The Effect of Textiles Impregnated With Particles With High Emissivity in the Far Infrared, on the Temperature of the Cold Hand

Michael Papacharalambous; Georgia Karvounis; George Kenanakis; Anshal Gupta; Boris Rubinsky

doi:10.1115/1.4042044

The Effect of Textiles Impregnated With Particles With High Emissivity in the Far Infrared, on the Temperature of the Cold Hand

J Biomech Eng. 2019 Mar 1;141(3):034502. doi: 10.1115/1.4042044.

Authors

Michael Papacharalambous¹, Georgia Karvounis², George Kenanakis³, Anshal Gupta⁴, Boris Rubinsky⁵

Affiliations

¹ Orthobiotiki Medical Center,3-5 Sorou, Marousi,Athens 15125, Greecee-mail: mpapa@orthobiotiki.com.
² Orthobiotiki Medical Center,3-5 Sorou, Marousi,Athens 15125, Greecee-mail: elpapa@orthobiotiki.com.
³ Foundation for Research &Technology-Hellas (FORTH),Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL),N. Plastira 100, Vasilika Vouton,Heraklion GR-700 13, Crete, Greecee-mail: gkenanak@iesl.forth.gr.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering,University of California Berkeley,Berkeley, CA 94720e-mail: guptaanshal@berkeley.edu.
⁵ Fellow ASMEDepartment of Mechanical Engineering,University of California Berkeley,Berkeley, CA 94720e-mail: rubinsky@berkeley.edu.

PMID: 30458507
DOI: 10.1115/1.4042044

Abstract

In engineering and medicine, there is a growing interest in using textiles made of composites with enhanced thermal properties. One such type of textile is fabric impregnated with ceramics and mineral particles. This material has high emissivity in the infrared range and may have therapeutic benefits for treatments of diseases, like Raynaud's syndrome. While there is significant clinical and commercial interest, there is an evident lack of fundamental studies on the heat transfer aspects of these fabrics. The goal of this technical brief is to present results from a fundamental study examining the thermal effects of fabric with ceramics and minerals (produced by Nanobionic, Inc., Athens, Greece) on the temperatures of the hands. With a confidence level of 90%, the results show that the textile with ceramics and minerals has an enhanced thermal effect on warming a cold hand in comparison to a placebo fabric without ceramics or minerals. Much more research is needed to increase the level of confidence and develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanism.

Keywords: bioheat transfer; ceramics impregnated textile; infrared emissivity.