Zoll Medical said today that it won Shonin approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare for its R Series combination monitor and automated external defibrillator.
Zoll said its Japanese subsidiary, Asahi Kasei Zoll Medical, plans to begin sales & marketing efforts for the R Series in early 2015. The device "goes beyond defibrillation and incorporates a complete suite of tools to assist with the delivery of high-quality CPR," according to a press release.
The R Series Code-Ready device includes a CPR dashboard designed to monitor depth, rate, release, perfusion and deliver audible prompts for depth and rate. It also includes a "See-Thru CPR" software filter that removes CPR artifact to let rescuers to see the underlying rhythm, designed to help with CPR in the nearly 75% of in-hospital patients in cardiac arrest who don’t have shockable rhythms.
"We are very excited to introduce the market-leading R Series to Japan and to continue to offer innovative technologies and devices for acute critical care to this major market," Zoll president Jonathan Rennert said in prepared remarks.
"Since defibrillators are widely distributed throughout hospitals, and their use is both infrequent and extremely critical, code readiness helps clinicians save more lives," Rennert said. "By granting Shonin approval, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare now makes the R Series available to clinicians throughout Japan."
Asahi Kasei Corp.(TYO:3407) paid $2.3 billion for Zoll in April 2012.