Emergency body cooling tackles heat stroke

The portable device works for 30 minutes to provide lifesaving, rapid care in extreme heat

Spotted: Because of global warming, the number of people who are exposed to extreme heat across all regions in the world is rapidly on the rise. Heatstroke causes organ damage and sometimes death when a person’s core temperature rises above 39 degrees Celsius and the body cannot cool down by itself. Ice water immersion is the most effective treatment for heatstroke, but it’s difficult to access in many situations and areas.

UK-based Cryogenx has created a portable body cooling device called the CGX1, which can provide life-saving treatment in these difficult-to-access locations. Likened to a “defibrillator for heat,” the CGX1 is lightweight, works without needing refrigeration, and does not need medical training for use.

The device consists of a body pack and a connected canister of non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-explosive gas that together, weigh around five kilogrammes. Once activated by the gas in the canisters, the non-toxic coolant stored in the body pack begins to rapidly reduce the body’s temperature.  

The body pack’s design allows for CPR to be performed while cooling is occurring, and the entire system works for 30 minutes, enabling vital, immediate care in remote locations while people wait for emergency services. Cryogenx advises users to dispose of the cooling pad as clinically contaminated waste in case it was in contact with bodily fluids during use, while the canister containing the gas is recyclable.

The Cryogenx team worked with medical professionals and end-users in industries that include sports, mining, and the military to perfect the device. Having completed pre-clinical evaluations with several universities, Cryogenx expects to receive UKCA and FDA regulatory approval in 2024 and plans to begin further tests of the technology with a variety of industrial, first responder, sports, and defence partners.

Written By: Keely Khoury