Resources
Clinical studies and research
Explore published findings, tested cooling configurations and study methods across clinical and occupational settings.
01 / Research register
Studies and reports
Browse journal articles, case reports, conference abstracts and contextual reports by application and cooling system.
This selection includes 5 CarbonCool journal publications: two case-report papers, one cardiac-arrest cohort, one occupational pilot and one commentary. Conference abstracts and related cooling technologies are identified separately.
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Showing 10 research entries.
- 01
Exploring the Potential of CarbonCool® in Rapid Prehospital Cooling for Severe Heat Stroke (opens in a new tab)
Kido N, Tagami T, Otake K, et al. · Prehospital Emergency Care 28(7):905-909 · Two case reports · 2024 · Nippon Medical School and Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Japan
Configuration studied: CarbonCool suit components; configuration varied between cases
In two older patients with severe classic heat stroke, CarbonCool cooling began at the scene and continued during transport and hospital care. Both patients were discharged without reported disability. These observations come from two uncontrolled cases.
Study context and disclosures
The cases do not establish comparative efficacy or a survival benefit. Initial axillary and later bladder measurements do not support deriving a uniform core cooling rate. One case used chest and abdomen components only and later had its cooling unit replaced, so the configurations and uninterrupted performance cannot be generalised to a full suit.
- 02
Management of heatstroke using the novel, reusable, CarbonCool® suit: a case report (opens in a new tab)
Tay PJM, Ho AFW, Shahidah N, Nadarajan GD · Journal of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine 6:9 · Case report · 2022 · Singapore General Hospital, Duke-NUS and SingHealth
Configuration studied: CarbonCool half-body suit with MPads
This Singapore case report describes CarbonCool half-body suit use alongside cold intravenous saline during emergency care for exertional heat stroke. The suit remained in place during resuscitative care, and the patient was discharged well after subsequent intensive care.
Study context and disclosures
A 31-year-old man received the suit after wet towels and fans, with Blanketrol cooling subsequently used in intensive care. This single case does not isolate the suit’s effect. Temperature and time descriptions differ within the paper, limiting any exact cooling-rate estimate.
- 03
Safety and Efficacy of CarbonCool Half-Body Vest for HAZMAT Decontamination Crews Wearing Personal Protective Equipment: A Pilot Study (opens in a new tab)
Tay PJM, Koh ZX, Hao Y, Leong MKF · Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 35(6):645-650 · Observational pilot · 23 healthy staff · 2020 · Singapore General Hospital, Duke-NUS and SingHealth
Configuration studied: CarbonCool half-body vest with MPads under PPE
During 55-minute HAZMAT decontamination exercises, participant feedback described comfortable cooling and unhindered movement with the CarbonCool half-body vest. The pilot involved 23 healthy staff, with ten wearing the vest and thirteen controls; adjusted physiological differences were not statistically significant.
Study context and disclosures
The methods describe an observational feasibility study with allocation based on equipment availability. The findings support tolerability in the studied setting and do not establish heat-injury prevention. A preliminary SGH poster describes 11 volunteers in self-selected groups; its independence from this later pilot remains unconfirmed, so participant totals are kept separate.
- 04
Novel wearable cooling device for early initiation of targeted temperature management in the Emergency Department (opens in a new tab)
Yap LG, Shahidah N, Pothiawala S, et al. · Journal of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine 4:13 · Pre/post cohort · 124 enrolled, 61 with cooling-time data · 2020 · Singapore General Hospital, National Heart Centre and Duke-NUS
Configuration studied: CarbonCool Full Body Suit with MPads, ice packs and cold saline; powered ICU cooling followed
Among patients with cooling-time data in a 124-patient pre/post cohort, median time from return of spontaneous circulation to 34°C was 119 minutes in 22 patients receiving the combined protocol incorporating CarbonCool, compared with 482 minutes in 39 historical controls. Survival and neurological outcomes did not differ significantly.
Study context and disclosures
The cohort enrolled 40 intervention patients and 84 historical controls. Missing data, baseline differences and historical controls limit interpretation. Median time from initiation of temperature management to 34°C was a separate endpoint: 73 versus 142 minutes. The paper also reported overcooling below 33°C and discussed delayed temperature-probe placement. The study evaluated the combined protocol, including subsequent powered ICU cooling.
Sponsored by Global Healthcare Pte Ltd. The authors state that the sponsor had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation or manuscript writing. Marcus Eng Hock Ong declared a scientific-adviser relationship with Global Healthcare; the linked publication provides the full disclosures.
- 05
A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Potential of Using a CarbonCool Vest in Reduction of Heat Stress among First Responders Donned in CLD500 Decontamination Suit (PDF, opens in a new tab)
Pravin Thiruchelvam, Jimmy Kock Keng Goh, Priscilla Kah Huimin, Ejaz Latiff, Priscilla Ting Zi Yin · ICEM 2019 poster abstract submission, no. 0884 · Pilot · 10 staff volunteers · 2019 · Changi General Hospital and National University of Singapore
Configuration studied: CarbonCool vest with EMCOOLS FlexPads under CLD500 PPE
A submitted abstract describes lower estimated temperatures with a CarbonCool vest during 20 minutes of exercise in CLD500 protective equipment. The pilot involved ten staff volunteers.
Study context and disclosures
Allocation, measurement methods and statistical testing are not detailed. The existing archived acknowledgement confirms ICEM 2019 submission no. 0884 in the poster-session category; acceptance and presentation remain unverified.
- 06
Heat Injury Management in the SAF (PDF, opens in a new tab)
External Review Panel on Heat Injury Management, chaired by Mark Leong Kwok Fai · External review report · Policy and practice review · 2018 · Commissioned by Singapore Ministry of Defence
Configuration studied: Review of heat-injury management and cooling options
This review of SAF heat-injury management discusses CarbonCool among cooling-suit options and recommends evaluation of additional cooling methods.
Study context and disclosures
The report provides policy and practice context. It is not a CarbonCool clinical trial or evidence of effectiveness in SAF field deployment.
- 07
Chemotherapy Drug Concentrations in Hair Follicles: A Potential Biomarker to Monitor the Effectiveness of Scalp Cooling for Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia (opens in a new tab)
Chae JW, Ng R, Chan A · Supportive Care in Cancer 26:3669-3670 · Commentary on a 10-patient pilot · 2018 · National University of Singapore, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Chungnam National University and Duke-NUS
Configuration studied: CarbonCool scalp cooling
A small scalp-cooling pilot reported lower mean hair-follicle chemotherapy drug concentrations in seven patients receiving CarbonCool scalp cooling compared with three controls.
Study context and disclosures
The commentary identifies the earlier MASCC 2017 abstract as a report of the same ten-patient pilot. Differing chemotherapy regimens and doses limit interpretation. This biomarker finding does not demonstrate prevention of hair loss.
- 08
Efficacy of targeted temperature management started in the emergency department using carboncool: a single-centre retrospective study (opens in a new tab)
Quek D, Tan X, Lwin M, Tan J, Chia Y, Ng W · Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine 27(Suppl 1):S158, PO325 · Conference abstract · retrospective cohort · 97 patients · 2025 · Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
Configuration studied: CarbonCool surface cooling in the emergency department; temperature management continued in ICU
A retrospective cohort describes CarbonCool use to initiate cooling in 97 patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The authors described emergency-department initiation as feasible and highlighted overcooling and skin complications as implementation concerns.
Study context and disclosures
Recruitment ran from January 2019 to August 2024. The observed mean cooling rate was 0.9°C/hour; 8.2% had overshoot to 32°C or below and one patient had mild skin erythema. There was no comparator group. Matching setting, recruitment dates, sample and outcomes support grouping the SEMS and CJEM abstracts as reports of one cohort, a bibliographic inference without a patient-record audit. PO325 appears on printed page S158 in the collection published 18 December 2025; the DOI identifies the collection.
- 09
Novel cooling vest with personal protective equipment alleviates heat strain without increasing metabolic demands in the heat (opens in a new tab)
Sainiyom P, Saeangsirisuwan V, Leow CHW, Lee JKW, Surapongchai J · Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health 52(1):19-30 · Randomised crossover study · 12 healthy participants · 2026 · Mahidol University, Thailand, and National University of Singapore
Configuration studied: Comfort Suit V with EMCOOLS Flex.Pad
In a randomised crossover study of 12 participants, Comfort Suit V with EMCOOLS Flex.Pad reduced heat strain during 100 minutes of simulated healthcare work at 32°C and 70% relative humidity. Mean core temperatures were 37.5°C with the vest versus 38.4°C with PPE alone, with similar measured energy expenditure.
Study context and disclosures
First published online on 17 November 2025; the final issue is January 2026. The three conditions were medical scrubs, scrubs with PPE, and scrubs with PPE plus the vest. The study evaluated occupational cooling in healthy participants, not heat-stroke treatment or the CarbonCool Full Body Suit. It does not establish heat-injury prevention or a longer safe working limit.
Financial support from Global Healthcare PTE LTD was declared. The authors state that the funder had no role in study design, data analysis or interpretation.
- 10
Evaluation of Various Cooling Systems After Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia (opens in a new tab)
Tan PMS, Teo EYN, Ali NB, et al. · Journal of Athletic Training 52(2):108-116 · Laboratory crossover study · 22 healthy men · 2017 · Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, Singapore Armed Forces and collaborating institutions
Configuration studied: EMCOOLS Flex.Pad, ThermoSuit, body-cooling unit and no cooling
A laboratory crossover study of 22 healthy men reported a mean cooling rate of 0.12°C/min with EMCOOLS Flex.Pad after exercise-induced hyperthermia.
Study context and disclosures
The four arms tested EMCOOLS Flex.Pad, ThermoSuit, a body-cooling unit and no cooling. This is EMCOOLS Flex.Pad research and does not establish a CarbonCool cooling rate. The ice-pack rate discussed in the paper came from separate literature; ice packs were not an arm of this experiment.
02 / Ongoing research
Prehospital cooling after cardiac arrest
The PRECEDENCE pilot is evaluating the feasibility, delivery and safety of initiating CarbonCool cooling before hospital arrival after cardiac arrest. The registered study is sponsored by Singapore General Hospital.
ClinicalTrials.gov lists NCT07421882 as recruiting, with an estimated enrolment of 50 and no results posted. Registry status checked 24 October 2026; record last updated 29 April 2026.
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