.3°C, and 29.8 ± 0.5°C, respectively, during the heated gloves condition, but the values were not low enough to affect finger dexterity.
Revue / Journal Title
Journal of applied physiology ISSN 8750-7587 CODEN JAPHEV
Source / Source
2003, vol. 95, no2, pp. 758-770 [13 page(s) (article)] (34 ref.)
Langue / Language
Anglais
Editeur / Publisher
American Physiological Society, Bethesda, MD, ETATS-UNIS (1985) (Revue)
Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords
Hemodynamics ; Upper limb ; Hand ; Body temperature ; Human ; Vasodilation ; Safety clothing ; Glove ; Regional blood flow ; Skin ; Temperature ; Finger ; Dexterity ;
Mots-clés français / French Keywords
Hémodynamique ; Membre supérieur ; Main ; Température corporelle ; Homme ; Vasodilatation ; Vêtement protection ; Gant ; Débit sanguin régional ; Peau ; Température ; Doigt ; Dextérité ;
Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords
Hemodinámica ; Miembro superior ; Mano ; Temperatura corporal ; Hombre ; Vasodilatación ; Traje protección ; Guante ; Flujo sanguíneo regional ; Piel ; Temperatura ; Dedo ; Destreza ;
Localisation / Location
INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 5400, 35400011996650.0400