Physical principles of defibrillators

Publication date: June 2018Source: Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, Volume 19, Issue 6Author(s): Alice Braga, Robin CooperAbstractDefibrillators are employed in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias in both emergency and elective settings. Components of a defibrillator include: a power source, a capacitor, an inductor, a rectifier and a transformer. The different components allow electrical energy to be modulated and stored, and alter the timing, magnitude and waveform of the delivered energy. Modern defibrillators employ biphasic waveform technology to increase safety and efficacy. Automated machines increase accessibility in less specialized settings, and implantable devices are available to those at high risk of life-threatening arrhythmias. Environmental electromagnetic interference can potentially disrupt the functioning of these devices and due consideration must be paid to this.
Source: Anaesthesia and intensive care medicine - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research