About

About Contact Patch

­Contact Patch was developed by Chris Wood in Plymouth, UK in 2017. Chris identified that the available Incase of Emergency (ICE) solutions on the market at the time had a number of shortcomings that limited usability. Using his knowledge of design and usability, Chris set about designing a product that addressed those shortcomings.

Along came Contact Patch!

Tested in the harsh winters of the Scottish mountains, the grime and muck of the Devon and Cornwall greenlanes and deep dark conditions of Atlantic Ocean Contact Patch has been put through its paces to ensure it meets the demanding requirements of the areas it's pitched to work in.

­Where Contact Patch excels is in the following areas:­

  • Contact Patch does not rely on technology to provide your information.
  • Contact Patch provides your personal insurance information, ideal for those trips overseas where medical attention won't be provided without insurance details being provided.
  • Contact Patch is amendable, so when your details change so can Contact Patch, without the need to purchase a new piece of equipment.
  • Contact Patch reduces the potential for a person to forget to put it on, by always being attached to the respective piece of equipment or clothing
  • Contact Patch reduces the amount of contact required on the patient by being immediately obvious and available.

Contact Patch development

­In the development of Contact Patch the Team have been in direct contact with the following professional bodies, all of whom have provided input into the design:

  • Mountain Rescue
  • Police from Devon and Cornwall, West Midlands and Oxfordshire
  • Paramedics from Devon and Cornwall, West Midlands and Australian (Victoria)

Alongside working with the emergency services identified above, Contact Patch has been continuously tested by a helpful team of volunteers to ensure it works, without bias, in a manner which the end user would expect. These hardy volunteers have been testing Contact Patch in activities and environments including:

  • Winter mountaineering
  • Hiking / walking
  • Ultra running
  • Spearfishing
  • Freediving
  • Scalloping
  • Caving
  • Kayaking
  • Green laning
  • Road riding

 

How Contact Patch works

Attaching Contact Patch

Contact Patches uses three key components:

1. A mounting patch that's glued (using the supplied neoprene-style glue) or sewn to your piece of clothing or equipment

2. A coloured cover patch that act as the identifying mark, protection from the elements and security for your personal information.

3. A 0.3mm PVC card, pre printed with relevant information fields that you then complete using the supplied permanent pen.

 

Changing your information

To change any of the details on your Contact Patch simply wipe the details off using a rough sponge and some white spirit. Once the PVC card has dried, write your new information on the card, let it dry and place the PVC card back in the mounting spot.

 

This simple design results in an effective 'ICE' solution, usable in all conditions and across a multitude of sports and environments.