Paramus, New Jersey-based MEDphone Corp has developed a gadget called the MDphone transtelephonic defillibrator which enables a qualified doctor to administer remotely shock therapy to a victim of cardiac arrest. The MDphone, which was patented in 1984, has already been bought by hospitals in St Louis, Pensacola, Florida, and Wilmington, Delaware. The defibrillator weighs 18lbs and has self-adhesive electrode pads that are atteched to the patient and a plug that goes into a telephone socket. The doctor can then transmit computer signals over the phone and give the patient shock therapy. Once the patient’s heart has started to beat he or she can then be taken to hospital for further treatment. MEDphone intends to market MDphone as an integral part of first aid kits. It is also running tests on a defillibrator that can work with cellular phones. This type of tool would be invaluable to members of the emergency services who often reach the scene of a crime or accident before qualified medical aid arrives.
