CGX1 is made of biocompatible thermoplastic polyurethane and powered by a controlled release of pressurised gas. It is non-toxic, non-flammable and non-explosive. Standard precautions should be taken for infection control and in the event of defibrillation being required.
We want CGX1 to be as easy to use as possible and we think that we have perfected a design that fulfils that requirement. In particular, although we sell the CGX1 to the emergency services, we designed our device to be as simple and intuitive as possible so that anyone can activate and use it with minimal training. Our training video can be found at https://cryogenx.com/training.
CGX1 is a powerful device and will immediately start to cool a person rapidly. Your own organisation will have protocols for evaluating patient temperature and we encourage you to follow these. We recommend that patient temperature is measured using an oesophageal probe. A rectal probe may also be used but responds a little more slowly. It is also possible to use an infrared thermometer but take care in using this in a markedly hot person - over 40°C (104°F) - particularly if the skin feels paradoxically cold. We DO NOT recommend using tympanic thermometers. The cooling power of CGX1 can readily be adjusted by removing the pad as required. Remove completely once patient temperature reaches 38.6°C (101.5°F). However, It is important not to let the patient rewarm.
Cooling is immediate! The process starts as soon as the gas is released from the cylinder into the pad.
CGX1 is designed for use in emergency situations and therefore it is extremely likely to become contaminated with body fluids so reuse cannot be recommended. However, the gas cylinder is fully recyclable and should be processed in line with your local recycling procedures.
No! The whole point of the CGX1 is that it can be stored at room temperature and it will activate reliably and immediately. It does have a storage temperature range marked on the packaging and this should be adhered to.
There are two ways to check this. Firstly, the sound of the gas being inserted into, and being exhausted from, the pad will change. Secondly, the patient temperature will cease declining and may even start to rise. If this is not desired, then a second device should be prepared and deployed and the first discarded.
CGX1 pad can be disposed of with normal waste and should be discarded immediately after use. In the event that they may have been in contact with body fluids during use however, we recommend that they are disposed of as clinically contaminated waste. The gas canister is recyclable and should be disposed of following your recycling procedures.
We recommend that an ambulance service should carry sufficient stock for each ambulance to be equipped with at least one CGX1 device with an additional 10% in stock for replenishment. Thus a service with 200 ambulances needs 220 CGX1 units; 200 in vehicles and another 20 in store. For other access, we recommend that in high-temperature environments a CGX1 device should be no more than 10 minutes away. Be careful when calculating this time that allowance is made for building height and access. The reason we recommend 10 minutes is that this is a reasonable balance between medical urgency and stocking and logistics requirements. Once a person develops heatstroke, deterioration can be very rapid and the time to commence cooling is critical.
CGX1 is specifically designed to allow CPR to be performed whilst cooling is applied.
CGX1 is designed to be temporarily removed when defibrillation is required.
It doesn’t need any! The compressed gas cylinder is where the CGX1 gets its power from.
In simple terms, it is the reduction of core body temperature. Various strategies have been devised to cool patients - the most important aim in heatstroke is to cool organs that will deteriorate when suffering prolonged overheating. The most apparent damage is to brain tissue but significant damage occurs to all tissues.
Cooling requires energy. In a hospital this can be achieved using mains electricity to run refrigeration units but this is impractical outside of hospital. Ice and cool boxes have been conventionally used but start warming immediately after they are taken outside. The CGX1 device overcomes these issues by remaining inactive until the cold gas is introduced to the pads from the cylinder. The cooling starts immediately without any need for external power.
Afterdrop is a phenomenon of any surface cooling device. Essentially, the device cools the skin with which it is in contact. Blood circulating through that area of skin and underlying tissues arrives at body temperature becomes cooled, and is transported around the body. Once the device is removed, the contact area skin is still cool. The blood circulating is still warmer than the skin and tissues that were in contact so still gets cooled until that patch equilibrates. This effect was noted in testing but is transient and clinically negligible.
ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation) is a system for supporting patients with failing circulations by pumping the patient’s blood round an external oxygen bubbler. The devices can also warm or cool blood. The CGX1 device does not restrict access to the groin vessels and continues cooling while ECMO is set up.
CGX1 is an emergency first-aid treatment. Seconds count if organs are in imminent danger of sustaining damage. The quicker cooling can be added to basic life support, the better the outcome. Waiting for an ambulance loses that vital early impact.