Public Funding for Cryogenx Ltd

**Developing the Cryosuit - usability and performance validation of our portable, rapid cooling device for heat-related illness.** Illness and complications brought on by heat has a significant impact on population health and economies worldwide. Heatstroke causes vital organ damage, leading to serious debilitation or death, if treatment to lower core body temperature is not administered quickly. Heat-related illnesses(HRI) such as heat stroke cost the UK £3.85bn between 2000-2009 \[CCC.org-2019\]. By 2030, heat stress will cost the global economy £1.8 trillion/year in lost productivity and healthcare\[UN,2019\]. Global warming and the increasing regularity of extreme weather patterns is therefore driving an urgent need for new technologies to treat HRI, with a 2018 Environmental Audit Committee report predicting "heat-related deaths are set to treble by 2050" in the UK without Government intervention. Cryogenx aims to radically disrupt the £360m 'cold therapy' heat illness treatment market with Cryosuit; our portable rapid cooling device for treating HRI in-the-field. Compact, self-powered and lightweight, it's easy to operate and can be effectively deployed in any scenario, overcoming the logistical barriers and resource dependency of current cooling methods. Critically, Cryosuit will enable life-saving cooling to be initiated as rapidly as possible; the single largest factor influencing patient outcome. Building on our initial Cryosuit prototype - which data from preliminary tests shows to have 2.5x faster cooling rate, 3x duration, and 70% reduction in cost compared to existing field HRI treatment methods - this experimental development project will optimise the technology to demonstrate the usability, safety and efficacy required to be a recognised healthcare solution. With support form University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, we'll develop our technology via human-centred-design principles into a full-scale V2 prototype, validated in field-trials with Brunel University, Air Ambulance, Balfour Beatty and UK Special Forces. The projects outputs will be: * Ergonomically designed TRL6 prototype and packaging with integrated gas delivery system * Clinical datasets and validation from end-user field trials

Globally 700 million people are exposed to life-threatening extreme heat (European Commission,2017). By 2030, due to the effects of climate change, heat stress will cost the global economy $2.4trn/year (UN), and heat-related deaths will increase by 257% (Public Health England,2014). Heat illness constitutes a significant source of morbidity and mortality across the world, and is associated with costly, long-term rehabilitation requirements. This is an inescapably growing issue that requires a rapid, technology-led solution. The development and implementation of portable cooling technology will be integral to mitigate the exponentially rising impact of heat illness on global populations. Heat illness is a serious condition which occurs as a result of exposure to, and/or physical exertion in hot environments. It's a medical emergency and can be fatal if your core temperature is not rapidly reduced. Currently, the most effective treatment method is a full-body ice bath, however the volume of resources and logistical complications regarding storage and transportation renders it impossible to implement in the vast majority of scenarios. Transportation to medical facilities is required, leading to delays in treatment, significantly increasing the likelihood of morbidity and mortality. Cryosuit overcomes the critical logistical and performance issues experienced with current treatment methods and provides a compact, lightweight, on-demand cooling device able to be deployed in any scenario. Cryosuit is the ice bath in your backpack. Our patent pending technology is designed to emulate ice water immersion, with a fraction of the resources. A powerful coolant stored within compact, portable canisters is injected into conductive pads adhered to the body, delivering life-saving cooling. The Cryogenx team has 20+ years medical experience and specialist expertise in heat illness management. We have comprehensive knowledge of the pathophysiology of heat illness, thermoregulatory mechanisms and innovative cooling technologies. We have support from the world's leading environmental medicine scientists, and have developed extensive commercial links into the sports, defence, and healthcare sectors. The scope of this project aims to rapidly develop high-fidelity prototypes and validate their efficacy and safety, proving that our technology can be incorporated into a safe and effective product. Achieving these milestones will enables us to rapidly commercialise through acquiring the necessary data-set for medical device certification, and leverage prospective clients through clinical efficacy validation.