Philips' Q-CPR talking defibrillator
By Paul Miller 
posted Dec 3rd 2005 12:01AM
posted Dec 3rd 2005 12:01AM
We know what you're thinking: not another talking
defibrillator, but the Q-CPR add-on
to Philips' HeartStart MRx monitor/defibrillator actually happens to be the first of its kind, and was recently
cleared by the FDA for CPR measurement and feedback. The device keeps track of the patient's vitals, displaying the
stats on a large screen, and offering up out loud suggestions for better chest thumping action. Luckily it keeps quiet
if you're on track, and though it isn't designed for a first timer, it should be quite the aid to paramedics who often
become distracted with other CPR duties, neglecting the stopped-up ticker that brought them there in the first
place.
[Via Medgadget]
Speaking as an urban EMT in a system often considered one of the best in the country at what we do, we don't "often forget the stopped-up ticker". This is just another gimmick by Phillips to try and set their device apart somehow... trust me, most defibrillators now are very similar in the manner in which they function.
I believe the Engadget folks are just being tongue-in-cheek as usual on that one, Bogo.
Holy cow, this AED runs Windows!?! Excuse me while I have my heart attack somewhere else.
If I have to hear another stupid-ass comment about something running windows being inherently unsafe BECAUSE it runs windows, it think I might just shoot someone. In which case, they might need to be saved by a device like this.
I guess the EMT market isn't immune from upgrade-itis and point-one-upmanship on the part of manufacturers. The next version will be available in hot pink and will be all the rage among EMT personnel, especially the ones with Playstations in their Celicas.
#5 Joey Geraci -- amen. My Windows machines uptimes are measured in months, and could be longer were I not occasionally doing installs that need reboots. I've got a ThinkPad with WindowsXP that hasn't even been logged out for almost 4 months now thanks to Suspend mode. (I write this on OSX, however ... so ... read: not a fanboy.) I think what you'd call #4's comments "hackneyed quips."
What took them so long?
I worked on this defibrillator over four years ago: http://www.axmeditec.com.pl/ca200_e.html
Yep, it talks the doctor/medic through the process too. One of the thisngs it says is "Stand back" just before the shock is about to be administered. We actually tried to find a sound clip with W.C. Fields saying "Stand back and watch the ball" to put in as an easter egg. No luck, though...
... and as for the comments about Windows stability: Microsoft specifically disallows the usage of Windows CE for life-critical applications. When I had the opportunity to ask a Microsoft representative why, the answer was that WinCE was so cheap that it there were no mony for the lawsuits that would come if they did allow it. Go figure...