According to the American Burn Association, each year in the US, 150,000 hot liquid scald cases require medical treatment, affecting three high-risk groups: young children, older adults and people with special needs.
There are currently no devices available to visually warn of the hot contents, so you know your drink is hot without trying it.
The Smart Lid provides a solution to the problem. When the heat-sensitive Smart Lid is placed on a hot drink, it changes colour to bright red, making it easy to warn when the coffee is hot enough to scald. The lid is direct food contact compliant, so it’s safe to use and turns bright red above 118?F. When the coffee cools, the Smart Lid changes colour again.
The specialty plastic was developed by a Colorado-based firm, with the design and production of the lid carried out in Sydney, Australia.
“The Smart Lid is currently being sold to cafes in Australia,” said Smart Lid Systems director Anthony Bayss. “However, the number one question we receive every day comes from North America and from Europe, asking when the Smart Lid will be available in your home, in your office or for use around your elderly parents.”
The Smart Lid is available in a variety of consumer and commercial quantities through the Indiegogo website. The project will be running at the same time North America observes Burn Awareness Week.
Bayss added, “In the US alone, there are 180 million daily coffee drinkers and 170 million daily tea drinkers. These drinkers now have a visual warning indicator to aid in the prevention of many scald accidents. The end game for us is to have the product available to all consumers through the major retailers.”
Source: Smart Lid Systems
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