Resuscitec
Redefining Cardiac Resuscitation and Elevating Survival Outcomes

Besides all development and efforts of cardiopulmonary resuscitation the survival rates remain still disappointing between 10-20% as global average. In this context extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) seemed to have the potential to improve the survival rates of cardiac arrest patients. To further increase the frequency of positive outcomes, several studies strived to discover methods of combatting an acute heart failure. These investigations particularly emphasised the critical biophysiological pathways affected during the immediate aftermath of diminished blood flow. The respective scientific results laid the foundation for Resuscitec - a firm conceived by the partnership between the Medical Center – University of Freiburg and international medical experts to advance ECPR.

Established in 2010, Resuscitec embarked on a decade-long mission to enhance the possibilities of reviving a cardiac arrest patient without neurological damage. Extensive research, numerous proofs of concepts and technological advancements culminated in the development of CARL as the next level of ECPR, which revolves around the concept of controlled, targeted, and personalised whole-body reperfusion. The novel therapeutic approach is used when standard intervention practices like chest compression and external defibrillation fail to restore spontaneous circulation.

“Our technology is created for extracorporeal resuscitation as a second chance of survival that includes all medical and technological elements that we know as best practices today,” says Thomas Kraft, CEO of Resuscitec.

To ensure the therapy’s optimal application in a particular order to increase favorable neurological outcomes, the firm developed the CARL Technology, which allows for personalized resuscitation. The portable device, which can be used in- and out-of-hospital as well, monitors the patient’s blood pressure, allows for blood gas analyses and displays corresponding values directly on the interface of the CARL Controller, which is the centerpiece of CARL Technology and typically placed near attending physicians and perfusionists. Comprising in-built parameters for controlled oxygenation and decarboxylation, CARL empowers professionals to optimise oxygen supply thus reducing the formation of free radicals.

In addition, the technology allows for rapid cooling in order to diminish the body’s energy consumption and thus increasing the chance of survival without complications. These technical features enable emergency teams to tailor all relevant vital parameters to patient-individual needs on-site.

The brainchild of medical industry experts, Resuscitec understands community requirements and strives to develop its products/devices continuously in order to be able to control and monitor all physical and biochemical pathways relevant for resuscitation. Beyond the legally obligatory product training, the company established the CARL Academy to train and engage teams on the effective implementation of CARL Technology. This format has been part of the EU-funded CIRDinnova project, carried out in collaboration with the university hospitals of Linz, Rotterdam, and the University Heart Centre Freiburg-Bad Krozingen. The corresponding training program includes educational trainings on-site and in company training facilities as well. To ensure the seamless collaboration of all emergency personnel involved in resuscitation, the CARL Academy also offers background information, e-learning courses, and other teaching formats tailored to the respective professional group online. Resuscitec also provides a 24/7 hotline to support professional CARL users and to solve troubleshooting challenges during CARL implementation quickly on-site.

Our technology is created for extracorporeal resuscitation as a second chance of survival that includes all medical and technological elements that we know as best practices today

Numerous European hospitals have already integrated CARL into their clinical practice and benefit from the extended possibilities of the mobile and quickly deployable technology with regard on improving patient survival rates.

One of the cardiac arrest patients who was recently successfully resuscitated by the application of CARL, was a 30-year-old man: He collapsed in his apartment, prompting a bystander to administer CPR. Immediately after the emergency team arrived and determined the diagnosis of a heart attack, professional resuscitation was initiated for 50 minutes. However, despite all efforts, the critical course of the cardiac arrest only took a positive turn when the patient was connected to CARL for reperfusion while still in his apartment. The young man was in a coma for six weeks then, yet - despite crossing the golden hour of resuscitation - he exhibited no signs of motor or neurological limitations to date.

As shown by this case, CARL may shift the limits of resuscitation and may improve neurological intact survival through an individualized and targeted reperfusion therapy. However, success is dependent on the immediate response of bystanders playing a vital role by performing quick CPR thereby giving patients the chance of receiving secondary therapy like ECPR. Therefore, the main focus of Resuscitec is to increase survival rates and combat neurological sequelae in close collaboration and consultation with improving healthcare systems and rescue chains.