A new study will assess whether a targeted cooling collar can improve patients' recovery from traumatic brain injuries.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Addenbrooke's Hospital, said it would be the "world's first in-human study" to measure the "pioneering medical device".
Various methods of "brain cooling" - or induced hypothermia - can be used to limit swelling in the brain when someone suffers a stroke or head injury.
However, if cooling affects the whole body it can cause "systemic side effects" that "complicate recovery", the trust said.
The cooling collar, named CB240 Aurora, is applied around the neck.
