Defibrillator market put through the paces

Allied Market Research has projected that the global defibrillator market will reach $15.61 billion by 2022, with the advent of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for public places playing a significant role in this market growth. But just what is an AED, and what has led to its domination of the market?

An AED is a portable and lightweight device used to deliver an electric shock through the chest to the heart to bring irregular rhythm of the heart back to normal in patients with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The device functions by either giving signals to the rescuer to deliver the shock or automatically delivering the shock itself.

AEDs are growing in popularity due to their user-friendly features and ability to save a patient’s life during emergencies. While implantable defibrillators are majorly used across hospitals — where the device is implanted in patients suffering from SCA — AEDs are mostly used across the public access market, at home and in the alternative care market. As they can be used by non-medical personnel, such as flight attendants, police, fire service personnel, security guards and other lay rescuers who have been properly trained, they can be found in places such as schools, workplaces, airports, sports arenas, government offices and others.

Key players in the defibrillator market are now focused on expanding their business operations in fast-growing players such as the US, Japan, India and China, with new product launches as their preferred strategy. For instance, Defibtech expanded its line of dual-language AEDs so that citizens of 40 countries can easily use the product. ZOLL’s AED Plus coaches the rescuer in how to deliver the correct rate and depth of the compressions using an accelerometer that is in-built in the electrode pad. And the Philips HeartStart, approved for use at home, has found increasing use among patients suffering from irregular heartbeat.

“The lifesaving potential of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), in addition to positive legislations for installation of public access defibrillators (PADs), has witnessed the remarkable growth in the defibrillator market,” concluded Hemali Narkhede, manager, healthcare research at Allied Market Research. Technological advancements in these cost-effective devices will therefore offer a lucrative opportunity for further defibrillator market growth.

Image courtesy of Olaf Gradin under CC BY-SA 2.0