Some 5300 people die of cardiac arrest in the Netherlands every year. Many of these could presumably have been saved if someone had been around to give proper chest compressions. Only a small percentage of the population trust themselves enough to administer first aid in the event of cardiac arrest. A newly developed mat from the Fraunhofer Institute should make it easier to give chest compressions.
The mat should also enable inexperienced first aiders to apply chest compressions. The first aid tool is equipped with sensors and developed by a team of Fraunhofer researchers in collaboration with students at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich.
"People are afraid of making a mistake and therefore do nothing or give chest compressions too carefully. It then has no effect," says Dr Holger Böse, scientific and technical manager of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC's Smart Materials Center in Würzburg. With Rescue Aid, an innovative new resuscitation mat, the physicist hopes to eliminate first responders' fear of doing anything. "If performed correctly, chest compressions significantly improve the victim's chances of survival. Rescue Aid is a way to simplify the resuscitation process." Thanks to the mat, the first responder has no direct physical contact with the victim, presumably lowering the threshold for intervention.
The silicone mat was developed as part of Fraunhofer's design competition, 'Form follows future', which combines elements of science and design. It was designed by students at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich with the support of the SYN Foundation.
Distortion sensors
The shape of the mat is based on a human torso and is placed over the upper body. Silicone deformation sensors integrated into the mat in a star pattern then measure the depth of compression. "The pressure of the first responder's hand deforms the sensors, allowing them to track the progress of compressions," Böse explains.
The sensors are connected by cable to an electronics system in a box at the top edge of the mat where LEDs indicate whether sufficient pressure is applied. When the pressure is sufficient, green LEDs will light up. "The higher the pressure, the more LEDs light up. A series of red LEDs indicate that the pressure was too high. The LEDs are controlled by the electronic system," the researcher explains. This allows the first responder to continuously monitor the applied pressure and make adjustments if necessary. An acoustic signal serves as a metronome, dictating the pace of compressions, with the tone generator also housed in the electronics box.
Tested
Tests conducted on a manikin have already proven the effectiveness of Rescue Aid. The mat is available as a demonstration device and will now be optimised and adapted to different body sizes. Because the sensors are made of soft foil, they do not cause injuries , which is an advantage over similar products on the market, which are rigid and cause pain in the palms during CPR. Several paramedics stated this during interviews.
With its technical approach and simple electronics, the resuscitation mat is cost-efficient to produce. "We can well imagine Rescue Aid being a standard part of a first aid kit in the future," says Böse.
Source: Fraunhofer Institute
