Development of an Objective Measurement System for Quality Assessment of Chest Compressions

High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has a critical impact on the survival of sudden cardiac arrest victims. The use of automated devices to support CPR training through real-time feedback are considered an important educational tool, optimizing CPR skills acquisition and knowledge retention. Considering this educational need, this paper presents the development of a controlled-cost feedback device for CPR training, with focus on chest compression quality. Several sensory approaches were tested for functionality and performance, leading to the selection of a digital infrared sensor combined with a piezoresistive pressure sensor. This approach showed a good response and robustness to chest compressions during CPR training, providing accurate assessment of specific parameters of chest compressions. Usability testing, mimicking a training-like situation, showed promising results and confirmed the applicability of this approach to real-time training or post-training analysis. It is expected that the proposed solution could provide an alternative or a complementary tool for CPR skills acquisition and maintenance, promoting regular training and to a broader population.