New world-first tool the size of a choccie bar that could save your life
Demand for a low-cost defibrillator has proven there is a market for AEDs in the home according to Australian MedTech start-up, Rapid Response Revival, which has commenced manufacturing its world-first miniaturised defibrillator, CellAED in Sydney.
More than 25,000 pre-orders from Australia alone have been secured for CellAED, which addresses the problem that conventional AEDs (automated external defibrillators) are too expensive for most households. Similar in size to a block of chocolate, designed to be deployed in seconds and priced around the USD250 mark, CellAED is intended to address this significant barrier to reducing the sudden cardiac arrest death toll worldwide.
AEDs exist to speed response to sudden cardiac arrest, which kills in minutes and is responsible for more than 6 million deaths worldwide every year. Around 80 per cent of all sudden cardiac deaths occur in homes, where AEDs are unlikely to be found.
CellAED is the result of more than AUD40 million in development funding over five years, with a further USD100 million being sought following the commencement of manufacturing and demonstration of demand its unique medical technology. Off the back of securing regulatory approvals for CellAED in more than 70 countries, RRR commenced commercialisation through its own channels in late 2021, adding two authorised distributors in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
“To put our 25,000-plus pre-orders into context, we have research showing there are approximately 18,000 active AEDs in Australia, total. From a purely commercial perspective, we have created a volume product in a category that is used to low volume sales, relative to the estimated 1.5 million AED & CPR training courses delivered annually in Australia,” said Rapid Response Revival Head of Investor Relations, Damian Shrubsole.
“Many of our pre-orders are from people at home, buying one for the house, another for the car. There is also strong demand from businesses that want to introduce affordable AEDs to their environments for the first time, or bolster their network of conventional AEDs already in place.
“These pre-orders have proven the appetite for AEDs in the home. Many of us are at risk of, or living with cardiovascular diseases that put us in danger of sudden cardiac arrest. We have shown that there are many households aware of that risk, that want to be prepared for the worst,” Mr Shrubsole said.
CellAED is currently being manufactured at RRR’s facility in south-west Sydney, much of which was designed from the ground up by RRR’s engineers to accommodate CellAED’s unique design. While mass production is set to commence in partnership with a large-scale manufacturer in south-east Asia, RRR will also continue manufacturing in Sydney.
“This is an Australian invention, and future research and development will happen here. Despite the challenges associated with manufacturing in Australia, we are expanding our Sydney production lines to retain control over our own R&D, and ensure that any future innovation around how CellAED is built starts at home,” said Rapid Response Revival co-founder and CEO, Donovan Casey.
“We created CellAED after my partner, Sarah narrowly survived her own sudden cardiac arrest. Many of the people who have invested in this business also have lived experience – either through their families, or their professions as paramedics, cardiologists and other medical professionals.
“Sudden cardiac arrest survival rates are less than one per cent globally because it kills quickly, and most people who witness a cardiac arrest don’t have the knowledge, skills or tools to respond in time.
“Sudden cardiac arrest victims need urgent, rapid defibrillation because every minute without defibrillation and CPR, reduces the chances of revival by 10 per cent. By getting AEDs into homes, where they’re needed the most, we have an opportunity to save more lives from these terrible events,” Mr Casey added.
CellAED is ground-breaking medical technology that emergency first responders, electrocardiologists, first aid trainers and others dedicated to saving lives from sudden cardiac arrest have been waiting for in Australia.
For more information on CellAED® visit cellaed.io
Image: Supplied