If
you keep up with technical issues related to CMS you may be aware that
the Lucas2 chest compression devices we’ve used for years have had a
nasty habit of stopping during use. For a long time we attributed this
to battery issues, and I worked on several iterations of battery packs
to solve the problem. Last year I had a chance to speak with a Physio
Controls engineer during an E.M.S. convention at the Phoenix Convention
Center. He stated that the Lucas2 design has a thermal overload circuit
which can cut power after extended use and make it appear that the
battery is no longer working. This information was an absolute shocker
to us, because it’s not documented.
During
that same E.M.S. convention we encountered Rescue International and saw
their new-to-market Rosc-U compression device. We verified that the
Rosc-U could run more than 3 hours continuously and we purchased a unit
for evaluation.
Unfortunately
the Rosc-U device has a serious flaw for our purpose in that it is not
even remotely water resistant. In fact, the piston movement actively
sucks water up inside the motor unit, causing it to fail. We had to
replace the motor section on that first unit and we were duly warned
that the device is NOT waterproof.
In
order to solve this problem I designed and 3D printed a replaceable
flexible rubber waterproof bellows. Testing verifies that it does
prevent water ingestion by the piston, but we will learn more after
we’ve had a chance to use it on our next local case.
