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Hypothermic Cooling Pad on display at EMS Expo

The new product can be used to lift a patient on to a gurney, before the patient is then placed into the ambulance

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Photo Jamie Thompson
Tony Blackburn displays the pad at EMS Expo.

By Jamie Thompson
EMS1 Senior Editor

With therapeutic hypothermia becoming increasingly central to post-cardiac arrest care plans, EMS systems are being offered more and more tools to aid the process.

One of the latest is Shafer Enterprises’ new Hypothermic Cooling Pad. The pad, which entered the market toward the end of last year, was among the exhibits on display at EMS Expo in Dallas.

“Since we’ve been showing the pad at trade shows, everyone has been hugely impressed by it,” said Tony Blackburn, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“There’s obviously a lot of interest in induced hypothermia at the moment, with a lot of organizations having to develop their own protocols.”

Blackburn explained how the pad can be used to lift a patient on to a gurney, before the patient is then placed into the ambulance.

“Once the patient is in the ambulance, all you need to do is hook up the hose to the pad,” Blackburn said.

“Once you turn the switch, it takes just 30 seconds to get to 45 degrees.

“You can add a second small pad to cover the upper torso, and all of this works to dramatically increase the cooling effect. By the time you’ve got the IV hooked up and ready, the body externally has already been cooled.”

Shafer Enterprises also carries a line of personal cooling systems — including the Aqua Vest Active Firefighter Rehab System.

The system enables rehab teams to cool up to six firefighters at any one time by pumping water from a cooler through insulated hoses to individual vests, which contain 50 feet of capillary tubing each.

The invention that launched Shafer Enterprises was a cooling vest for surgeons to use in the operating room. The employee/owners of the company have more than 70 years combined experience in the medical field, holding 24 different patents and a range of cooling-related products. For details, visit www.coolshirt.net.

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