This tiny defibrillator turns your neighborhood into a communal ER

It takes seven minutes for an ambulance to reach most 911 callers, and that jumps to 14 minutes for people who live in rural areas. But for someone in cardiac arrest, brain damage can start in just four minutes. Our fastest medical response just isn’t fast enough. That’s why the startup Avive has built a new kind of defibrillator. It’s not only smaller and more portable than options on the market today, it actually connects to 911 dispatchers. That way, if someone in your neighborhood calls in reporting a cardiac event, dispatchers can enlist you to run over with your defibrillator before the ambulance arrives. A map even appears on the screen to guide you. While Avive is still awaiting FDA approval, it’s a fascinating case study of how our gadgets can be designed to work with public services when the worst emergencies hit. Read my story here. — Mark Wilson   This tiny defibrillator turns your neighborhood into a communal ER Portable. Networked. And proven to work with laypeople.   READ MORE   Climate change is blowing down houses. This could save them Extreme windstorms are an increasingly destructive threat, but resilient design can help.   READ MORE   22 apps designers can’t live without And why.   READ MORE   The fascinating story behind the making of Margaret Atwood’s ‘Unburnable Book’ The fireproof version of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is designed to raise awareness about the increase of book banning in the U.S.   READ MORE

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