In emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating rooms, one device appears repeatedly: the defibrillator. It plays a crucial role in the golden minutes following cardiac arrest. Defibrillators come in different series and brands, and the batteries they use vary significantly depending on the application.
This article introduces you to several common types of defibrillators and their corresponding batteries, enabling you to make more informed decisions regarding device selection, maintenance, and battery replacement.
1. What is a defibrillator, and what main types?
A defibrillator is a device that delivers an electric shock to the heart to interrupt abnormal electrical activity and “reboot” it. In today’s clinical practice and public spaces, you’ll mainly see the following types of defibrillators:
1) Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Key feature: highly simplified operation with step-by-step voice prompts. Designed so that non-medical personnel can use it in an emergency.
Typical locations: airports, subway stations, shopping malls, schools, stadiums, office buildings, and other public spaces.
Battery characteristics:
Usually uses a high-energy lithium primary battery pack (non-rechargeable).
Emphasis on long standby time and low self-discharge, so the unit is ready to work after years on the wall.
Each battery pack clearly specifies how many shocks and how many hours of monitoring/self-test it can support, along with its shelf life.
2) Manual defibrillator/monitor
Key feature: equipped with a display, ECG monitoring, and often pacing functions; requires trained medical staff to operate.
Typical locations: hospital emergency departments, ICUs, operating rooms, crash carts, and ambulances.
Battery characteristics:
Must support both high-power defibrillation shocks and continuous ECG/monitoring.
Often uses rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs or high-capacity NiMH packs, with strong requirements on cycle life and reliability.
3) Defibrillator + multi-parameter patient monitor
Key feature: integrates defibrillation with multi-parameter monitoring (ECG, NIBP, SpO₂, etc.).
Typical locations: ICUs, operating theaters, cardiac wards, and transport monitoring.
Battery characteristics:
Similar to a high-end patient monitor in terms of runtime, but with extra power demands from the defibrillation function.
Requires higher-performance cells and robust protection circuitry.
2. Common defibrillator brands and series
Brands and models may vary by region, but the following names are widely seen in hospitals, EMS systems, and public AED deployments. Below are series-level examples rather than detailed model lists.
1) Philips
Typical series:
HeartStart AED family (e.g. HS1, FRx in many markets)
Clinical defibrillator/monitor devices
HeartStart AEDs are very common in public access defibrillation (PAD) programs. Many units use dedicated lithium battery packs designed for multi-year standby, along with adult and pediatric pads.
2) ZOLL
Typical series:
AED Plus, AED Pro
R Series, X Series, and other clinical defibrillator/monitors
ZOLL products are often used in emergency departments and EMS systems. Some AEDs use primary lithium battery packs (e.g., lithium-manganese cells in specific configurations), while clinical devices rely on rechargeable packs.
3) Physio-Control / Stryker (formerly Medtronic’s emergency response division)
Typical series: LIFEPAK AEDs, LIFEPAK 15 defibrillator/monitor, etc.
LIFEPAK units are widely seen in ambulances and hospital crash carts. Devices typically use proprietary rechargeable lithium battery packs, often with dedicated charging docks; some models can also run from AC power.
4) Other well-known manufacturers
Brands such as Mindray, Nihon Kohden, GE, Schiller, and others offer their own AED and clinical defibrillator lines.
In most cases, each brand designs custom-shaped battery packs with specific connectors and communication protocols to ensure safe, reliable contact and correct device recognition.
For purchasing and maintenance teams, knowing the brand and model is only the first step. The really critical part is understanding the matching battery type and exact battery model, so that replacements and spare parts can be managed correctly.
3. Battery Types in Defibrillators
From a battery technology perspective, defibrillator batteries generally have several notable characteristics:
Battery Type: Primarily lithium-ion/lithium-manganese batteries
AEDs: Mostly use disposable high-energy lithium batteries (such as lithium-manganese batteries). Their advantages include a low self-discharge rate and the ability to support standby for many years, making them suitable for long-term "wall-mounted standby" scenarios in public places.
Clinical Defibrillator Monitors: More commonly use rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs. Some still use nickel-metal hydride batteries, but the trend is clearly towards lithium batteries.
Capacity and Voltage
Common Voltages:
Approximately 10.8V / 11.1V (3 lithium batteries in series)
Approximately 14.4V / 14.8V (4 lithium batteries in series)
Capacities generally range from several thousand mAh to over 10Ah, depending on the device's power consumption, the number of monitoring functions, and the expected continuous operating time.
Safety and Protection Design
Defibrillator batteries typically include a protection management system (BMS) for:
Overcharge and over-discharge protection
Overcurrent and short-circuit protection
Temperature monitoring (NTC thermistor)
Some high-end batteries also have a built-in EEPROM/chip that communicates with the host device to record cycle count, usage time, state of health (SOH), etc., for maintenance reminders.
4. Why does the battery matter？
For many consumer products, as long as the device powers on, the battery is considered “good enough”. For defibrillators, that mindset is dangerous.
1) Capacity vs. number of shocks
AED batteries are rated for a specific number of shocks and monitoring/self-test hours at full charge.
As the pack ages and its capacity declines, the unit may still turn on, but:
It may not be able to deliver the rated number of shocks.
During a real cardiac arrest with repeated shocks, the battery could run out unexpectedly, which is unacceptable in life-threatening situations.
2) Voltage stability and high-current performance
Defibrillation requires a burst of high power: the internal circuitry charges a capacitor to a high voltage and then discharges it through the patient’s chest. If the battery is weak:
Charging to the target energy level takes longer (delayed “ready” indicator).
The actual delivered energy may be lower than the preset value.
Voltage sag can trigger device shutdowns or error alarms.
If this article still doesn’t answer all your questions about medical device batteries, you can find high-quality replacement batteries at BatteryMall.com.
For more guides and tips on medical batteries, please visit: BatteryMall.com/blogs/support.
댓글 0개