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SCMP Reporter

Long known for its lamps, household appliances and shavers, Royal Philips Electronics plans to create a new market for its life-saving, personal health-care products in Asia.

The strategy centres on making the company's home defibrillator broadly available to communities, schools and businesses. Defibrillators provide treatment for ventricular fibrillation, the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest, by delivering a controlled electrical shock to restore a normal heart rhythm.

'We're looking to start selling these devices in Hong Kong and the mainland,' Philips Electronics president and chief executive Andreas Wente  said.

He said a Philips joint venture with mainland technology firm Neusoft, in the northeast city of Shenyang, would offer research, development and manufacturing support for the Dutch giant's medical systems activities.

The United States Food and Drug Administration last September cleared Philips' HeartStart Home Defibrillator for sale without a prescription, making it the first and only defibrillator to obtain that status.

The device is also available online at Amazon.com.

Deborah DiSanzo,  vice-president and general manager for cardiac resuscitation at Philips Medical Systems, said: 'With nearly 80 per cent of cardiac arrests occurring in the home, it is important to make defibrillation technology easily available to consumers.'

For each minute that passes before defibrillation therapy is administered to a sudden cardiac arrest victim, the chance of survival decreases by about 10 per cent, according to Philips.

After 10 minutes, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.

Mr Wente said the Philips defibrillator was developed for easy use by lay persons. Clear, calm voice commands guide users through every step of the defibrillation process, even reminding them to call for emergency help.

It can also be used on infants and small children when equipped with especially designed pads, which reduce the amount of electricity delivered by the defibrillator.



Philips plans to create a market in Asia for home defibrillators