UK alert on Lifepak 20 batteries:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
One of the UK's most popular automated external defibrillators (AEDs), Medtronic's Lifepak 20, is the subject of a device alert issued by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Certain lots of the battery used in the device may have a short-circuiting problem that results in a reduced power capacity; some of the affected batteries have been sold separately. The lots affected are numbers 05265 and 05266, and numbers below 0539. The affected batteries were manufactured before September 2005. Medtronic recommends that batteries be replaced every two years, though service life starts at the time of supply to the end customer, the June 5 alert notes.