Defredillator! FDA sizing up a pocket-sized defibrillator named FRED FRED weighs just a pound, but, his makers say, he packs a lifesaving punch. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing an application to approve a French-made defibrillator, called the FRED easyport, billed as smaller, lighter but just as effective as larger automated external defibrillators (AEDs) now sold in the USA. FRED = First Responder External Defibrillator. About 60,000 people collapse each year in the USA with an electrical short circuit of the heart that can be fixed only with a shock from a defibrillator. With automated voices, AEDs allow anyone to deliver a shock to a victim, restoring a heartbeat. "We hope to have 'FRED' approved by the FDA very soon," says Dominik Doppler of the Baar, Switzerland-based Schiller AG. The company produces the defibrillators in Wissembourg, France. The FRED easyport can be worn on a belt, making it increasingly popular with people who want a lightweight AED. The device is popular, Doppler says, with "mountain rescue services, police and airplanes, where size really matters." The FRED easyport is considered a breakthrough because it delivers enough shock to save a life but uses less energy. Using less energy means the device can have a smaller battery and weigh less than the most popular American models, which weigh between 4 and 10 pounds. Traditional defibrillators are large and heavy and deliver a big blast of energy that shocks the heart. Doctors, however, noticed that with the energy wave used in these defibrillators, the heart often short-circuited again, requiring another shock. The development of AEDs brought in a new waveform in the '90s that stops the chaotic electrical storm in the heart, often with just one shock. The AEDs use less energy and are smaller and lighter than other defibrillators. The FRED easyport, smaller still, refines the electrical jolt even more. The device uses what is known as a pulsed biphasic waveform. By chopping the waveform in half, the device calculates a different 1-2 punch that can be tailored for each person it is applied to while using less power. Dominik says a chopped wave delivers "the same efficiency" using "less energy." The FDA must decide whether there are sufficient scientific data to support the claims. If approved, 'Get Fred!' may become a common phrase in Dick Cheney's office at the White House. By Robert Davis, USA TODAY (apologies for some additional copy)