Miniature AED Gachapon
One day, while surfing websites, I found an article.
【Bandai releases 4 types of capsule toys “Gashapon Miniature AED” supervised by NIHON KOHDEN】
（Nikkei News Paper, September 8, 2020）
AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a medical device that gives electric shock to the heart to restore it to a normal rhythm when it has lost its pumping function (Ventricular Fibrillation). This device has been available not only to the medical professionals but also to the general publicsince July 2004, and has been installed not only in hospitals, clinics, and ambulances, but also in airports, train stations, sport clubs, schools, public facilities, businesses, and other places where many people gather. (Quoted from NIHON KOHDEN’s website).
NIHON KOHDEN, the company that supervises this miniature AED, is the only domestic AED manufacturer in Japan. Although it is a toy, it is said to be faithful to the real AED in its shape and parts composition. I was very curious about this, and although I am in my thirties, I unashamedly played Gachapon.
The price was 300yen each, which I thought a bit expensive compared to Gachapon I used to play with my pocket money when I was kid, but I was amazed at how elaborate it was when I saw what came out.
Out of four types, I got the 2015 model (photo on left) and 2020 model (photo on right).
(When I open it, there’s no sticker on it, so I put on myself.)
The inside of the AED and the mechanism of the shock button and pads are elaborate, I felt that it is elaborate enough to have image training for those who do not have an opportunity to touch the real AED.
NSTC use two types of AED trainers: main trainer and another trainer, for AED training, and we expect that delegates will gain various insights by actually using the AEDs, such as “I didn’t know how to open the lid”, “I didn’t know how to turn on the power”, “I didn’t know how to put on the pads”, etc.
I myself also had a hard time opening the double lid of 2019 model, so I’m hoping that knowing that this is how it’s made will be useful knowledge for us in the future (of course, the best thing is that we won’t have a chance to use it, though ).
By the way, AED at one of the airports was NIHON KOHDEN AED (it was a bilingual AED that was lined up in Gachapon but didn’t show up for me). It was clearly marked as containing a tourniquet set, and because it was in an airport, it was bilingual. It is quite interesting to see the differences.
NIHON KOHDEN’s web site is here (in Japanese language):
Global site is here:
I am happy if you get interested in AED.
Eri, Quality Management Section
