CPR has been around for decades, but that hasn’t stopped medical experts from trying to perfect it or supplement the technique with new technological advances.
Take recent news out of the city of Houston, for example. The city announced a partnership with a company called Zoll Medical, manufacturers of a device called Auto Pulse. The device is described as an “automatic CPR device” that essentially replicates the technique as it is performed by a human, namely providing chest compressions to the victim.
The battery-powered device attaches to the victim’s chest and calibrates compressions accordingly. By doing so, it enables paramedics to perform other critical life-saving actions.
Of course, this device should not – and will not – replace human-administered CPR. To truly master the technique, nothing beats onsite CPR certification.
Rather, the device was developed to address a very specific problem: the fact that paramedics often have a difficult time administering effective chest compressions for extended periods in a moving vehicle, such as an ambulance.
