Life-Saving Power In Your Pocket

A pocket-sized defibrillator has been launched by St John Ambulance’s to save first responders crucial minutes when dealing with cardiac arrest.

The HEART Pocket defibrillator is the size of a mobile phone. It offers a breakthrough for thousands of responders and first aiders who react to life-threatening emergencies before an ambulance arrives.

In the event of cardiac arrest, where survival chances fall by around 10 per cent for every minute without defibrillation, having a portable and compact defibrillator to hand gives the patient the best chance of survival.

It can be carried as part of a van’s toolkit or stored in a site office.

Improving survival chances

Dr Lynn Thomas, Medical Director at St John Ambulance, said: “How quickly a defibrillator reaches a patient is key to improving survival outcomes during cardiac arrest.

“By making defibrillators smaller, lighter and easier to carry for responders, the HEART Pocket gives patients the best possible chance of a positive outcome.”

Drawing on nearly 150 years of first aid expertise, St John Ambulance has launched the HEART Pocket to give responders instant access to life-saving defibrillation, no matter how remote they are.

Voice guidance built in

The compact device weighs just 700g including its battery and electrode pads and is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. It offers clear step-by-step CPR voice prompts with a metronome and hand placement guidance to help responders act with confidence when dealing with cardiac arrest, even when working alone.

Saving the public

Cardiac arrests affect people of any age, and the HEART Pocket’s built-in paediatric mode allows responders to use either adult or child settings at the press of a button. This removes the need for separate accessories and means responders can respond instantly to patients.

Adrian Hodes, Commercial Manager in the Enterprise Network at St John Ambulance, said: “Bringing this ultra-portable, miniature defibrillator to the UK market as part of our HEART range is a real gamechanger. It means more people can be responders if a colleague is in trouble and it means people can also respond if a member outside their team is in difficulty.”

Although the device comes with voice prompts, training should be offered anyone willing to take on the ‘responder’ role.

Specification

Alongside an eight-year warranty, the device is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance and drop-tested from 1.5 metres, ensuring complete reliability even after the knocks and falls that are part of everyday operational life. It is also EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) approved.

St John Ambulance is the sole UK distributor of the HEART Pocket defibrillator. Profits from sales are ploughed back into supporting the charity’s vital work.

Picture: The HEART Pocket defibrillator can be carried in a van and used in life threatening situations on any site large or small.

https://shorturl.at/0Ca5z