Step-by-Step CPR

Reported February 2007

WOBURN, Mass. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- During a medical emergency, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Each year in the United States, 300,000 people suffer cardiac arrests, yet studies show only 1 percent of the public have proper CPR training.

Now a new device will talk you through the proper way to administer CPR ... Even if you've never learned how.

"Unfortunately, it can take awhile for professionals to arrive on the scene, and that down time is critical," Paul Picciano, Ph.D., a human systems expert at Aptima, Inc., in Woburn, Mass., tells Ivanhoe.

Dr. Picciano helped develop a medical device that guides untrained bystanders step-by-step through the CPR process.

The Just-in-Time Support device, or JITS for short, consists of a pressure-sensing headrest, an anesthesia mask, defibrillator pads, and a video screen and speakers that transmit audio and visual cues to tell the user what to do. It also gives feedback about any actions taken.

Dr. Picciano says, "Our system actually monitors the flow of the breath that went in and calculates that, compares it to the standards, and if it was sufficient it will move the respondent to the next step."

Sensors transmit information about breathing and depth of chest compressions to the computer inside the device, and based on the information received, the device gives directions and if the caregiver makes a mistake the device will correct them.

"We essentially have tried to eliminate most of the thinking involved," Dr. Picciano says. With less to think about, you could keep someone alive until professionals arrive.

Engineers hope to distribute JITS devices to the same types of busy public places that provide defibrillators, like airports, train stations, and shopping malls. They also hope to add a GPS system to the device so when a person opens it, it will automatically dial 911 and alert responders to the user's location.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Paul Picciano, Ph.D.
Human Systems Engineer
Aptima, Inc.
12 Gill Street, Suite 1400
Woburn, MA 01801
(781) 935-3966
ppicciano@aptima.com

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