Since 1999, Philips has been active in the emerging market of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators). Today, Philips unquestionably stands at the top as the leader in the global AED market. With over 2 million AEDs produced, Philips has manufactured four times as many AEDs as the second-largest manufacturer in the world and as many as the combined total of the second through fifth-ranked manufacturers.
Philips – World Leader in AEDs
AED Innovations & Philips
Philips has made significant contributions to innovations in the field of AEDs, much like how Philips has led numerous innovations across various industries since its establishment in 1891.
The many, often substantial, technical innovations by Philips haven’t always resulted in a global number 1 position. However, in the AED market, they have undoubtedly achieved this: for many years, Philips has stood head and shoulders above other manufacturers.
Below is a brief overview of the key advancements that Philips has brought to the AED industry over the past 25 years.
The remarkable history of the Philips Heartstart HS1 AED since 1992.
In 1992, Heartstream Inc. was founded in the United States
A start-up with the mission to develop a compact, affordable, robust, reliable, safe, user-friendly, and maintenance-free automatic external defibrillator (AED) that could be successfully used by a layperson to save someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Image on the right: Heartstream introduced its first AED, the ForeRunner, in 1996. The Heartstream ForeRunner AED marked the first widespread commercial use of an external defibrillator.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) acquires Heartstream
In 1999, Hewlett-Packard spun off the Medical Products Group, including the Heartstream Operation, into Agilent Technologies. Heartstream became part of Philips Medical Systems in 2001 when Philips acquired the entire Medical Group from Agilent Technologies. In 2002, Philips renamed all its defibrillators as HeartStart defibrillators. In the same year, Philips introduced a new series of AEDs, including the HeartStart Home and OnSite AEDs.
Image on the right: the Philips Heartstart FR2 AED, the successor to the FR1 AED (ForeRunner 1) from 1996. Production of the FR2 was discontinued in 2009.
The Philips Heartstart HS1 AED today
Since 2002, up to the present day, the Philips Heartstart HS1 AED has remained unchanged in its form on the market. It is still the most user-friendly and reliable AED of them all.
Image on the right: the Philips Heartstart HS1 AED is the most successful AED of all time
