HeartSine - "The First Public-Use AED"

HeartSine® is a company that has literally changed the world with its contributions to life-saving technology. In the 1960s, HeartSine's founder and Chief Technology Officer John Anderson was one of the key contributors to the world's first mobile coronary care unit, and the first portable AED. Later, in 1997, Heartsine was formed with the goal of making portable, easy-to-use AED's for the lay rescuer. Now, lay and minimally trained rescuers have access to an effective life-saving tool that can be carried or installed anywhere. And besides this significant contribution to medical technology, HeartSine's also celebrating their 10th anniversary – 2 great reasons to shine our CHIEF spotlight on this pioneer in the industry.

Knowing that 84% of all heart attacks occur at home or in public places, and that you have only 4 minutes to respond with life-saving assistance, makes HeartSine's technology all the more important. It's also what led to the development of their Samaritan® PAD – a fast, simple solution to a complex problem.

Father of Emergency Medicine

It hasn't always been simple though. Back in the '60s, in Belfast, Ireland, Professor Frank Pantridge – known as the "Father of Emergency Medicine" – was the first to implement the idea of mobile coronary care. In 1966, along with a colleague, Dr. Pantridge introduced the first mobile defibrillator. But, weighing in at 110 pounds, it wasn't what you would call "portable". However, it was effective, with a noticeable increase in the survival rate of sudden heart attack victims.

Building on this success, research intensified in an effort to make a smaller, more portable unit. And 3 years later, in 1969, the next incarnation was unveiled. In this newer, smaller version, circuits were miniaturized to reduce the weight – by 44 pounds! Certainly a vast improvement, but still a bit unwieldy, this trimmed-down version would have to wait on any significant reductions in size until advancements in materials – lighter ones – were made much later on. They'd also have to wait – almost 35 years – on more powerful shock therapies at reduced energies.

Smaller, Lighter, More Portable AEDs

A major player in much of this future research was Professor John Anderson, who backed by a group of investors, created HeartSine Technologies in 1997. Professor Anderson wanted smaller, lighter, more portable AED units that could be used by the public – not just medical professionals. The major breakthrough came in 2004 with the introduction of the Samaritan PAD. Weighing in at just 2.4 pounds (including the battery), it was an incredible leap from the 110 pound behemoth of the '60s. And, it was simple to use – anyone could operate it anywhere!

From automatically sensing a person's heart rhythms and applying a shock automatically to talking the user through the process, HeartSine revolutionized the AED, setting the benchmark by which all others are judged. They're not one to rest on their laurels either, constantly researching product improvements. But some things are just plain hard to improve upon – like the Samaritan PAD... or the wheel.

We can try though. All this month at CHIEF, when you buy a Samaritan® PAD, you'll get $200 off the regular price, plus a FREE American Heart Association® CPR/ AED Anytime™ Kit. That's a $30 value, FREE! But you'll have to hurry. Offer ends 5/31/08. Order online or call (888) 588-8569.

For the best selection of HeartSine, look to CHIEF – your HeartSine authority.

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