Heartstart 3000, battery operated micro-controlled defibrillator, United States, 1993

Heartstart 3000 automatic defibrillator, as used by the London Ambulance Service, non-working model for display, with carrying case, originally developed in Norway, supplied by Laerdal Medical Ltd, UK, 1993, made in United States, serial no. HS3-9104-033686

A defibrillator provides on-the-spot resuscitation for heart attack victims. It electrically shocks the heart to re-establish a rhythm and greatly increases the chances of survival. The Heartstart 3000 was an automatic defibrillator to be carried by ambulance services. This example was a training aid for the London Ambulance Service to provide rapid response treatment.

Since being introduced in the 1980s, automatic defibrillators are now used by a wider range of emergency personnel. These include paramedics, firemen, coastguards and lifeguards.