Thermo-Modulating Container for Protecting Point-of-Care Devices from Extreme Temperatures during Disaster Relief

Abstract

When a crisis occurs, emergency medical responders must often operate outside of a hospital setting without basic resources such as electricity. As a result, they rely on point-of-care (POC) testing devices, which are designed to be portable for monitoring critical parameters such as blood gases and glucose levels. Unfortunately, POC devices often have narrow operating ranges, with typical temperature limits within ±10°C of room temperature. This presents significant challenges to the efficiency of the medical response effort since environmental temperatures can vary widely as a function of geography and seasonal weather patterns. To address this issue, a thermo-modulating container is being developed to protect POC devices from extreme temperatures during crisis care situations.