Healthcare Industry News: Automated External Defibrillator
News Release - February 4, 2009
Boston-Area Commuter Rail Continues to Roll Out Defibtech AEDs
BOSTON - February 2, 2009 - (HSMN NewsFeed) - Boston-area transportation officials and safety experts demonstrated the lifesaving capabilities of the Defibtech(TM) Lifeline(TM) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) today while giving a progress report on plans to place 84 Defibtech AEDs on commuter trains.During an event at Boston’s South Station, officials from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) and Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) said 30 of the defibrillators have been placed in service so far. Defibtech distributor Bret Smith, from Boston’s Life Support Systems, described the defibrillator’s safety features, which include audible “voice” prompts providing specific instructions to users during rescues.
As part of this roll out, 480 MBCR employees will receive four hours of AED/CPR training. Just weeks after a previous Defibtech AED roll out on the Boston “T” subway, an MBTA employee used a Defibtech AED to save a life at the Park Street Station. Defibtech AEDs have saved hundreds of victims of sudden cardiac arrest, which strikes about 325,000 Americans each year.
Affordable Defibtech AEDs often chosen for large city- and state-wide programs
“Because Defibtech AEDs are affordable and easy to use, they often are chosen for city- or state-wide programs where a large number of defibrillators is needed,” said Gintaras Vaisnys, Defibtech president. Thousands of Defibtech AEDs have been deployed through state-wide programs in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico and Utah. Defibtech AEDs were also deployed in Turin, Italy, during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
As part of large city- or state-wide programs, Defibtech AEDs have been placed in police and fire vehicles; medical and dental clinics; and town halls, schools, colleges, parks, libraries, and museums, Vaisnys explained. “The ruggedness of our AEDs has made them favorites of police and fire departments,” he said. Having an AED onsite in these locations is important because immediate resuscitation is vital. Studies show that more than 70 percent of victims defibrillated within a minute or two after arrest survive. If defibrillation is delayed for more than 10 minutes, only 5 percent live.
Innovative design has earned many awards and recognitions
The defibrillator’s innovative design has been recognized by The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), which selected the Lifeline to be in its “SAFE: Design Takes On Risk” exhibit. The Defibtech AED also received the Medical Design Excellence Award, presented by Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine, and the Industrial Design Excellence Award, presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America and Business Week magazine. Also, the 2007 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 named Defibtech North America’s fastest-growing medical equipment company.
About Defibtech
Defibtech relentlessly pursues one goal: making the best AEDs in the world at affordable prices. Defibtech designs and manufactures the Defibtech(TM) AEDs which include the Lifeline(TM) and ReviveR(TM) models. Defibtech's products are sold through its network of distribution partners in the United States and around the world. Defibtech is headquartered in Guilford, Conn., and manufactures all of its defibrillators in the United States in a state-of-the-art ISO 13485:2003 certified facility. For more information about Defibtech and its products, visit www.defibtech.com or call 1-866-DEFIB-4-U (1-866-333-4248).
Contact:
Ray Valek, ray@defibtech.com, 708-352-8695
Source: Defibtech
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