2. Cardiac Science

GENERAL AREAS OF CONCERN:

• Batteries: Good

• PADS: Good

• Water Resistance: Terrible

• Financial Stability of Manufacturer: Good

• Ease of Use: Good

• Electrode Connections: Terrible

• Airway Management: Terrible

• CPR Assistance: Terrible

• Pricing: Poor

Cardiac Science provides two AED models, the Powerheart for the less experienced users and the more professional Diascope g2. The Powerheart is equipped with pre-connected electrodes that are included in the daily self-test. It also provides a visible battery capacity gauge and full energy self testing. Cardiac Science has gained a patented on/off signal during which every time the lid opens the machine turns on. These features and others make the Powerheart AED quicker to use then almost any other AED on the market.

Cardiac Science PowerHeart

PowerHeart Proprietary Battery

After appreciating the significant qualities of the Cardiac Science AED's, we looked closer for any possible faults this machine might have. Among the most serious was the dangerously weak connection of the electrode pads to the Powerheart AED. The electrode pads channel the defibrillating shock to the body of the victim. Without a connection to the power source itself, these pads are deemed worthless. The uncomfortable discovery was found that with only a light tug of the wire, the plug for the electrode pads was effortlessly yanked from the AED.

The scene of disaster is fearful and chaotic. There are usually crowds and commotion around the dying victim. In the vital first minutes after the heart goes into defibrillation, an AED is a life saving factor. In the commotion of this life or death situation, a small amount of pressure being put on these wires could result in a fatal mistake. This mistake is not to be blamed on an innocent good samaritan who attempts to save a life with an AED. The blame is to be put on the manufacturers themselves.

PowerHeart connections easily come undone

Cardiac Science boasts about the feature that automatically turns on the machine when the lid to the AED is opened. This feature is extremely helpful for quick access saving precious seconds. On the other hand, the machine is also turned off when the lid is closed for a few moments. When looked at closely, experts found that the lid had no locking mechanism when opened. In fact, the hinges on the lid were quite flimsy and a small bump in the wrong direction could cause the lid to close suddenly. In a scene of chaos such as this, it cannot be expected by the laymen who this AED was designed for to be able to notice such a seemingly minute detail as a closing lid. However, it cannot help but be noticed when the machine turns off in the middle of administering shocks to a dying person.

PowerHeart Unit Shuts Off When Accidentally Closed

Many other faults were found as well. For example, there is virtually no way to avoid the extremely adhesive pads on the electrodes from sticking to bare skin or gloves. This may sound like a minute detail, but seconds spent fiddling with sticky pads are crucial in the situations this product was designed for. Especially with distractions such as crowds, yelling, sirens and bad weather such as rain. Yet, this is not a product one would want to use the rain anyway. The battery seal has a water resistance of IPX4. This means that it can withstand only a light spray of water. The PowerHeart was designed under the assumption that heart failures don't happen in pouring rain. The Powerheart, unlike some of its competitors, displays only the audio prompts, number of shocks and elapsed time. The screen does not allow for an ALS user to analyze the ECG. This product will work fine and may save lives, given that the situation is without certain types of complications. The effectiveness of a product of this importance based on those terms is not a gamble worth betting a life on.

Something to consider is that Cardiac Science has a very high profit margin on their AED (60% gross margin) although good for investors; but are consumers paying more than necessary? Regardless the unit seems to function reliably.

We recommend extra batteries with this unit.

We hope to see some consumer batteries in the future, one piece pads and some price reductions in the future!