Cobalt have proudly developed the range of Heartsine’s heart defibrillators over the course of the last 12 years. Of all the models we have helped develop, the Samaritan PAD has proved a standout product in terms of reliability and longevity. The latest iteration – PAD500P – provides the rescuer with unique feedback on how effective their defibrillation and CPR efforts are, in real time. In 2015 alone, the PAD500P has been used successfully to save ELEVEN lives!
User-centric Interface
Heartsine’s PAD500P heart defibrillator is intended for use by both non-medical users (i.e. bystanders, first-aid providers) and professional rescuers in domestic environments – that is to say, cases where a cardiac arrest happens out-of-hospital.
Defibrillation is relatively straightforward – it’s CPR that’s the hard part. International guidelines for resuscitation (ERC/AHA) place great emphasis on the importance of prompt CPR from bystanders to significantly reduce mortality. Keeping in mind that many people have only a basic understanding of how to perform resuscitation, the 500P has sophisticated software to guide the required force and speed of compressions for the victim. Included directives are “push harder”, “push faster”, “push slower”, or reassurance that they’re performing “good compressions”.
The 500P has been designed with the highly stressed, inexperienced user in mind. The product features a user-friendly voice guidance system and simplified controls that directs the user through the whole process. LEDs and a diagrammatic label also aid in providing a step by step graphical guide that coincides with the vocal instructions.
Designed for Practicality
The PAD500P weighs just 1.1kg (2.4lb) and is up to 56% smaller than other AEDs on the market. When the original 500P was developed nearly ten years ago it was one of the very first defibrillators to be compact enough to be easily used and carried. The small size and weight ensures the product is a front runner in the field today.
It was important to the design that the product incorporated Heartsine’s signature elements that are consistently reflected and refined across Heartsine’s product family. The metaphorical inspiration for the design aesthetic was the unassuming life-ring, a symbol that any rescuer would easily recognise as a life saving device. The TPR overmoulded grip also provides a seal around the product’s diameter, which is successfully watertight, making it useful for situations on docks, boats, or even wet sports fields where a shock may need to be administered.
Design Shaped by Functionality
The unit was designed to be cost friendly for institutions, sporting clubs, schools, SMEs and other areas where this device would normally be unaffordable. The PAD500P’s ‘2-in-1 cartridge’ approach increases accessibility of this life-saving technology by being able to be manufactured at a significantly lower price. It was developed specifically to be intuitive and easy to use so that non-professional rescuers needed only minimal training and management of the defibrillator to use it effectively.
The electrode pads that are applied to the patient’s chest are stored in the base of the unit and are accessed by pulling at the rubber tab and sliding them out. The product also incorporates an integrated handle and quick-release wall mounting for easy-access storage.
