CellAED – Your Personal Defibrillator

Why would I need a CellAED®?

Without CPR or defibrillation, a person suffering from sudden cardiac arrest can be dead within minutes. Even with life function prolonged by CPR, the statistical odds of the person surviving drop dramatically with every minute that medical assistance and defibrillation are delayed. The expression “every second counts” is never more true than during a cardiac arrest.

The CellAED® counters this by allowing people to have a fully functional defibrillator in the house and ready to hand. This means that under the right circumstances, a person might receive defibrillation within 60 – 90 seconds of collapsing from a cardiac arrest. The difference this makes to a person’s survival rate – compared to waiting for an ambulance – is massive. When present, this device can literally save lives.

How does CellAED® work?

The CellAED® works like any defibrillator – it’s designed to treat a person suffering from cardiac arrest by delivering a precisely measured electrical shock to the heart, resetting the heart’s rhythm and causing it to start beating normally again.

Like any AED, its functions are highly automated – making it usable by a bystander with little or no medical knowledge. Once attached correctly, the device scans the patient and makes its own assessment about whether defibrillation is needed or even helpful. It will advise you with a spoken voice if you need to do anything (such as stepping back so the device can administer a shock).

The power supply is built in and is designed to administer up to 20 shocks to a patient needing resuscitation.

How do you use CellAED®?

The unit is designed to be quick and easy to use – both for bystanders and medical professionals. If someone near you suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, simply remove the unit from its packaging, snap the unit in the middle to separate the two halves, peel off the liner covering the adhesive pads, and then stick the two halves onto the person’s chest. Press both pads firmly onto the skin – one pad placed a few centimetres above the right nipple, the other a few centimetres below the left nipple. This allows the current from the unit to travel through the heart. This is shown quite clearly on the diagram printed on the unit.

Make sure the pads are firmly attached to bare skin (not to clothing) or the unit will not work.

Once this is done, you step back and simply let the unit do its job. The unit will automatically scan the person’s heart rhythms and administer a shock when needed. The voice produced by the unit explains what’s happening, and if there’s anything you should do (like call for help). It’s incredibly easy to use, even with no medical training!

Can CellAED® be used on an infant?

Yes, the CellAED® unit can be used on children of any age, although the process is slightly different for an infant. For a child under 10kg in weight, first press the button marked “Press for infant use only”. Then, one pad is attached to the centre of the chest, while the other is placed on the centre of the back. Again, this is clearly shown on the packaging.

What Is Automated External Defibrillator (AED)?

AED is a portable medical device that analyses a person’s heart rhythm and administers an electric shock to restore normal rhythm during a sudden cardiac arrest. Because of their intuitive design, AEDs can be used effectively by laypeople with little to no medical training.

How Automated External Defibrillators Could Be a Game-Changer In Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

The three main things that set the CellAED® apart from other Automated External Defibrillators are the cost, the lightweight, compact design, and the ease of use.

As a general rule, a conventional AED will cost between $2000 and $3500, depending on the quality and functionality of the unit (and the vendor). This puts it within reach of workplaces and public venues but needs more budget for the average household. At around $360 for the unit, CellAED® costs little more than one-tenth of what a conventional AED might cost, putting it realistically within reach of an everyday household – especially if the people in the house are beginning to reach the high-risk age for sudden cardiac arrest (over 50). The developers have explicitly stated their hope that these will eventually be standard pieces of household safety equipment – like a fire extinguisher or smoke alarm.

This means someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest could receive defibrillation within a minute or two of collapsing – dramatically increasing their odds of survival.

The unit is also ultra-compact and lightweight compared to conventional AEDs. A modern AED is generally a small briefcase unit around 2-4kg in size – about the size of a ream of A4 paper and around the same weight as 2-4 litres of milk. They could be mounted to a wall (if there’s space) or left in a vehicle, but you wouldn’t want one in your backpack.

By contrast, the full CellAED® unit is less than 20cm x 10cm, and around 300g in weight, making it roughly the size and weight of two blocks of chocolate taped together. It could be mounted almost anywhere in a house and easily carried in a backpack or purse by someone with a high risk of cardiac issues.

This is achieved in several ways. First, by making the defibrillator device single-use only, vastly reducing the size of the power supply. Second, by building everything into the defibrillator pads themselves. And third, by simplifying the functionality of the unit – the CellAED® does ONE job really well.

Lastly, and partly because of these factors, the CellAED® is super simple to use. Unwrap, snap, peel off the liner, and stick it in place. You’re done! The row of three images on the unit pretty much tells the whole story.

Why was the CellAED® created?

In 2014, a man named Donovan Casey watched his partner collapse in their home with sudden cardiac arrest. Although she was one of the lucky ones to survive such an incident, Donovan endured a frightening few minutes, keeping her alive with CRP as he waited for an ambulance (fortunately close by) to arrive with a defibrillator.

After the incident, Donovan – an accomplished entrepreneur – took on the mission of improving the odds for the millions of people each year worldwide who suffer cardiac arrest without medical assistance close to hand. The result of the next few years of research and development was the CellAED® – a defibrillator compact and affordable enough to conceivably be located in every workplace and suburban home.

This device is a game changer for first aid, and although originally developed in Australia, it is very quickly gaining attention on the world stage.

What Is The Shelf Life Of CellAED?

CellAED ® currently has a shelf life of 13 months. The suppliers remotely monitor the users’ CellAED ® and notify them if the shelf-life is about to be exceeded as part of the optional CellAED for life TM support and replacement service. Furthermore, if a user requests an optional “latest model replacement” service, most providers will gladly ship out a brand-new, cutting-edge replacement. If the user doesn’t opt-in, the CellAED ® should be replaced when the green LED change to amber or on the expiration date, whichever comes first.

Will My CellAED® Need To Be Connected To A Network?

Every thirty days, your CellAED ® will automatically attempt to connect to a cellular network to record the surrounding area’s current location, battery status, and temperature.

Will My CellAED® Require Replacement Parts Or Service?

The CellAED® is manufactured to function without servicing or replacing parts for its approved shelf life. Unlike other AEDs, the CellAED ® doesn’t require additional battery or gel pads.

Where can I get a CellAED® unit?

First Aid Pro now stocks CellAED® units for purchase. You can visit one of our many training venues to purchase one (or pick one up when attending any of our first aid training courses), or we can post one out to you directly.

Can I get a CellAED® Australia-wide?

Yes. We have a wide range of training venues throughout Australia, in all capital cities and many major regional centres. We also post to remote regional locations, just in case you’re a LONG way from the nearest ambulance.

Does this make CPR training redundant?

Not at all – for two very important reasons.

First, a Defibrillator is only useful if you know how and WHEN to use it. Many people wouldn’t know how to recognise the signs of a sudden cardiac arrest and thus might not realise CPR and defibrillation are needed. CPR training helps you to recognise the signs and helps you know when and how to step in.

Second, when someone collapses from cardiac arrest, the most immediate danger is a lack of oxygen to the brain – the heart is no longer pumping oxygenated blood to the brain, so death is only minutes away. The goal of CPR is to prolong life by manually pumping blood around the body and into the brain. Even in the ideal situation where you have more than one person on hand and a CellAED® close to hand, there may be critical seconds while someone is fetching the unit from another room, a bag, or a vehicle and unpacking it. During those precious moments, having someone administering CPR can make a critical difference to someone’s survival odds. And defibrillation doesn’t always work immediately, so continuing CPR even once a CellAED® is attached is still vitally important.

Every tool you have at your disposal can tip the odds in your favour when it comes to saving lives.