Sheffield teaching hospitals NHS trust in U.K first to purchase new Zoll R Series BLS

683
ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, announced today that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom is the first hospital worldwide to order the newly-introduced R Series® BLS.  The order was placed earlier this year for 130 R Series BLS units, in combination with 20 ZOLL R Series ALS and 70 AED Pro® units.   It is anticipated to ship during the current fiscal quarter.

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, announced today that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom is the first hospital worldwide to order the newly-introduced R Series® BLS.  The order was placed earlier this year for 130 R Series BLS units, in combination with 20 ZOLL R Series ALS and 70 AED Pro® units.   It is anticipated to ship during the current fiscal quarter.

According to Helen Till, Senior Resuscitation Officer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, when five hospitals merged in 2001, making Sheffield the third largest Trust in the U.K., the organization inherited 14 models of defibrillators from four different companies. “We wanted a complete suite of integrated products to suit the clinical requirements of our diverse organisation.  This includes hands-free, biphasic defibrillation in all of our clinical settings,” she said. “The ZOLL AED Pro and R series have enabled us to standardize disposables, training and cardiac arrest data.  As this is a long-term relationship it was important to feel confident in both the product and company.”

The new R Series BLS is designed to extend simple, smart and ready defibrillation to every hospital department with advanced, cost-effective solutions for resuscitation. The R Series BLS is a professional AED with the capability to easily become a manual defibrillator with the touch of a button.  The BLS model carries the CE mark and is pending 510(k) clearance from the U.S. FDA and Medical Device License from Health Canada.

The original ALS R Series, launched in November 2006, and the new BLS both use the same Uniform Operating System common to all ZOLL manual defibrillators. The cables, paddles, batteries, handles and electrodes are also common to ensure clinicians will not encounter a mismatch in a time of crisis.  
We’re extremely pleased that the Sheffield organization derives benefits for its patients by standardizing on ZOLL technology,” said Richard A. Packer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ZOLL.  “Our Code-Ready® R Series brings simple, smart and ready capabilities to hospitals, and Sheffield is using the defibrillators in all departments and critical care areas.

The R Series platform also now features wireless networking to ensure code-readiness.  Based on standard 802.11b WiFi technology, the R Series automatically sends an alert when its state of readiness is compromised. Early notification maximizes patient safety by letting the clinician intervene before the defibrillator is needed for a code.  

The AED Pro, with its advanced capabilities and rugged construction, is the first defibrillator designed for professional responders with instantaneous feedback on CPR chest compressions.

Its exceptional durability supports the needs of both BLS and ALS professionals in hospitals and emergency services. It features Real CPR Help® for gauging the rate and depth of CPR chest compressions, which assists clinicians in improving the quality of CPR that they provide. It also offers See-Thru CPR® to allow the professional rescuer to view a patient’s underlying cardiac rhythm, by filtering CPR artifact, during resuscitation efforts and eliminate the need to stop compressions to see if defibrillation was successful.

About Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the United Kingdom’s 32 NHS Foundation Trusts. The Sheffield Trust manages five NHS adult hospitals in Sheffield that include Northern General, Royal Hallamshire, Jessop Wing, Weston Park and Charles Clifford Hospitals. Sheffield provides around one million appointments and operations a year and offers almost every kind of treatment available though the NHS. It is a major employer in the area with a staff of over 12,200 people.

About ZOLL Medical Corporation

ZOLL Medical Corporation is committed to developing technologies that help advance the practice of resuscitation. With products for pacing, defibrillation, circulation, ventilation, and fluid resuscitation, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies, including Real CPR Help® and See-Thru CPR®, that help clinicians, EMS professionals, and lay rescuers resuscitate sudden cardiac arrest or trauma victims. ZOLL also designs and markets software that automates the documentation and management of both clinical and non-clinical information.

ZOLL markets and sells its products in more than 140 countries. The Company has direct operations, distributor networks, and business partners throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia, and Australia. 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of ZOLL’s resuscitation product development. For more information, visit:http://www.zoll.com
Media Contact

Diane Egan
ZOLL Medical Corporation
+1 (978) 421-9637
degan@zoll.com

A. Ernest Whiton
Chief Financial Officer
ZOLL Medical Corporation
+1 (978) 421-9655