The Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System (LUCAS) device provides mechanical chest compressions to patients in cardiac arrest.
[2] After watching paramedics struggling to perform manual CPR on a patient while in the back of a speeding ambulance, Norwegian inventor Willy Vistung came up with the idea for a pneumatic system that could provide automatic, mechanical chest compressions.
[6] Finally, the medic will buckle the stabilization strap around the back of the patient's neck and secure their wrists to the device to make transport easier.
[9] In 2013, a 68-year-old male made a complete recovery, including no intellectual or neurological deficits, after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest after 59 minutes of mechanical compressions on a LUCAS device.
[10] Patients who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest do not have a significantly higher chance of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) with a LUCAS device (33.3%) versus manual CPR (33.0%).