title: A TASER conducted electrical weapon with cardiac biomonitoring capability: Proof of concept and initial human trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite research demonstrating the overall safety of Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs), commonly known by the brand name TASER(®), concerns remain regarding cardiac safety. The addition of cardiac biomonitoring capability to a CEW could prove useful and even lifesaving in the rare event of a medical crisis by detecting and analyzing cardiac rhythms during the period immediately after CEW discharge.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To combine an electrocardiogram (ECG) device with a CEW to detect and store ECG signals while still allowing the CEW to perform its primary function of delivering an incapacitating electrical discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  This work was performed in three phases. In Phase 1 standard law enforcement issue CEW cartridges were modified to demonstrate transmission of ECG signals. In Phase 2, a miniaturized ECG recorder was combined with a standard issue CEW and tested. In Phase 3, a prototype CEW with on-board cardiac biomonitoring was tested on human volunteers to assess its ability to perform its primary function of electrical incapacitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bench testing demonstrated that slightly modified CEW cartridge wires transmitted simulated ECG signals produced by an ECG rhythm generator and from a human volunteer. Ultimately, a modified CEW incorporating ECG monitoring successfully delivered incapacitating current to human volunteers and successfully recorded ECG signals from subcutaneous CEW probes after firing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An ECG recording device was successfully incorporated into a standard issue CEW without impeding the functioning of the device. This serves as proof-of-concept that safety measures such as cardiac biomonitoring can be incorporated into CEWs and possibly other law enforcement devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA. Electronic address: jstopyra@wakehealth.edu.
authors.forename: Jason P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Stopyra
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Tactical Medics International, Jacksonville Beach, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kleiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Winslow
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Bozeman
mesh_terms: D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004867:Equipment Design; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D016495:Police; D054041:Weapons
keywords: Biomonitor; CEW; ECG; EKG; TASER