Cardiac arrest help from the general public

The days when just about anybody can save the life of a heart attack victim are just around the corner, it was claimed today.

A biotech company has developed an innovative life-saving device that will allow non-medical people to help victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

Heartsine Technologies say its new Samaritan external defibrillator is portable, lightweight and, compared with earlier models, cheap and even easier to use.

Marketing director Steve Dodd said: “It could be possible with almost no training for a passer-by to pick one up, put it on a collapsed person and shock their heart into beating again.”

Even simpler models will follow the current £2,000 model and he predicts prices will fall to about £700 (€1000) over the next couple of years

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Heartsine, which employs 21 people in Belfast, developed the leading edge technology with the support of the Government’s Northern Ireland investment body and in collaboration with the University of Ulster’s Northern Ireland Bioengineering Centre and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

Chief executive Andrew Hofmann said there was a growing awareness of the need for immediate treatment of heart attack victims which has resulted in a huge increase in the market for external defibrillators.

“Through advanced technology development we have been able to reduce the complexity and cost of external defibrillation devices and have developed a family of products for providing life-saving defibrillation therapy at the point of need.

“The Samaritan is easy to use, essentially maintenance free and competitively priced,” he said.

Mr Hofmann said that his company would initially be targeting markets in the US and Europe with their newest equipment.

The company is the only manufacturer of such equipment in the UK and one of only three in Europe.

With the worldwide market for simple defibrillators worth about £400m (608m) a year, Heartsine is chasing a sizeable section of the orders.