In July 2004 Japan authorized operation of automated external defibrillators (AED) by the general public. Following this, Nihon Kohden began offering CPR and AED training to the public. These seminars have helped to educate the public in CPR and AED which have been increasingly used in saving lives.
In situations where a person may be experiencing cardiac arrest, every second is critical. Prompt initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation using an automated external defibrillator (AED) can significantly increase the chances of saving a life. At Nihon Kohden, we conduct CPR and AED training programs to ensure that as many individuals as possible are prepared to respond effectively in emergency situations.
- Number of AED lectures and participants in FY2024 in Japan:
613 lectures
(Public training session: 40 lectures, On-site training session: 458 lectures, Online training session: 115 lectures)6,797 people
(Public training session: 334 people, On-site training session: 5,459 people, Online training session: 1,004 people）
Nihon Kohden has placed AEDs at around 100 of its business sites in Japan. All Nihon Kohden employees attend CPR and AED training as part of our effort to ensure safety and preparedness not only of our employees but for the local community as well.
Nihon Kohden has provided AEDs for use during the race every year since the Tokyo Marathon was first held in 2007. Nihon Kohden has also become an OFFICIAL PARTNER of the marathon and each year many employees serve as volunteer staff.
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- ©Tokyo Marathon Foundation
Nihon Kohden was involved in supervision of Gashapon Miniature AEDs, capsule toys developed by BANDAI CO., LTD.
We became involved in supervision of the capsule toys from an educational perspective—providing people who have never seen the contents of an AED and never touched one with an easy opportunity to get close to and learn about AEDs. The Gashapon Miniature AEDs enable a wide range of people from children to adults who ordinarily do not have contact with AEDs to experience firsthand their method of use. The capsule toy user manual also explains the actual way to use an AED.
In March 2025, Nihon Kohden collaborated in a demonstration experiment involving AED-equipped drones aimed at supporting emergency medical care in remote areas of Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. The project was conducted by Hokuto City, TOPPAN Inc., TOPPAN Digital Inc., and AERODYNE JAPAN Co., Ltd. As the sole manufacturer of domestically-produced AEDs in Japan, Nihon Kohden has been dedicated to the promotion of CPR and installation of AEDs. Through ongoing efforts, the Company strives to make AEDs accessible as quickly as possible in emergencies—ultimately aiming to help Japan become a global leader in life-saving practices.
Demonstration Experiment (courtesy of TOPPAN Inc.)
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- The October/November 2024 issue of "Kindergarten" magazine published by SHOGAKUKAN Inc.
Nihon Kohden fully collaborated in producing the “Parent-Child AED Experience Kit,” a supplement to “Kindergarten” magazine for young children published by SHOGAKUKAN Inc. The kit was created to closely match the actual size of Nihon Kohden’s AEDs. It faithfully reproduces key design features, such as the mechanism that opens the lid when a lever is pulled and the internal switches. Because the kit also includes voice prompts, users can practice placing electrode pads on a poster depicting the human body, delivering electrical shocks, and chest compressions. The importance of AEDs and the need to take action in life-saving situations are also conveyed in the magazine’s feature article.
In October 2024, Nihon Kohden exhibited an AED awareness booth at the Tokorozawa Citizens Festival. This was Nihon Kohden’s second time exhibiting at the event, with the goals of increasing AED usage and enhancing public recognition of the Company. As 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of AEDs being approved for public use in Japan, the booth also featured a display of past AED models and introduced the history of AED development. The hands-on AED experience was a great success, attracting many participants, ranging from children to adults. Through these efforts, Nihon Kohden hopes to make AEDs feel more familiar to the public and contribute to increased usage rates.
In July 2021, three employees at sales office in Shizuoka received a letter of appreciation from the fire department for their lifesaving activities using Nihon Kohden’s AED. Three employees commented, “I believed that if I acted calmly, the patient should be resuscitated,” “As the only AED manufacturer in Japan, I was able to help save lives,” and “Using the AED in front of me made me realize once again how amazing AEDs are, and I am glad that our AED was successful in saving lives.” On this occasion, the patient collapsed in front of our office, which is equipped with an AED, so the instant use of the AED and the quick response of the three employees was led to saving the patient’s life.
At Nihon Kohden, all employees participate in training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an AED to ensure prompt lifesaving activities. In addition, Nihon Kohden has placed AEDs at all of our approx. 100 business sites in Japan to provide the safety and security for nearby residents. As a manufacturer of resuscitation equipment, we will continue to promote CPR education and the widespread use of AEDs with the aim of improving the survival rates.
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- Commendation by the Chief of Chiyoda Fire Station, Shizuoka City Fire Department
Nihon Kohden’s Tomioka Production Center and Tomioka 2nd Factory are designated as a rendezvous point for medical and disaster relief helicopters. As part of this initiative, we cooperate with local fire departments and hospitals to help support regional emergency medical needs.
Recently, the sophistication of medical equipment has been increasing at the same fast rate as advances in information and communication technology (ICT). Training schools for clinical engineers have not kept pace, with some schools still using dated equipment for educational purposes. For safety, Nihon Kohden discards or updates a lot of equipment that could be refurbished and used for teaching purposes. In FY2014 we started donating such refurbished equipment to schools in Japan.
|
Year |
Recipients |
Products Donated |
Total Units |
|
FY2014 |
8 schools |
Patient monitors, defibrillators, ECGs |
8 |
|
FY2015 |
16 schools |
Patient monitors, EEGs, defibrillators, ECGs, hematology analyzers |
16 |
|
FY2017 |
6 schools |
EEGs, defibrillators, ECGs |
6 |
|
FY2018 |
1 school |
Ventilator |
9 |
|
FY2020 |
1 school |
Air compressor for ventilator |
1 |
|
FY2021 |
1 school |
Ventilator |
1 |
The AED Promotion Project proposed by Nihon Kohden was adopted as a Collaboration Program with the Private Sector for Disseminating Japanese Technology for the Social and Economic Development of Developing Countries in the second round of publicly-invited contests organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in FY2015.
Electroshocks given through the defibrillator is the only method for treating ventricular fibrillation, one of the causes of sudden cardiac death. This project is intended to widely disseminate BLS* using an AED, an effective method for improving the resuscitation rate, in order to prevent sudden cardiac death caused by acute myocardial infarction, which is increasing in Mexico.
In June 2018, BLS trainers courses were provided for staff at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In the future, the local trainers who took this course will conduct the BLS provider courses in Mexico. We expect that BLS using AEDs will be disseminated widely and contribute to a decrease in sudden cardiac death in Mexico.
- BLS (basic life support) is an initial lifesaving measure carried out by those present out on site with a potential cardiopulmonary arrest patient before the arrival of an emergency medical service or a doctor.
Promoting perioperative medical care~{*1} equivalent to Japanese medical services in emerging countries will have a significant effect on improving cure rates. The project for promoting the use of Nihon Kohden's noninvasive monitor in perioperative medical care was adopted as a three-year project under the FY2016 project to promote international medical development by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Nihon Kohden aims to improve the quality of medical care by spreading its own technology to Vietnam.
As Vietnam is aging faster than Japan and the number of patients with acute myocardial infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage is increasing, noninvasive monitors (esCCO~{*2}) have attracted a great interest. About 1,200 people, including anesthesiologists and clinical engineers, attended the special lecture by Japanese doctors held at the conference of the Vietnam Society of Anaesthesiologists in Vietnam.
We will continue to engage in activities aimed at contributing to safe and high quality perioperative management in Vietnam.
- Perioperative medical care: integrated care across the full patient pathway before, during and after surgery.
- esCCO: estimated Continuous Cardiac Output
A technology which can calculate estimated continuous cardiac output non-invasively based on an electrocardiogram and the pulse waves obtained from pulse oximetry.
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- Special Lecture in Vietnam & Participants Listening Intently
