EMS EXPO: Engel launches new saline storage solution

By Jamie Thompson
EMS1 Senior Editor

Photo Jamie Thompson Engel CEO Paul Kabalin shows off the 12-volt EMS compressor powered cooler to attendees of the EMS Expo in Atlanta on Thursday. Kabalin said the model has been designed to be user friendly, with its compact size allowing it to be placed almost anywhere within the vehicle.

ATLANTA — A company specializing in portable 12-volt compressor and refrigeration technology launched its latest unit at EMS Expo in Atlanta. Engel's newest product has been developed specifically for saline storage for therapeutic hypothermic induction.

Unlike thermoelectric powered coolers on the market, Engel CEO Paul Kabalin said, the unit is able to maintain a steady temperature regardless of outside environmental conditions.

"One of the biggest movements in EMS right now is toward induced hypothermia, particularly for cardiac arrest patients," he said. "This requires saline to be kept at approximately 36 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Our unit is an aftermarket accessory — it's not restricted to when the vehicle was built — that can be put into almost any vehicle out there. It's small, compact and allows you to digitally key in any temperature you need, such as 36 degrees, and then forget about it."

The EMS model features advanced 12-volt technology, digital temperature control, bright red LED temperature display and a low amperage draw, according to Kabalin.

It allows for a temperature range of 5 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, automatically heating in winter and cooling in summer to maintain the set temperature.

"It is not affected by the outside ambient temperature, which is one of the big advantages," Kabalin said. "It will simply hold at the temperature that you set it at.

"The added advantage of the unit is that some medications require refrigeration; there's room for a small, portable drug bag to be dropped into the unit."

Kabalin said the model has been designed to be user friendly, with its compact size allowing it to be placed almost anywhere within the vehicle.

"We have been panel-beaten by guys in the EMS industry to design something like this," Kabalin said. "They told us they wanted a small unit with clear digital controls, something that can heat and cool, can be locked shut, and something that is easy to use. We have had a very good reaction from people who have seen it at the show."