Loughborough University student designs portable wallet to keep medication cool

Loughborough UniversityJun 19 2019

A student from Loughborough University has designed a portable wallet to keep medication cool after being inspired by his girlfriend who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Bish Clow, 22, who studies Product Design and Technology, has created Chill - a flexible insulated pouch to store medication at refrigerator temperature.

The aim of the product is to give people the freedom to enjoy trips away from home without worrying about how to keep their medication cold.

Bish first came across this problem after his girlfriend was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 21.

Bish said she was offered a variety of medications, some of which needed to be kept refrigerated.

He thought this could cause issues, especially while traveling and he wanted to create a product to help.

Bish Clow said:

Millions of people all around the world live with conditions requiring a medication which must be stored at refrigerator temperatures for them to remain effective. These drugs can include hormone treatments and insulin.

This poses the issue of always having access to a fridge to keep the medication at the right temperature. People are given these medications without having specialized equipment to correctly store it.”

The wallet can store a wide range of drugs and drug delivery systems within a temperature range of 2-8°C.

The wallet uses a compact refrigeration system to keep the contents at a stable temperature and the device runs off an internal battery which lasts for several hours.

Bish said during his research he spoke to people who rely on refrigerated medications for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and cystic fibrosis.

He asked them how they kept their drugs cool while away from home.

These people said it required a lot of planning and structure that can often detract from the experience of going away and they can’t always be as spontaneous as they might want to be.

Some users would sometimes rather miss doses of medication, than try to attempt taking it with them. Individuals can feel like prisoners of their own medication.”

Bish Clow

Bish said that as well as giving people more freedom, the product also has the potential to help save healthcare providers money as the medications won’t be wasted from them being stored incorrectly.