Comments on: Sleep apnea makes 18 wheeler, diesel truck drivers even more dangerous http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/2009/06/sleep-apnea-makes-18-wheeler-drivers-even-more-dangerous/ Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:22:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Doug Ballnik http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/2009/06/sleep-apnea-makes-18-wheeler-drivers-even-more-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-7285 Doug Ballnik Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:30:02 +0000 http://www.jimadler.com/newsandviews/?p=1676#comment-7285 Three years ago, we determined that the relationship between core body temperature and the ability to drift off to comfortable sleep could be disrupted by applying carefully regulated chilling to the skin over the shin bone. Although the scientific literature implied a relationship (with drug therapy, for post menopausal women) between core body temperature to increase comfort and warming of the shin for assisting in sleep disorders, no one had (or has, at the time of our patent filing) asserted the opposite. Our initial tests showed that it was possible to chill specific areas of the shin and disrupt the body’s ability to regulate core temperature. That inability perforce disabled the body’s capability to go to sleep. As we perfected the device, we also perfected our test techniques. Our latest tests have showed two items of particular note for automotive safety. First, the device prevents sleep and increases alertness, which is critical to automotive driver safety. Second, perhaps equally important given the precedence of alcohol related fatalities, there is a marked increase in alertness even with the consumption of alcohol. Our device is essentially a leg wrap that directs a chilled medium (we have air and water variants of the invention) to the (bare) shin. The controls are a closed loop electronics module that takes a temperature from the (bare) stomach and correlates it to the desired maximum chill temperature on the shin. The logic device in the controller varies the shin temperature in order to maintain core body temperature disruption. The device simply prevents the body from achieving core temperature comfort. If the body is unable to reach core comfort temperature, it cannot sleep. The positive benefits are a prevention of sleep and microsleep incidents while driving as well as a measurable increase in alertness. Every driver should want to use the device while driving long distances or at night. Some professions such as truck driving are a natural fit, but the device could be used for others on second and third shifts in any environment. Three years ago, we determined that the relationship between core body temperature and the ability to drift off to comfortable sleep could be disrupted by applying carefully regulated chilling to the skin over the shin bone. Although the scientific literature implied a relationship (with drug therapy, for post menopausal women) between core body temperature to increase comfort and warming of the shin for assisting in sleep disorders, no one had (or has, at the time of our patent filing) asserted the opposite. Our initial tests showed that it was possible to chill specific areas of the shin and disrupt the body’s ability to regulate core temperature. That inability perforce disabled the body’s capability to go to sleep. As we perfected the device, we also perfected our test techniques. Our latest tests have showed two items of particular note for automotive safety. First, the device prevents sleep and increases alertness, which is critical to automotive driver safety. Second, perhaps equally important given the precedence of alcohol related fatalities, there is a marked increase in alertness even with the consumption of alcohol.

Our device is essentially a leg wrap that directs a chilled medium (we have air and water variants of the invention) to the (bare) shin. The controls are a closed loop electronics module that takes a temperature from the (bare) stomach and correlates it to the desired maximum chill temperature on the shin. The logic device in the controller varies the shin temperature in order to maintain core body temperature disruption. The device simply prevents the body from achieving core temperature comfort. If the body is unable to reach core comfort temperature, it cannot sleep. The positive benefits are a prevention of sleep and microsleep incidents while driving as well as a measurable increase in alertness. Every driver should want to use the device while driving long distances or at night. Some professions such as truck driving are a natural fit, but the device could be used for others on second and third shifts in any environment.

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