Automatic External Defibrillator

Abstract

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of sudden deaths globally, claiming millions of lives each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases, including sudden cardiac arrest, account for approximately 17.9 million deaths annually, making up 32% of global deaths. Among these, individuals aged 45 to 64 years are at the highest risk, while younger individuals are also increasingly vulnerable due to changing lifestyles. In India, over 7 lakh cardiac arrest-related deaths occur annually, often due to delayed or lack of timely intervention. Unfortunately, lifesaving devices like Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are widely available in developed countries but remain scarce in India, with access limited to a few premier institutions like AIIMS. The objective of our project is to address this gap by designing and developing an affordable, portable, and user-friendly Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). This device is engineered to provide real-time monitoring of the patient’s electrocardiogram (ECG), displaying their beats per minute (BPM) on a screen and simultaneously assessing the heart rhythm. Based on the assessment, the device will determine whether defibrillation (shock) is needed. It will also provide audio instructions to guide a non-medical person in attending to the patient during an emergency, potentially saving lives before professional medical help arrives.

Introduction

An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device designed to treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by delivering an electric shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. SCA, often caused by arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation, requires immediate intervention to prevent death. AEDs are vital in emergency response, widely installed in public places, and designed to guide even untrained users through voice instructions for CPR and shock delivery, improving survival chances.

The project emphasizes affordability and portability, aiming to create a cost-effective AED suitable for households and public areas in low- and middle-income countries, where existing devices are often too expensive. Deploying such AEDs in high-traffic locations could drastically reduce response times and save lives.

The literature survey highlights the global burden of SCA, with millions affected annually and low survival rates outside hospitals, especially in less developed regions. Public awareness, CPR training, and AED availability are key to improving outcomes.

The methodology describes the AED’s working process: electrodes detect heart rhythm, the device analyzes for shockable arrhythmias, delivers a controlled shock if needed, and guides the user through CPR until help arrives. The device can be prototyped using platforms like Arduino or Raspberry Pi with sensors and modules for ECG monitoring, display, and audio prompts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our project aims to bridge the gap in emergency cardiac care by developing an innovative AED that is affordable, portable, and equipped with advanced features. By empowering non-medical individuals to act effectively during emergencies, this device has the potential to make lifesaving interventions accessible to all, ultimately reducing preventable deaths from cardiac arrest and contributing to a healthier society.

References

[1] Dr.T.Thyagarajan , Dr.Sabhita Ramakrishnan , MrG.Ananad , Sherry L.Caffrey ,Paula J. Willoughby , Paul E.pepe , Lance B. Becker , Justin J.Boutiler ,Timothy c.y.chan, M. Stephen Heilman [2] Weisfeldt, M. L., & Becker, L. B. (2002). \"Cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death: incidence, mechanisms, and interventions.\" [3] Kitamura, T., Iwami, T., Kawamura, T., et al. (2010). \"Public-access defibrillation and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Japan.\" [4] Hansen, C. M., Kragholm, K., Pearson, D. A., et al. (2017). \"Association of bystander and first-responder intervention with survival after OHCA.\" [5] Coulter, M., Gittins, M., Dicker, B., et al. (2019). \"Understanding bystander hesitancy in using AEDs.\" [6] Ringh, M., Jonsson, M., Nordberg, P., et al. (2018). \"Evaluation of AED readiness in public locations.\" [7] Claesson, A., Fredman, D., Svensson, L., et al. (2021). \"Drone delivery of AEDs in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.\" [8] https://youtu.be/wxg7OJFAkyI?si=d1J3NouJYaZYSGN4 [9] https://youtu.be/7x1P80X1V3E?si=27DDX8BzStaYcigQ [10] https://youtu.be/b4c7ZEu8al4?si=bhsn61Z6yMs0vxks

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mrs. Indu, Anshika Pundir, Ayushi , Veer Son. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.