Corona nurse Radboudumc in a top athlete's cooling vest 07/01/2021

Cooling vests that were actually intended for top athletes at the Olympic Games in Tokyo are being given a new destination at the Radboudumc in Nijmegen. They are standard workwear for nurses in the Covid wards, the university hospital announced.

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Cooling vests alleviate perceptual heat strain perceived by COVID-19 nurses

Cooling vests during a COVID-19 shift ensure that nurses experience less heat during their work and can therefore perform their work more pleasantly and comfortably. Research from Thijs Eijsvogels, Yannick de Korte, Coen Bongers, Milène Catoire and Boris Kingma 

Read the entire study

partnership with HEAT-SHIELD

INUTEQ is happy and honored to have signed an MOU in partnership with HEAT-SHIELD, a European Union funded consortium which consists of twelve globally renowned research facilities, dedicated to address negative impact of increased workplace heat stress. 

Cooling clothing: the weapon against heat stress in athletes

In the past few weeks, the Netherlands and Europe have experienced extreme heat. Heat stress can be a serious threat for athletes who want to perform, such as those competing in the Ironman triathlon in Hoorn. Heat stress can be very dangerous, especially if it is not recognized and treated in time. It occurs when the body is unable to dissipate enough heat, resulting in a rise in body temperature and potentially serious health problems.

COOLING VEST HELPS CARE WORKER IN PROTECTIVE SUIT

A cooling vest can effectively reduce heat stress for healthcare workers if they have to wear protective suits, such as during covid times. Biomedical scientist Yannick de Korte comes to this advice.

If it is a pleasant 23 degrees in a hospital ward, the temperature inside a protective suit can rise to tropical values. Sometimes even up to 36 degrees, especially if clothing is worn underneath. De Korte points this out in his recent PhD research, for which he looked at the physiological reactions and experienced heat stress of both top athletes and covid care workers who have to perform under heat stress. [Article is complety in Dutch]

Protection against Heat Stress during Sports and Activities in Hot Weather

During a cup match between Gorssel and Brummen, a player from Gorssel collapsed and was found to be suffering from heat exhaustion. The game was halted, and the player was cooled down with water and ice. Although he did not require an ambulance, the incident caused alarm among the team.

dUTCH HOSPITAL - GELRE ZIEKENHUIS -- 03/04/20

NED - Op 3 april leverde NOC*NSF verkoeling aan de medewerkers van de Gelre Ziekenhuizen. Zij plaatsten een mooi artikel en video over deze aflevering.

ENG - On April 3, the Dutch Olympic organization NOC*NSF provided cooling to the employees of the Dutch Gelre Hospitals. They posted a nice article and video about this episode.

NOS Sportjournal -- 22/03/2020

NED - Op 22 maart in het NOS Sportjournaal vertelde technisch directeur van het NOC*NSF Maurits Hendriks over de ontwikkeling van het koelvest, de toepassing en hetgeen zij nu doen om een klein steentje bij te dragen.

ENG - On the 22th of March technical director of the NOC*NSF Maurits Hendriks talked in the Dutch NOS Sportjournal about the development of the cooling vest, the application and what they are doing now to make a small contribution to healthcare.

NOS Sportjournal -- 26/03/2020

NED - Op 26 maart was er in het NOS sportjournaal aandacht voor de geleverde koelvesten. Prestatiemanager Innovatie Team NL Kamiel Maase legt de werking van de vesten uit en waarom deze ook goed ingezet kunnen worden op de IC afdelingen.

ENG - On March 26, the Dutch sportjournalnews focused on the supplied cooling vests. Performance manager Innovation Team NL Kamiel Maase explains how the vests work and why they can also be used in the IC departments.

DUTCH TELEVISION: HART VAN NEDERLAND -05/06/20

Special cooling vest against the heat for healthcare staff: 'I am less tired and sharper'

During the corona crisis, a lot is demanded from the healthcare staff and working in extreme conditions resembles top sport. Due to the protective clothing, it can get quite hot under the suits and there is a risk of overheating. This while keeping a cool head is important here.

In collaboration with TNO, the Radboud university medical center has started an investigation to relieve care staff during work. Research shows that the temperature under protective clothing can reach as much as 30 to 36 degrees. For these reasons, a new tool has been developed: a medical cooling vest.

A cooling vest was previously designed for elite athletes who need to perform during the Tokyo Olympics. The project was entitled "Thermo Tokyo". Researcher and physiologist Thijs Eijsvogels contributed to this and devoted himself to the medical cooling vest.

“The vest should not be as cool as that of the athletes, but it should cool enough to handle a three-hour shift. After a number of hours, the protective material must be changed. The cooling vests have a temperature of about 21 degrees, ”Eijsvogels tells Hart van Nederland.

Sharper, so more relaxed
Mike Zwartkruis is a nurse and tested one of the cooling vests: “During my shift I can get very hot in the protective clothing and you can sweat. I noticed a big difference when wearing it. I am less tired and sharper, which makes my services easier to get through. ”

The medical cooling vest is being further investigated by Radboud university medical center and TNO. After the study is completed and there are more positive results, use of the new tool will scale up. "The supplier can supply around ten thousand cooling vests in the short term."

Dutch translation