DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, “Elliot,” an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) from Denver-based company HeartHero, received its CE Mark, officially readying it for deployment in the fight against Sudden Cardiac Death. With the goal of becoming the lowest-cost, easiest-to-use, and most portable AED soon to be on the market, Elliot’s special mission is to use sleeker, smarter technology to empower anyone, anywhere to save a life in a matter of minutes.
Weighing in at just over a pound, Elliot is up against a formidable foe. The number one killer in the world, Cardiac Death claims millions of lives per year. In most cases, the difference between life and death comes down to immediate action. When an AED shock is delivered within three minutes of a Cardiac Arrest, the chance of survival is over 70%. However, in the time that it takes for Emergency Medical Services to arrive with an AED, it's often too late. The current survival rate hovers at a dismal 7%. Eighty percent of Cardiac Arrests happen at home, where immediate access to this life-saving tool has not been readily available. Other models are heavy and expensive, making them rare in family homes. Now, everything stands to change with Elliot’s affordable price tag, portable size, and user-friendly app-integration, all powered by store-bought batteries.
Leading the team behind this charge, HeartHero founder and CEO Gary Montague has made saving lives his personal mission. A former Scout Sniper Corpsman with the U.S. Marine Corps, Montague went on to become a Physician Assistant specializing in Emergency Medicine before joining the CIA as a Senior Medical officer. It was during a CIA operation that Montague witnessed the need for an AED that was both robust and highly portable. The experience stuck with him. Though he eventually traded his role at the CIA for a career as an entrepreneur, his mission to save lives never ended. “Currently there are 86 million people with Cardiac Risk Factors, 12 million of those are high-risk for Cardiac Arrest in the United States alone,” Montague points out when telling the story behind HeartHero’s birth. “It is time that we address those at risk and empower them with a device.”
The solution was clear to the HeartHero team: design an AED strong enough and light enough to be used anywhere that Sudden Cardiac Arrest might strike. While the majority of cardiac incidents happen at home, HeartHero’s commitment to saving lives extends further. The team created Elliot to be used both at home and on the go, likening it to a rescue inhaler or an EpiPen--both of which have become rapid-response giants in life-saving technology. Elliot is poised to join them. Besides being small enough to slip into a purse or backpack, HeartHero’s AED was designed to be exceptionally user-friendly. Elliot is multilingual and will deliver step-by-step voice instructions with clear visual prompts to guide users calmly and confidently through crisis. Elliot is fully functional on its own but also has an app that can be paired to bring the AED to life. When in use, Elliot can also auto notify Emergency Services, an unprecedented feature designed to shorten response times and to further strengthen the chance of survival.
This particular innovation is what caught the attention of John Rumsfeld, MD, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer at the American College of Cardiology (ACC). “There’s a lot of technology out there, but not a lot where you can draw a direct line between a new technology and potentially saving a life,” Dr. Rumsfeld remarks, reflecting on the work that the two organizations are doing together. “HeartHero’s AED is one of them.” After winning the Innovation Challenge at the 2019 ACC Annual Scientific Session, HeartHero is now closely collaborating with the ACC to advance knowledge and improve care and outcomes for Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Dr. Rumsfeld also points to the features that make Elliot more accessible. In addition to size and weight, while other AEDs require special batteries that are expensive and difficult to obtain for the average consumer, HeartHero has ensured that its device delivers the same shocks with easily acquired batteries. “I think that’s one key,” he reflects. “It opens the door to access. We believe firmly in reducing the disparities in health and health care, and Elliot has the potential to do that.”
While making a life-saving difference and disrupting the cardiac industry are feats in themselves, HeartHero’s AED may have increased relevance during the global pandemic. While organizations like the ACC strongly emphasize the importance of seeking emergency medical treatment if experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, having an AED at home can be a significant safety net in a time where many are hesitant to visit a hospital emergency room or dial 911. There is also early evidence of a link between COVID-19 and heart damage. It may be during this unfortunate COVID era that there may be an increased number of people with heart damage who are going to be living with potentially higher risk of Sudden Cardiac Death. Because of COVID, it may be even more important to have a portable AED available.
With its CE Mark secured, Elliot will become available for pre-order in Europe in the coming months and is progressing rapidly towards the FDA approval process in the U.S. The team is optimistic about the potential impact Elliot will have worldwide. “If your heart stops because of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, the time it takes to place an AED and restart your heart will determine if you live or die,” says Dr. Krista Grandey, one of HeartHero’s scientific advisors and an Emergency Room physician. “Your chances of survival, brain function and quality of life increase the sooner your heart restarts. Readily-available AEDs like HeartHero can make all the difference.”
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About HeartHero
HeartHero is committed to positively impacting the outcome of Cardiac Arrest and to saving more lives through Elliot, a novel, connected Automated External Defibrillator (AED). By penetrating the home market and identifying those at risk, HeartHero will empower all with a life-saving tool. For more, visit hearthero.com.
About Gary Montague, Founder & CEO of HeartHero
Gary Montague is the founder and CEO of HeartHero and the creator of “Elliot.” Gary founded HeartHero to empower anyone, anywhere to save a life. Gary’s mission, via HeartHero, is to create a better outcome for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and save more lives. Gary is a former Scout Sniper Corpsman with the U.S. Marine Corps who went on to become a Physician Assistant specializing in Emergency Medicine (PA-C (EM-CAQ)) before joining the CIA as a Senior Medical Officer. It was during a CIA operation that Gary experienced the need for a highly portable and robust AED firsthand. As HeartHero’s CEO, Gary brings his extensive and unique experience to the device startup.
