Date: 27th Aug 2010

ZOLL Medical selects ADI's iMEMS technology in its palm-sized CPR

Analog Devices has announced that ZOLL Medical has selected ADI's ADXL322 iMEMS device in its palm-sized CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) device that measures the rate and depth of chest compressions administered by rescuers. The PocketCPR device uses an ADI digital iMEMS accelerometer to convert the motion of PocketCPR into real-time measurement data to accurately read the rate and depth of CPR chest compressions.

PocketCPR coaches a rescuer with audio and visual instructions to initiate the critical rescue steps needed for reviving someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. These steps include checking responsiveness, calling for help, and performing CPR. All steps follow the AHA Chain of Survival.

"By working with engineers at Analog Devices, we were able to turn our vision of developing a small, affordable CPR rescue device into reality," says Mark Totman, president of Bio-Detek, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ZOLL that developed and manufactures the PocketCPR.

"Many people are reluctant to perform CPR because they are not trained to do so or lack the confidence to perform this life-saving rescue procedure. PocketCPR gives them the assurance they need to perform CPR in an emergency," continued Totman.

This packetCPR is approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) as an over-the-counter rescue device. The PocketCPR provides the user with prompts to encourage a compression depth of 1.5 to 2 inches as recommended by the AHA and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). The device instructs the rescuer to "push harder" if the compressions are less than 1.5 inches. If good compressions are delivered, PocketCPR will respond with "good compressions." A metronome helps the user achieve the proper rate of compression.

"According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, more than 300,000 people in the United States suffer from sudden cardiac arrest each year," said Patrick O'Doherty, vice president, Healthcare Group , Analog Devices. "The American Heart Association estimates that for each minute that goes by without the heart being restored to a normal rhythm, the survival rate of an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest drops by up to 10 percent. PocketCPR helps save lives by ensuring rescuers administer CPR of how ADI's products and technologies are enabling revolutionary healthcare designs and shaping future advances in medical equipment."

ADXL322 iMEMS operates from voltage of 2.7 VDC and typically consumes 340 micro amps of current. The typical noise floor is less than 220 micro g per root hertz, allowing small tilt changes to be sensed using the narrow bandwidths (<10 Hz) typical of human motion. Selectable bandwidths of 0.5 Hz to 2.5 kHz allow additional flexibility to suit the application