Cardiac Science, a manufacturer of automated external defibrillators headquartered in Waukesha, has unveiled the Powerheart G5 AED. It is the first FDA-cleared AED to combine fully automatic shock delivery, dual-language functionality, variable escalating energy, and fast shock times to help rescuers save a sudden cardiac arrest victim’s life.
Sudden cardiac arrest, otherwise known as SCA, kills more than 369,000 people a year, according to the American Heart Association.
“Every day there is an instance where an AED has made, or would have made, the difference between life or death,” said Al Ford, Cardiac Science general manager and senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Cardiac Science has pioneered life-saving AED technology for over 20 years, and the Powerheart G5 is the next chapter.”
In addition to professionals, the Powerheart G5 can be used by first-time responders through user-paced instruction from the RescueCoach voice and text prompts. Pads can be placed on either side of a victim’s chest, and the Powerheart G5 only provides an automatic shock when it is required.
During a rescue, the Powerheart G5 uses variable escalating energy to deliver customized energy needed to a patient. For instance, defibrillation energy automatically escalates if additional shocks are needed with a fast shock time of 10 seconds or less. If more than one shock is required, the AED does not repeat the same effort. Rather, it increases the energy input to an appropriate higher level.
The Powerheart G5 features a Rescue Ready indicator that communicates rescue status and confirms that the internal circuitry, medical-grade battery and rescue pads have passed daily, weekly and monthly self-tests.
