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Spinoff story
Cooling Garments Find New Medical, Athletic, and Industrial Uses
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
In the 1960s and _70s, Bill Elkins worked with engineers at NASA and the Air Force, including several at Ames Research Center, on liquid cooling garments to be worn under spacesuits and flight suits. He has spun that experience off into several companies, including Downers Grove, Illinois-based WElkins LLC. The company markets varieties of the cooling technology to prevent brain damage after heart attacks or strokes, improve sports performance, treat concussions, and keep workers from overheating under heavy protective gear.