RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
 Landmarks
Grant,Corporative
&
Contractural
Programs
Patents
Publications
The
Shock Ward
Cardiac
Arrest Detector
Chest
Compressor
Rhythm
Identifier
Resuscitation
Blanket
Vascular
Interface
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Research/Development
Landmarks
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Weil Institute of
Critical Care Medicine and the Emergency Medical Services of the
Riverside County Department of Health are continuing their
collaborative relationship by joining together to improve cardiac
resuscitation in the County. Large numbers of Community lay persons
are trained as bystander emergency providers including CPR and the
use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The Coachella
Valley and the larger Palm Springs Community is pioneering a program
which intends that 10% of the population is qualified to provide
bystander CPR/AED.
Country
clubs, gated and residential communities, senior and/or assisted
living and care centers, casinos, hotels, and major retail outlets
and recreational venues have been collaborative, our effort to
improve outcomes of sudden death in our Community.
- Post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction has been the primary cause
of early death after initially successful resuscitation and this
condition was first identified by the physician scientists of
our Institute. The research team has demonstrated novel
methods for protecting the heart during cardiac arrest to
minimize the risk with drugs including alphamethylnorepinephrine
beta-adrenergic blocking
agents and potassium KATP channel agonists.
- Our Biomedical Engineers have developed a new automated chest
compression device (patent pending) that is only four pounds in
weight and may be used in constrained space during transport. It
is less than 20 percent of the size of the widely used current
chest compressor, the Thumper. Now we may be able to provide
uninterrupted chest compression, not only during transport, but
when the manual effort is limited by fatigue of the rescuer.
Prototype testing on animals has demonstrated proof of improved
outcomes.
- The Institute’s research team has evaluated the efficacy and the
safety of uninterrupted chest
compression during CPR. Utilizing the newly developed
resuscitation blanket (U.S. Patent# 6,360,125), the rescuer is
protected from electrical shock. Electrodes are incorporated
into the protective sheet which isolates the rescuer from the
electrical shock. The practical importance is that it will allow
uninterrupted chest compression during CPR which improves
outcomes and such has been demonstrated by our group.
- We still search for a more optimal vasoconstrictor agent for CPR to
replace epinephrine. Though epinephrine has been used for more
than 100 years in settings of CPR, its adverse effects are now
recognized, especially the reality that it increases
postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction. The Institute’s
research team found that selective alpha-2 agonist alphamethylnorepinephrine has much more favorable actions (U.S.
Patent#6,369,114 B1). Clinical trials are anticipated.
- The Weil Institute of Critical Care Medicine recently demonstrated
that the change in the pupil size and its reaction to light
serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of CPR.
- We continue to improve the benefits of automated defibrillators
expanding beyond its role to deliver an electrical shock.
By optimizing waveforms and energies, we have reached
quite optimal electrical effects. Yet, we have a major effort
under way to now extend the intelligence of the device such that
it will serve as a more comprehensive and efficient prompter not
only of electrical defibrillation but of the entire CPR
sequence.
- We have developed a
method for automatically sensing whether an unconscious victim
is breathing and/or has a heartbeat. The invention has
been named CAD, a Cardiac Arrest Detector (Patent pending). The same electrode pads for automated external
defibrillation sense the movement of
blood through the heart and air through the chest and
indicate whether the victim has a heart beat or is breathing. Unfortunately, the difference between failure to breathe, as in the
case of a drowning victim or
stopping of the heart beat and circulation after an
unexpected heart attack,
is
not readily
detected by lay
persons. The CAD
will be able to verbally prompt the life saver to first open up
the victim’s air passages and breathe for him or her or first
perform cardiac resuscitation by either or both electrical
shocks or compressing the chest. The device will therefore serve as a guide to
prioritize management. Ultimately, the CAD will be
incorporated into the resuscitation boxes, the successors to the
AEDs.
- Vascular Interface
System:
A device for facilitating the administration of fluids
and medication is presently in development. The system is
capable of multiple infusion of fluids or medication through a
single vascular site. The system provides for a combination of
up to four medications and/or fluids. Intelligence provides for
automatic control of rate and volume of fluids or medication.
Delivery of fluids or medication is by a patented “Closely
Controllable Intravenous Injection System” (Patent No.
4,345,594) which is pneumatically powered.
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