We are Kooley.co.uk, commercial occupants at the University of Cheshire based at Thornton Science Park. We manufacture our own brand of cold therapy pad with a new range of accessories.
We looked at what is available on the market and realised, while cold therapy has been with us for many years and is recognised as an ideal method for bringing pain relief for many injuries and medical conditions, the market has not moved forward when it comes to how we use cold therapy.
While some research has gone into the more high-end delivery of cold therapy via cryotherapy, these are expensive treatments and aimed at sport injuries while for more common injuries we still have the trusty ‘ice pack’. In fact, the NHS still commonly recommends the use of a frozen bag of peas for sprains, pulled muscles and damage to tendons.
With the help from I2C support, (a former programme partnered with the University of Chester), Kooley have tested the more common ice packs available on the market.
The results showed after 24 hours in the freezer the ice pack starts to become completely solidified. This is ideal should you need a solid ice pack, however if you need a cold pad to wrap around an ankle or sprained wrist, these are no longer suitable with a high risk of damage if placed directed onto skin. It is so impossible to wrap around the joint needing the cold therapy with a solid ice-pack and this is a very important issue.
A further result seen while observing the usual ice packs, is that the pack will start to defrost immediately when taken out of the freezer, resulting ina lack of cooling due to the environment it is consumed in and also lot of water residue.
Cold gel packs are also present on the market. These gels are designed to not freeze, however when the gel pack is placed over the joint, the gel separates and the users found there was very limited cold gel over the joint as the bulk of the gel drops to the side which results in a limited cold effect.
The instant ice pack, while popular when in an outdoor environment, are only one-use packs and the packaging is not environmentally friendly
So, why are Cold Therapy Pads different?
In developing our cold pads, Kooley have concentrated on perfecting a patent-pending uniquely reusable cold compression pad that distributes an even level of cold therapy with the ability of remaining in a pliable state even when kept at extreme low temperatures --as low as -20°C (this will depend on the freezer setting).
We have also developed a reusable cooling strip for those that would prefer a more gentle cooling effect while still delivering the cold therapy.
Because our cold pads do not freeze, they have the ability to fully mould to the contour of the required areas and as the cold pad doesn’t freeze it also does not defrost thereby greatly reducing the wet residue found with the common ice pack with the added benefit of being a lighter weight cold pad compared to the standard cold pads on the market at present.
Kooley offer a choice of cold and cooling pads.
Our cold pads are perfect for more serious injuries – reducing inflammation, torn or strained muscles, pre and post-surgery, swelling to bruises. while our cooling strip are perfect for every day cooling therapy ideal for treating migraine, headaches, tired or strained muscles, sore feet, tired eyes and every day aches and pains or you need a little cooling down.
These do not have to be kept at extreme cold temperatures before it is used. Its operating temperature can be managed by the length of time it is cooled in a freezer or fridge allowing the cold pad to be used as a gradual cooling system.
Kooley cold pads/cooling strips will only distribute the cooling temperature for the Recommend NHS guidelines for 20 minutes this is to prevent any risk to skin we also recommend reading the NHS guidance of cold therapy / cold pads
The majority of cold pads and accessories are made in the Far East and come in a standard sizing which limits the choice to the consumers also these are predominantly aimed at the sport market. Kooley manufactures the cold pads and accessories on site at Thornton Science Park, allowing us to look at the markets which could benefit from cold therapy and also have the ability to manufacture bespoke products.
Kooley have designed our own range of accessories, we are working with a British company and use their Smart fabric for our straps, unlike the more common neoprene fabric used for straps ours is a skin friendly, light weight, washable material with antibacterial properties and is a more environmentally friendly product.
We started trading via our website www.kooley.co.uk and have had a good response for the new range and we are now looking at how we can bring relief to other markets often not consider by the larger companies.
This is where we are fortunate to have the good level of support from Business Growth at the University of Chester as we need all the help we can get to show we are not just another company importing their product from China, but a British company with a new product.
We believe we have the ability to start changing how we use cooling therapy and plan to continue looking at ways we can bring comfort and relief.
We would love to hear from anyone that has previously used cold pads, why they used it and what did they think could be improved.
Kay from Kooley
info@kooley.co.uk
www.kooley.co.uk