TecTraum pro2cool - FDA-designated Breakthrough Device for Post-concussion Cooling Therapy

TecTraum developed pro2cool to be the first FDA-cleared treatment for concussions. After a concussion is suspected, a trainer, sports medicine coach, or health care professional can turn on the pro2cool unit and attach the device to the injured patient’s head. The cooling therapy then cools the brain, which reduces the inflammatory response to the head injury. This process leads to a reduction in cellular damage to the brain.

By introducing an effective therapy treatment for concussions, we are also hoping for a much lower amount of time that those injured deal with the side effects of brain injuries. Symptoms of post-concussion syndrome include physical, cognitive, and emotional problems. While the average brain injury resolves within six weeks, some people still deal with the symptoms longer than this. At TecTraum, we take pride in our goal of conducting a trial that may help people recover from a concussion, and spend less time dealing with the side-effects.

The signs of a concussion can be tricky when symptoms coincide with other sports-related injuries or general tiredness. The most distinct sign of a concussion is loss of consciousness, but that does not often occur. Other symptoms can include excessive drowsiness, blurry vision, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, mental confusion, or a change in behavior. The health care community continues to learn about the effects of concussions and what the ‘best-practices’ are for intervention.

Concussions, particularly in athletes, are extremely common. In the United States, nearly 3.8 million concussions occur yearly from sports-related injuries alone. Many misconceptions lie around the dangers of concussions and its lasting effects on the brain. Some people might excuse mild head injuries when they are described as ‘just a ringing in the ear’ but concussions are much more serious, and the mismanagement can lead to prolonged symptoms and long-lasting effects.

There is no known treatment for concussions beyond prescribed brain rest. Recovery from a concussion is a complex process and not treating or managing it properly, can lead to an even longer recovery time. Traditionally, physical and mental rest within the first 48 hours has been the most appropriate way to help your brain heal. Today, parents of athletes around the world are holding trainers, coaches, and teams accountable to provide information and research surrounding concussions. pro2cool® is being developed as a proactive solution to improve post-concussion outcomes.

pro2cool^® is designed to mitigate both short- and long-term symptoms associated with concussions, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Cooling therapy has been used to treat various medical conditions and even prevent death in newborns. Most commonly, cooling gels or ice packs can relieve aching muscles, joints or pain associated with arthritis. Cryotherapy is the newest cure to treat a variety of health issues and even promote beauty. pro2cool^® is the only cooling therapy specifically designed to treat and reduce the symptoms of concussions.

Functional

pro2cool® is a small, easy-to-use and portable system that can accompany any athletic team, yet precise enough for any emergency room, doctor’s office, and school facility. The goal of creating this product was to develop a safe, effective, efficient, and easy-to-use medical device that could be deployed in almost any setting.

Clinical Efficacy

The pro2cool® device leverages hypothermic therapy (“cold therapy”), which has been shown to have clinical efficacy in a variety of cardiovascular injuries, including cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction (heart attack). Researchers investigating the pro2cool™ device have observed significant improvements in clinical outcomes through the cooling of the brain within eight days of the concussion.

Non-Invasive

pro2cool® is non-invasive and simple to use, delivering precise amounts of cooling therapy. With few moving parts, the device can be assembled in minutes and put to work immediately upon on the concussed patient, or within eight days of the injury.

In the arena of contact sports, concussions are caused by high-impact collisions between athletes, resulting in mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that affect your brain function. It is important that a concussed athlete be evaluated by a clinician or health care professional to determine the severity of the head injury. In the case of concussions, TecTraum’s pro2cool^® system can treat patients within eight days of the injury, by providing immediate relief and therapy to minimize damage. TecTraum’s pro2cool^® empowers coaches, trainers, and physicians to treat and care for athletes when it matters most, both on and off the field.

The pro2cool^® system by TecTraum is designed to provide cooling for the head and neck. The cooling works as a hypothermic therapy (cold therapy) device that can cool the brain. The product is designed as soft garment to be strapped around a person’s head and neck. Treatment with the pro2cool^® device is performed within eight days post-injury from a concussion and is applied by a clinician or trained health care professional. It consists of two 30-minute treatments, with the second taking place within 48 hours of the first. Once in place, the cooling unit is set to six degrees Celsius, providing the patient with the optimal temperature for treatment.

Rest is currently the only way to recover from a concussion. However, what if there’s a way to speed up the healing process? With pro2cool^® we look to limit the amount of time injured athletes need to spend in recovery and help be the key to a faster recovery. The current method of resting the brain limits activities such as playing video games, reading, texting, schoolwork, and sports. These activities are a big part of a person’s life, especially with adolescents. At TecTraum, we don’t want those who suffer from concussions to be kept in the dark for so long, and we are anticipating pro2cool™ to be the solution.