Radiofrequency energy for rewarming of cold extremities

Radiofrequency (RF) coils, developed to resonate at 27.12 MHz, were evaluated for effectiveness in rewarming thermally unprotected extremities of 5 male subjects. Bare hands or bare feet were exposed to 10.0 degrees C air during a total of four exposures for each subject. Deposition of RF energy for two of the exposures (one for the hands and one for the feet) began when a predetermined surface skin temperature was achieved. Rewarming continued for 10 min while fiber-optic sensors recorded surface skin temperatures at eight locations for each hand and four locations for each foot. Results were compared to data from identical exposures but without RF rewarming. Statistically significant (P less than 0.01) warming occurred at all of the monitored locations. Our results clearly demonstrate the ability of RF energy to warm hands and feet in cold environments.