General questions
How long does the delivery take?
Basically, if you order before 10:00 in the morning, your order should be sent the same day. And you can then choose whether you want standard delivery (4 to 5 days) or an express one (24 hours).
I ordered a bag, but never received it. Where is my tracking number?
You can follow your order by entering your account on the MedActiv website. When you place and pay for an order, you should normally receive a confirmation of order from MedActiv, and then, within 24 hours a tracking number from your shipping agent. If you haven’t received such a confirmation, it is probably in your junk mailbox, or there is a mistake in your email address.
Where should I keep my MedActiv bag when I travel?
Always keep your medication with you, in your hand luggage. There is no reason for anyone to stop you from taking your life-saving medication with you. Just make sure you have a copy of your prescription.
Can I use a MedActiv bag on the plane?
Yes. In fact, many airlines recommend using only MedActiv bags, because the MedActiv bags are the only ones that are clinically tested and validated. But there is always the possibility that when you arrive or leave in a strange country, you are stopped at customs by someone who does not understand this. So the best way is to always anticipate this by arriving with three things:
1) Your medication in a well-protected MedActiv bag with the gel packs frozen.
2) A copy of your prescription
3) A filled-in Medical Certificate.
Then, when you arrive at the customs, you take out your medication, say in a loud voice: “I am sick, here is my medication, here is my certificate, can you please help me”, and you will get through no problem at all.
Questions about the iCool bags
How do we test the iCool bags?
There are a few elements to consider when we test bags, which are ambient temperature, what the medication is, and the static temperature of the actual medication. What interests us is the temperature of the medication itself (not the air around it).
Equipment needed:
1) Syringes, flacons, and pre-filled pens filled with water
2) Temperature controllers (We use a MadgeTech Thermocouple Data Logger, with 8 different temperature probes)
3) A temperature-controlled black box that will keep the tested bag at a steady temperature.
When we test the MedActiv bags, we try and reproduce as much as possible the normal conditions of utilization. We first fill syringes, pens, and flacons with water and place them in a household fridge so that they are between 2 and 8°C.
We then prepare the bag to be tested by placing the gel packs in a freezer at -18°C for a minimum of 14 hours. -18°C is the temperature of a standard household freezer.
We insert the MadgeTech temperature probes inside the syringes, pens and flacons filled with water so that they are inside the liquid and measure the temperature of the liquid itself. The temperature probes are linked to the MadgeTech temperature controller, which is linked to a computer that records the temperature every minute. The flacons/syringes/pens are then placed inside the MedActiv bag being tested, together with the well-frozen gel packs in the correct position.
The entire MedActiv bag being tested is then placed in a controlled temperature environment (black box) which is maintained at a steady temperature of 24,2°C. The computer will then record the temperature every minute over 12, 24, or 36 hours, depending on the bag being tested.
Why 24,2°C?
24,2°C is considered internationally to be an average ambient temperature and is indeed the temperature that is kept inside of airplanes. As most people use MedActiv bags to travel in airplanes, it is the reference temperature used to test isothermal bags.
What if I use my MedActiv bag at a higher temperature?
If you use a MedActiv iCool Prestige bag, which is tested to keep your medication between 2 and 8°C for 24 hours, at an ambient temperature of 30°C, it will not last nearly as long as 24 hours. It might only last 12 or 13 hours.
Every effort is made at MedActiv to make bags that give a perfect performance, but the bag’s performances are dictated by the intrinsic limitations of the environment that they are used in.
What is the difference between the iCool Weekender, the iCool Prestige, the iCool Vaccine Bag or the iCool MediCube?
These bags (the iCool Bags) all keep medication between 2 and 8°C, but for different times. The iCool Weekender is good for 12 hours between 2 and 8°C, the Prestige for 24 hours and the MediCube for 36 hours. They also have different cavity sizes.
Will the iCool bags work when the ambient temperature is really hot?
Yes, but they might not work as long. When MedActiv tests the bags, we test them at a temperature of 24,2°C, which is the internationally recognized “ambient” temperature, and is also the temperature generally found in airplanes. If you are using the same bag at a temperature of 32°C, it will last about 30% less time between 2 and 8°C.
Can the iCool bags freeze my medication?
No, unless you completely mishandle them. When you freeze the gel packs, you should freeze them in a normal household freezer, at a temperature of about -18°C. If you then place the gel packs in the appropriate compartments in your iCool bag, there is no contact whatsoever with the medication and it is impossible for them to freeze.
If I put extra gel packs inside the iCool, will it work better?
No, not at all. The iCool bags are carefully designed to optimize the cold generated by the frozen gel packs. In fact, if you add a gel pack, you might risk freezing your medication.
Can I use the iCool Gel packs forever?
Yes, absolutely, you can use them hundreds of times, and they do not wear out. Just be careful not to drop them when they are frozen, as you might split the corners and cause them to leak.
How long should I freeze the gel packs?
The gel packs are filled with phase-change material, and this material, after about 8 hours of freezing, will change phase to become a new material that will stay frozen for much longer. We recommend that you keep your gel packs permanently in the freezer so that they are always ready to go, or to freeze them for a minimum of 12 to 14 hours.
My gel pack is leaking, what should I do?
In fact, the gel packs are incredibly well made, with an outside layer of silicone, which stops them from “transpiring”. When unfrozen they are just about indestructible. However, paradoxically, when they are frozen, they are quite sensitive to shock, as they become incredibly hard. If you drop a gel pack when frozen, you might crack a corner, or develop a micro-fissure. And then when it thaws, it might start leaking. The best way to store your gel packs is to keep them in a corner of your freezer, well stacked on top of one another, so that they do not fall too often. But if you do happen to break a gel pack, you can order spares in the Accessories section of the MedActiv website.
Questions about the EasyBag
How does the EasyBag work?
Inside the EasyBag is a special gel that, when soaked in water for a minute, will soak about 600 times it’s weight in water. When you place the soaked gel inside the EasyBag, the evaporation process will be accelerated, which will cool your medication and keep it between 16 and 25°C. The principle is basically the same as when you lick the back of your hand, and then blow on it. It feels cool because, as you blow on it, you accelerate the evaporation which feels cool.
Is the EasyBag good for all medications?
No, the EasyBag is only good for medications that can be kept between 16 and 25°C, such as insulin. If your medication needs to be kept between 2 and 8°C, then you should rather use an iCool bag.
If I put two gel pads inside the EasyBag, will it work better?
No, not at all, it will make no difference at all. It works on evaporation and there is already more than enough water in a single gel pad.
Should I place the EasyBag in the fridge when I’m not using it?
No, it really makes no difference at all. If your medication is suitable for the EasyBag (must be kept between 16 and 25°C), then the EasyBag will do an ample job without the fridge.
Should I freeze the EasyBag?
No, not at all. Freezing the EasyBag just means that your medication might become too cold.
My EasyBag gel pack does not absorb water anymore, what should I do?
Dependent on where you live, there might be calcium in the water. Eventually these minerals settle in the EasyBag and stop the polymers inside from absorbing water. If this happens you can just soak your inner gel pad in water with a spoon of vinegar to dissolve the minerals, just like when you clean a kettle. Or you can just order a spare gel pad from the accessories section of the www.medactiv.com website.
Can I use any water for the EasyBag?
Yes, you can use any “reasonable” water. Tap water works best. If you use rankish lake water with mushrooms growing inside, you might find that your EasyBag doesn’t smell so nice anymore. However, do not use sea water as the salt will eventually build up inside the EasyBag and stop it from absorbing water.
Can I use the EasyBag forever?
In theory yes if you use distilled water. But in practice, if you soak it in tap water with lots of strange minerals in it, it will last about a year and a half if you use it all the time. At any time, if you need spare gel pads, you can order them on the www.medactiv.com website.
At what ambient temperature can I use the EasyBag?
When we test the EasyBag, we test them up to a temperature of 32°C. Most people don’t stay permanently at such a temperature because they have air conditioning or are inside a building. At 32°C ambient temperature, the temperature inside the EasyBag will be just over 25°C.
Can I put the EasyBag inside my suitcase?
The EasyBag works best at open air, so that the water inside can evaporate. If you stick it inside your suitcase, it won’t be able to breathe. But it is really a moot point, because the temperature of your suitcase is probably under 25°C. If you want to put it in your backpack when you are doing a roundabout, best place to stick it is on the top of the bag, just under the flap, or in one of the nets on the outside.
Can humidity damage my medication?
If your medication is in prefilled pens, vials, or any other liquid format, it will not be damaged by the humidity in the EasyBag. However, if you are using tablets, even if they are in a sealed container, it’s always better to put them in a sealed plastic sachet.
Will the EasyBag make my things wet?
It is true that when you first soak the gel pack in water it absorbs a lot of water, and this might seep through the outside bag. The easiest way to prevent this is, after having soaked the gel pack in water, to slide it between 2 fingers to remove any excess wetness. Whatever happens, do not place the EasyBag in a plastic bag, as this will completely stop it from “breathing”, and it will no longer cool your medication.
How often do I have to soak the EasyBag for it to work?
That really depends on the outside temperature. At a temperature of about 32°C, you should wet it every three days. If the weather is very hot, then every 2 days. The easiest way is just to put your finger on it in the morning. If it still feels humid, then you’re good for a day.
How many insulin pens can fit in the EasyBag?
In theory, the EasyBag Single is for one pen, but in practice you can quite easily fit 2 pens inside. The EasyBag Classic is made for 4 pens, but you can quite easily fit 6 pens inside.