Helena Usey

CPR can double survival chances after cardiac arrest, yet bystander CPR is often inadequate, and nearly 90% of out-of-hospital victims do not survive. HeartBridge is a mechanical CPR device designed for rapid deployment by untrained users in public spaces. Jack and Helena, members of this MIT start-up, will illustrate the core engineering challenges of building life-critical devices for non-expert users: designing robust safety systems, minimizing cognitive load under stress, and validating performance against clinical guidelines. In the future, HeartBridge aims to integrate with AEDs to optimize bystander resuscitation response. Following the same commercial pathways as AEDs, HeartBridge aims to achieve similar widespread public adoption for emergency response.