AccuWeather.com

By Kirstie Hettinga, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

Sep 8, 2010; 8:26 AM ET

Share |

The IonX heat patch is supposed to turn yellow when the body's core temperature is approaching dangerous levels. While not a thermometer, the patch was designed to heighten awareness of the possibility of heat-related illness.

Heat-related illness is one of the leading causes of death among all severe weather fatalities.

Heat stroke and heat stress are special concerns for parents and coaches of student athletes, but people of all ages are susceptible to sickness related to heat.

While awareness of the signs of heat-related illness is key, Ionx iDOT International is working to make it easier to recognize heat illness with its "Hot Dot."

More formally known as the "IONX Body Alert Temperature Patch," the patch is affixed to certain points of the body such as the inner wrist or neck, and changes color to alert the wearer that his or her core body temperature is approaching dangerous levels.

Dan Short, chairman or IONX International, and chief scientific officer Dr. Al Ouimet said the goal of the product is to help prevent heat-related deaths.

Ouimet said, "Our attitude was, if we could save one life with this product then had accomplished what we set out to do."

Short, who has a background in textiles, and Ouimet, a former naval officer who worked on developing camoflage, worked on Speedo's Fastskin suit together and had often discussed creating a product that acted as a warning system.

Short had initially thought about mixing the color-changing technology with a fabric, "so someone could be out practicing in a T-shirt and the whole T-shirt would change," but he noted that a shirt would not withstand laundering.

Ouimet had long worked on marrying technologies and polymers which enabled them to a create a patch with both permanence and flexibility.

Both men suggest that the potential applications go far beyond athletes to include construction workers, truck drivers and soldiers.

The patch was even tested on workers in the Gulf of Mexico assisting with the BP oil spill cleanup.

While Ouimet emphasized that the patch is not a thermometer and does not measure anything, he said the patch does turn yellow if a body's skin temperature gets too high.

"We know when the body's core temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, nasty things begin to happen. The body really has a problem now, regulating internal temperature and so, what we wanted to do was to devise something that could easily worn and easily seen."

The patch is also able to withstand the influences of ambient temperature and is adhesive enough to be worn when perspiring heavily or even swimming.

Short said, "Bottom line is that it is a safety device and if you're going to be active you should definitely wear this. You can never be too safe."