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 both your prescription, and a travel certificate. You can download a MedActiv travel certificate in the Documentation section of the MedActiv website.

Yes. In fact, many airlines recommend to use 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, such as the one available in the MedActiv downloads.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. So 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.

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. So 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.

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.

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.

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.

No, it really makes no difference at all. If your medication is suitable for the EasyBag (has to 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.

Dependent on where you live, there might be more or less minerals 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 the MedActiv Australia website.

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.

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 the MedActiv Australia website.

When we test the EasyBag, we test them up to a temperature of 42°C, which is really hot. Most people don’t stay permanently at such a temperature, because they have air conditioning or are inside a building. At 42°C ambient temperature, the temperature inside the EasyBag will be just over 25°C.

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.

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.

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 gelpack 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 super 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.

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 7 pens inside.

The LifeinaBox battery needs to be fully charged before you start using the device

• Make sure the device is connected to the power
• Flick the O/I switch under the device to the ON position
• Press the button on the side of the device for 5 seconds to switch it off (this will turn off the logo in front of the device)
• Leave it to charge for two hours

USING LIFEINABOX

Connect it to the power and fully charge the battery (see above)

Switch on LifeinaBox by either:

• Pressing the button on side of device once
• Unplugging the device and plugging it back in
• Wait for LifeinaBox to reach a stable temperature (about 15 minutes)
• Place your medication inside
• To use the Lifeina application, simply download the app and turn it on within distance of your LifeinaBox

NOTES

• If you are planning on using LifeinaBox at home, switch off the battery (under the device ) so that it lasts longer. But don’t forget to fully charge it before a trip
• If you want to use the battery mode, flick the O/I switch under the device to the “ON” position

The cavity exact measurements are 180 mm wide x 64 mm deep x 40 mm high, so a whopping 468 cm2. You should be able to fit 8 standard insulin pens inside.

LifeinaBox measures 20 cm wide, 10 cm high and 10 cm deep, and weighs about 1200 gm.

LifeinaBox is made for any medication that needs to be kept at a temperature between 2 and 8°C (35,6 to 46,4°F).

This includes insulins, adrenaline, growth hormones, arthritis medication and many more. The LifeinaBox cavity fits prefilled pens, needles or flacons. We also use it sometimes to keep miniature flasks of whisky… Basically, if it fits in the cavity, it will be kept at the right temperature.

The environment where LifeinaBox is used has some influence on how much cooling it will do. Just like the refrigerator in your house, it will be less efficient when exposed to extreme conditions. However, LifeinaBox will always ensure that your medications is kept between the temperatures of 2 and 8 °C (35,6 to 46,4°F).

LifeinaBox comes equipped with a 6-hour battery, which will give you ample time to get from your house to your car (unless you walk really really really slowly). We have also developed separate battery packs (LifeinaPower) of 6 hours each. These batteries will give you more flexibility and can be recharged with your mobile phone cables.

Generally, we think that our isothermal bags ( LifeinaBag12 and LifeinaBag24) are easier to use when taking a plane, but there is really no problem at all if you want to use LifeinaBox on a plane..

An alarm will start to beep when the battery is down to a 20% charge. To turn off this alarm, simply click the O/I button on the right of the device. When the battery drops to a 10% charge, the alarm will start again and it will not be possible to turn it off until you plug in the device to a power source.

LifeinaBox is like any electrical device. So no, LifeinaBox is not waterproof and should be kept in a dry environment.

It really just depends on the size of the cupboard. Just like a normal refrigerator, LifeinaBox cools by removing heat. Heat needs to dissipate. So do not use LifeinaBox in an area where there is little or no air exchange as there will be nowhere for the heat to go.

LifeinaBox uses a technology called the Peltier Effect (thermo-electric cooling). This was originally discovered by a French man with the wonderfully arcane name of Jean Atanase Peltier in 1834. He discovered that if you weld together many cubes of different metals and then pass an electrical current through them, the friction caused by the different metal densities causes super-heat on one side, and super-cold on the other.

So we get rid of the heat using fans, and have attached the cold part of the Peltier directly under an aluminum sink to spread the cold evenly. And presto, it's magic...

We have stabilised the Peltier Effect by producing it under vacuum to give it more stability, and are now at over 9700 hours of continuous use of this technology.

Yes, LifeinaBox is guaranteed. We make great products and devote a lot of attention to detail to make absolutely perfect products. According to the law, we must give a one-year warranty on LifeinaBox, but LifeinaBox will last much longer if you use it properly. It's obvious that if you crush it with your car, throw it in the bath while it's plugged, we will not fix it. However, if there is a real problem, we will always be there to help you fix it.

Will it drain my car battery?

LifeinaBox uses 4.5 amperes at 12V DC, just about the same as a single headlight. LifeinaBox should not drain or damage a fully charged battery when used while the engine is running. Each vehicle and each battery is unique. Ask your dealer or mechanic to check the quality of your battery before plugging in a device that may drain it.

Yes absolutely. LifeinaBox is delivered with a cable connector for the cigarette lighter of your car.

Yes you can, but it wasn’t really designed for that. It was really designed more for hotels, cars, office, and home use. Although in theory you can LifeInaBox on the plane, we don’t really like the idea of people walking around with a fridge under their arm.

Note that you cannot charge the LifeInaBox on the plane. It is much easier to use our specially made Lifeina Bags or MedActiv Bags, which are just so much simpler and can slip into your hand luggage. Then you can use your LifeInaBox when you reach your destination etc.

A pre-setting of the device stops your medication from going below 2°C to ensure that your medication never gets frozen. However, the LifeinaBox must be used in “normal” temperatures. If you keep your LifeinaBox at sub-zero degree temperatures it will not stop your medication from freezing.

You should anyway keep your medicine with you at all times, whatever the means of transport;

NEVER STORE YOUR MEDICINES IN LUGGAGE THAT WILL BE CHECKED INTO THE AIRPLANE CARGO STORAGE!

If your baggage is lost, or your flight is delayed, it might ruin your holiday.

Even if it is possible to use LifeinaBox in an airplane, we generally think that it is easier for plane travel to use one of our isothermal bags (LifeinaBag12 or LifeinaBag 24, that will also keep your medication between 2 and 8°C). The bags are just easier to stick in your handbag than a portable fridge. We tend to use LifeinaBox more in a car, hotel, home than on a plane.

But if you want to take your LifeinaBox on a trip with you on the plane, there is really no problem at all to do this. However, you will need the LifeinaTravel bag to transport your fridge, and you might want to get an extra battery (LifeinaPower) as well.

We tested LifeinaBox up to an ambient temperature of 36 ° C. At this temperature, everything in LifeinaBox stays between 2 and 8 ° C. On the other hand, if you use LifeinaBox at this temperature, the batteries will not last as long. But anyway, most people do not stay permanently at a temperature of 36 ° C and have access to air conditioning, whether in a house or in the car.

When we created the Lifeina application we thought we were doing the right thing by creating a super complete application. But user feedback was that it was way too complicated, and we therefore completely redid it, as simple as possible, to give only two things, temperature and battery life.

The most complete application is the Web application, which you can use on any computer or mobile phone. Just open www.lifeina.org from Google Chrome. You can then control LifeinaBox directly from the site.

Android : For Android, you can get the app on Google Play, but we strongly recommend that you just use the web app (as above), as it is much more complete.

iOS (Apple) : Go to the App store, and simply look for the Lifeina app. It is available everywhere.

Inside the LifeinaBox packaging there is - A magnificient little portable fridge measuring about 20 x 10 x 10 cm - An ACDC adaptor 110/220V with 4 different plugs for the USA, China, Europe, Switzerland and the UK - A cable to plug LifeinaBox in the cigarette lighter of your car

You might find that the logo in front of LifeinaBox is a bit bright, especially if you are in a hotel room. On the latest generation of LifeinaBox (2020) you can switch off the logo by simply double-clicking the O/I button on right of device.