Cardiac Science granted portable defibrillator patent.

Cardiac Science, Inc. (Irvine, CA) has been granted a United States patent that covers a publicly- available portable defibrillator capable of being used by a bystander to automatically deliver life-saving defibrillation shock(s) to a heart attack victim.

The issuance of the patent preludes the first quarter 2004 launch of Cardiac Science's fully-automatic version of its Powerheart AED G3. This new version AED only requires that someone properly attach the AED to a heart attack victim in distress. No additional action is required by the rescuer since the device will analyze the patient's condition to detect a life-threatening heart rhythm and, if appropriate, deliver the life-saving defibrillation shock(s) to restore the victim's heart to a normal rhythm.

This patent, 6,658,290, titled "Public Access Defibrillator" brings the total number of issued patents to 73 that Cardiac Science owns relating to a wide variety of external defibrillation technologies for use in public access and the hospital bedside.

Cardiac Science Chairman and CEO Raymond W. Cohen said that the rescue of a sudden cardiac arrest  victim could not get any easier than merely attaching this device and letting it do its job.

"The timing of securing this broad intellectual property asset is quite advantageous since we have completed the product development work and plan to launch a fully-automatic AED device in a few months upon FDA clearance of our 510(k) filing," Cohen said. "We believe that this new public-access AED will be attractive to buyers in the municipal, corporate and home market who are deploying AEDs where Good Samaritan bystanders or minimally-trained rescuers may be called upon to use these devices."

Cardiac Science develops, manufactures and markets Powerheart-brand public-access defibrillators (AEDs) and offers comprehensive AED/CPR training and AED program management services that facilitate successful deployments. The company also manufactures its AED products on a private label basis for other leading medical companies. Cardiac Science's AEDs, Diascope-brand patient monitors and Powerheart CRM, the only FDA-cleared therapeutic patient monitor that instantly and automatically treats hospitalized cardiac patients who suffer life-threatening heart rhythms are marketed in the United States by its 55-person direct sales force, numerous domestic distribution channel partners and by international distributors in more than 50 countries around the world.

Cardiac Science, Inc.
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www.cardiacscience.com