Smart AED for Fast & Effective Heart Monitoring & Response Service (SAFE Heart)

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

According to the European Resuscitation Council, SCA is the third leading cause of death in Europe. SCA is lethal within minutes if left untreated and it is estimated that, on average, less than 10% of victims survive. This considering that SCA kills 6.8-8.5M people/year worldwide. SCA is an abrupt halt in the functioning of the heart, in other words, the heart stops beating, which leads to a person losing their breathing and consciousness. Risk factors are still unreliably established as data and research are needed to correlate risks, symptoms and incidence factors to identify warning signs of those at imminent danger so that future SCA can be prevented. Though no one can predict SCA, hence, no one can be sure to avoid it, new technologies like Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) emerged to assist people suffering SCA and improve survival rate. The current approach relies on distributing AEDs in public points so that a random rescuer can use it on a person experiencing SCA. However, inaccessibility and low awareness about public AED location represent a dramatic shortcoming. Furthermore, this approach leaves at-home SCAs uncovered as residential AEDs are scarce and expensive (NOK 11,770 to 27,160); hence, lower survival rates. Existing solutions do not match the need for a quick response to at-home OHCA cases as there is no product or service that effectively reinforces the access to AEDs from home. The only solution available are online registries that permit users to find nearest public or residential AED using e.g., web search or smartphone App. SAFE Heart will be the 1st patented, CE-marked, FDA-approved portable AED system that promptly addresses SCA. The solution plugs into users’ smartphone and controlled by integrated App that sends life-saving electrical shocks to normalize patients’ heart rhythm. Our App enables real-time EMS notification and patients' data monitoring by caregivers. Timely execution will increase SCA survival rate by 500%.