Intelligent Self Checking

Ensuring that your iPAD SP1 is in working order is imperative, as it is a life saving piece of equipment. The iPAD SP1 has a number of measures to assist you in ensuring that the defibrillator is in good working order.

Checking the defibrillator is easy, and below is a guide of what to look out for. The Ambulance Services recommend you check your defibrillator at least once a week to ensure your defibrillator is always rescue ready.

The Basics

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'Circle of Life'

The ‘Circle of Life’ determines the current operation status of the defibrillator. If the iPAD SP1 picks up any errors during it’s self testing routines, the circle will change to an ‘X’. At this point, the ‘i’ button on the device will turn red and flash. Pressing the ‘i’ button will tell you the current fault.

If you see a circle, your defibrillator is operating correctly.

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Battery Power

The current battery power will be displayed as bars, similar to how mobile phones work.

  • A full battery will display all three segments.
  • A half-charged battery will display two segments.
  • A quarter full battery will display one segment.

A flat or near flat battery will display no segments. At this point the machine will warn you that the battery is low by turning the ‘circle of life’ from a circle to a cross.

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Pad Life

All SP1 pads have an expiry date on them and this is reflecting within the LCD as segments. When the pads have three months worth of life left in them, then only the bottom segment will show. When the pads have expired, no segments will show.

Winter Care

Most AED’s use Lithium technology, a high energy storing battery that is designed to last a long period of time. Although these batteries are stable and reliable, Lithium battery technology does have some flaws which can impact the performance of the devices they are used in. Specifically, with the AED’s, these batteries can lose charge when exposed to cold temperatures over an extended period of time. This can give the appearance that the battery has run flat, even though the day before the battery was full.

Typical operating standards for AED’s is: 0°C ~ 43°C (32°F ~ 109°F)

If you suspect your battery may have been exposed to cold during the night, and your AED is no longer functioning, bring it inside. Allow the battery to warm up – this may take a few hours. Once warmed back up within operational temperatures the AED should re-operate. When the battery is warmed up, it regains any charge it previously lost – however, repeated exposure can result in your battery’s life degrading over time.

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DON'TS

  • Do not leave your AED inside a car during cold nights. Cars do not protect against the cold!

  • Do not store your AED outside in an indoor cabinet.

  • Do not leave your AED unattended for prolonged periods of time.

DO's

  • Bring in your AED every night and put it in an easy to grab place, where it is warm and dry. Do this if you keep your AED in a vehicle.

  • Outdoor AEDs should be stored in a waterproof, heated cabinet.

  • It’s imperative you check your AED as often as you can, a minimum of once a week. This will allow you to monitor your AED’s condition.

  • If you have an outdoor cabinet, check that your heater is working by placing your hand on the heater during a cold night. It should be warm.

  • Keep all moving parts of your cabinet well oiled and lubricated. Water can seep into moving parts and then freeze, causing it to seize up.

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