Abstract
RealCooL is a device that can rapidly modify the temperature of many liquids to a desired target value. Extensive interviews revealed that there is a need for a device that can rapidly cool or heat liquids, specifically for the use of rewarming or chilling human milk for babies. Commercially available devices such as freezers or baby bottle warmers provide slow rates of chilling and lack the ability for temperature control of the milk. The heating and cooling rates of RealCooL were compared to two commercially available devices: a standard LG freezer for cooling and a Thermo Fisher water bath for heating. Bovine milk was used to simulate human milk in these experiments. Results indicate that RealCooL results in a 6-fold higher cooling rate and a 45-fold higher warming rate compared to commercial devices. Next steps include examination of whether RealCooL affects nutritive and biologically active components in human milk and determination of optimal cooling and heating rates for HM.
