This disclosure relates to a system comprising: a set of interconnected inflatable pads (106) capable of being affixed to a helmet to be worn by a user and inflated by at least one coolant-containing canister (103) capable of inflating one or more of the inflatable pads and cooling the users brain, wherein the coolant is capable of providing a cooling rate to the brain ranging from about 0.1 o C to 0.5° C/hour, the set of interconnected inflatable pads being coupled to plurality of bi-directional pressure-sensitive valves (101), wherein each of the bi-directional pressure-sensitive valves is attached to the set of interconnected inflatable pads at a different location such that a portion of the set of interconnected inflatable pads coupled to a particular bi-directional pressure-sensitive valve may be isolated from other portions of the set of interconnected inflatable pads not coupled to the particular bi-directional pressure-sensitive valve the at least one coolant-containing canister (103) and the plurality of bi-directional pressure-sensitive valves (101).
