A groundbreaking pain-reducing ice pack has been launched by North Yorkshire healthcare innovations company Salitas.

By remaining colder up to 12 times longer than conventional gel packs, the revolutionary Morpho Cry-Matrix is said to improve joint mobility among osteoarthritis patients and to help athletes recover quicker and more effectively from injury or surgery, Salitas, of Manse Lane, Knaresborough, was given exclusive licence by Belgian manufacturer Wellcare Products to distribute the product in the UK and Ireland.

Richard Wilson, managing director of the four-person, £500,000 turnover Salitas, said: “Wellcare beamed in on us when they saw on our website that our core product was the Bradford Sling, widely used in the NHS, particularly for burns and plastic surgery patients.”

The ice pack can be programmed to stay at a constant “cold” temperature (with a skin interface temperature in the ideal (7-12 degree Celsius) zone for up to four hours, as opposed to the 20 minutes associated with conventional gel packs.

Made with a structure that moulds to the patients’ contours, even when they are moving, the ice pack allows patients to receive treatment while taking part in exercise, training schedules or physiotherapy programmes. By keeping joints and muscles at the right temperature, for the right amount of time, recovery rates after surgery or injury are faster, claims Salitas, which will be expanding its website at salitas.co.uk to market the product at £34.99 Mr Wilson said: “The Morpho Cryo-Matrix is a fantastic solution and has a number of unique qualities, which sets it aside from other cryotherapy treatments across the globe. “It ensures the injured joint or muscle receives the right temperature, for the right length of time, even when moving.

“It can be used by top athletes to aid the rehabilitation of acute sport injuries, ease the effects of arthritis, rheumatism and multiple sclerosis and help millions of patients recover from injuries faster.”