Need a Chemical Engineer or Chemist To Help on Project relating to exothermic reactions

Our company has a product that utilizes a small amount of sodium acetate (in the supersaturated stable "gel like" form and a small metal disc to create an exothermic reaction for use in helping in a medical situation. We have multiple patents across the US/World covering several applications. However, we have encountered a need to figure out how we could initiate the same exothermic reaction (with the same sodium acetate) using a non-metal catalyst. I've included a few photos of a small oval "packet" containing the sodium acetate "gel" and stainless steel oval (seen inside the gel packet). Whatever solution is identified must also fit within this packet (which is approximately 7cm long and 5.5cm wide). The sodium acetate must start in the stable state (gel or highly stable liquid) and not prone to being activated accidentally by movement, pressure, manipulation of the packet etc. For example, if a plastic "rod" or small "plank" were inside the packet and were capable of initiatiing the exothermic reaction by being snapped or bent back and forth (via patient bending the packet in half), this would be a viable option. One major patent consideration is that the non-metalic object cannot be separated from the sodium acetate gel (e.g. by a compartment inside the packet). For example, a design where a few crystals of sodium acetate were stored in a compartment within the packet to be released into the gel by bursting the compartment wall separating the crystals from the gel...would not be acceptable. The existing oval packet (which is made of pliable pvc) must be the only "bag" or "compartment" utilized in the device design to fall within our IP.