AVAcore was founded by two Stanford University PhD’s conducting research in mammalian thermo-regulation under a DARPA grant to investigate new ways to manage the core body temperature of our war fighters. That research investigated a little understood system of “thermal portals” that all mammals use to help regulate core body temperature. These portals in humans are the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and the forehead which feature vasculature and skin that is specialized for radiating heat. The real breakthrough occurred when it was discovered that the application of an appropriate thermal load under a mild vacuum to these portals greatly increases the transfer of heat while increasing peripheral blood flow. A thermal load applied in this manner by the warmUP™ bypasses most of the body’s normal insulation (skin, muscle, adipose tissue) and enters the patient directly through the vasculature in the palm of the hand.