CPR RsQ released CPR RsQ Assist, an FDA-approved hands-only chest compression device designed to eliminate the intimidation factor of performing CPR.
The device was designed by inventor Joe Hanson who has worked on cardiovascular medical devices for the past 45 years.
“I have always been troubled by the fact that out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest remains with a 5 percent survival rate,” Hanson said. “Without quality CPR being immediately available, EMS is not able to deliver neurologically intact patients to the emergency room.”
CPR RsQ Assist has voice commands, along with an audio and visual metronome. It talks users through the steps of calling 911, placing the device in the center of the victim’s chest, and how to push 100 times per minute until help arrives.
To address fatigue, the product also has an ergonomic design with a non-slip handle that leverages upper body strength and weight as a user pushes down.
Hanson said hands-only CPR lets bystanders provide immediate CPR resulting in a more neurologically intact patient to be passed off to EMS system. The 2010 American Heart Association guidelines for hands-only CPR calls for at least 100 chest compressions per minute for at least two minutes at a depth of at least two inches in the center of the victim’s chest.
“Using your hands to do chest compressions can be exhausting,” Hanson said. “The device eases the application of chest compressions, and has voice commands and flashing lights that guide you through the proper cadence of 100 compressions per minute, which is difficult to achieve when you are attempting to time yourself.”
Hanson said first responders can have CPR RsQ Assist as part of their tool kit in squad cars or ambulances, and volunteers can keep it in their personal vehicles.
First responders also can use community awareness programs and their local Public Access to Defibrillation (PAD) programs to reemphasize the importance of CPR, especially the protocol of two minutes of chest compressions before use of an AED, he said.
CPR RsQ Assist is FDA-approved for use on people 8 years and older. The device is available with a custom-designed wall cabinet and signage for placement adjacent to an AED machine, so rescuers have easy access to both lifesaving devices.
The CPR RsQ Assist costs $79.50; the CPR RsQ Assist device with a wall cabinet is $122.