STOW, Ohio, March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Polar Life Pod® (PLP), manufactured by Polar Products in Stow, Ohio, was compared to the National Athletic Trainers' Association's (NATA) recommended cooling immersion tub for heat illness in a recent research study conducted by Kevin Miller, PhD, AT, ATC, at Central Michigan University. This product offers a new, efficient and innovative way to treat someone suffering from exertional heat stroke (EHS). "In our laboratory study, the Polar Life Pod® cooled subjects at rates considered 'ideal' for exertional heatstroke victims and required less resources than other methods of cooling," Miller stated.
According to the NATA's position statement on exertional heat illnesses, death from EHS is 100 percent preventable when proper recognition and treatment protocols calling for full-body immersion in ice water are implemented.2 An athlete suffering from exertional heat stroke should always be cooled first (via cold water immersion (CWI)) before being transported by EMS to an emergency facility.3 The NATA recommends immersion of the athlete or individual in large stationary tubs with the water between 1.7°C (35°F) and 15°C (59°F).4
As the importance of a portable CWI technique becomes more apparent, the PLP has proven to be practical, effective and an excellent product for EHS treatment.
Features and benefits of the PLP include, but are not limited to:
- A compact and portable design that is easy to keep on the sidelines and transport to the athlete or individual suffering from EHS, instead of picking them up and transporting them to a stationary TUB.
- A unique design that requires just 40-60 gallons (four-to-six Gatorade-type containers) of on-site ice water, depending on the size of the individual.
- A floating head support pillow to hyperextend the neck and keep the individuals' airways safely elevated and out of the water, while cooling the neck and the back of the head.
From football fields to military bases to agricultural fields, the PLP is an affordable and essential piece of safety equipment for anyone working or playing in hot environments.
"This product is one we are especially proud of," said President and CEO of Polar Products, Jacob Graessle. "We worked thoroughly and intently with the inventor of the PLP, Michael Laycox, ATL, EMT-P, on the design and application. There's a significant need for this everywhere. Similar to a defibrillator, it's essential to have this available and hope to never use it."
The Polar Life Pod is available to purchase for $424. For more information on the PLP and to see the full Central Michigan Research Study and Poster Presentation, visit polarlifepod.com.
About Polar Products
Polar Products Inc., established in Akron, Ohio in 1984, is a small, family-owned and operated business, and the only company to manufacture a portable, on-demand, cold water immersion device: the patent-pending Polar Life Pod® (PLP). The PLP facilitates the rapid on-site cooling of individuals, whenever and wherever needed. It is collapsible, compact and portable, making it easy to set-up, use and transport to the athlete. A recent study proved the effectiveness of the PLP and its ability to cool in equal or better time as the TUB and with fewer resources.5 Polar also specializes in the design and manufacture of innovative, high-quality, competitively priced body cooling and hot/cold therapy products, including post-surgery/post-injury circulating cold water therapy systems.
1Miller KC, Amaria NY. Rectal temperature cooling rates in the Polar Life Pod are excellent and consistent with stationary tubs. J Athl Train. 2022. In press.2-4Executive Summary of National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement on Exertional Heat Illnesses: An update to the 2002 NATA Guidelines NATA (2014).5Miller KC, Amaria NY. Rectal temperature cooling rates in the Polar Life Pod are excellent and consistent with stationary tubs. J Athl Train. 2022. In press.
