HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P

The HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P is a semi-automatic defibrillator made by HeartSine, now part of Stryker. It is built for public access and home use, weighs 1.1 kg with its Pad-Pak fitted, and is designed so that a bystander with no medical training can follow spoken and visual prompts through a cardiac arrest¹. It analyses the heart rhythm itself and, if a shock is needed, charges and tells the rescuer to stand clear and press the shock button¹.

What matters most for a household is readiness. The battery and electrode pads are one combined unit, the Pad-Pak, with a single expiration date, and the maker gives a battery life of up to 4 years with weekly self-test and a pad lifespan of 4 years¹. The device runs a self-test each Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and shows a flashing green status indicator every 5 to 10 seconds when it is ready for use, with a flashing red light indicating a problem³. If you are weighing up a home defibrillator at all, the wider guide to choosing a defibrillator for a home, club or village sets out what to look for before you settle on a model.

Availability is the first practical question. The maker's UK page says Stryker has started rolling out production again and that stock of the HeartSine Samaritan 350P, 360P and 500P is expected before the end of 2026, with a phone number for the latest delivery times¹. If you are buying now, ask the supplier for the Pad-Pak expiration date before you commit.

Specifications

The 350P is a compact, sealed unit. The maker and the retailer agree on the headline figures, and where they differ the maker's figure is given first.

The retailer lists the dimensions as height 200 mm, width 184 mm and depth 48 mm, which is the same size in different units². The maker's manuals give the size as 20 cm x 18.4 cm x 4.8 cm with the Pad-Pak installed⁵. The device is available with English and Spanish voice prompts⁶.

What it does in a cardiac arrest

The 350P is intended for use on a person who is unconscious and not breathing normally⁴. It is not for anyone who is responsive or conscious, and the maker states plainly that it must not be used to provide treatment in that case⁵. If you are not sure whether someone is in cardiac arrest, the guide to cardiac arrest and heart attack explains how to tell them apart, and what to do first: danger, response, airway and breathing walks through the check.

Once the pads are on, the device evaluates the patient's ECG, signal quality, electrode contact integrity and patient impedance to decide whether defibrillation is required⁶. Its algorithm is validated against the American Heart Association database and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology NST database, and its sensitivity and specificity meet the requirements of IEC/EN 60601-2-4⁸. In plain terms, it is built to recognise the rhythms it should shock and to leave alone the ones it should not.

If a shock is needed, the device charges and advises the user to stand clear and press the shock button⁸. Charging is typically 150 J in under 8 seconds and 200 J in under 12 seconds, and the time to shock after CPR is typically 8 seconds⁶. The delivered energy is 150 or 200 J plus or minus 10%, so 135 to 165 J at the 150 J setting and 180 to 220 J at the 200 J setting, across patient resistances of 25 to 225 ohms⁸.

The prompts coach CPR as well. The device gives visual and audible prompts including a CPR coaching metronome². The metronome beeps at a rate compliant with 2015 ERC and AHA guidelines, and the voice prompts respond to compression speed: "Push faster" below 90 per minute, "Good speed" between 100 and 120, and "Push slower" above 130⁶. If you want to rehearse the technique before you ever need it, how to do CPR: hands-only steps for adults covers the basics.

Charging, use and storage

There is nothing to charge in the usual sense. The 350P runs from a lithium battery sealed inside the Pad-Pak, and the maker gives a battery life of up to 4 years with weekly self-test¹. The Pad-Pak is the only consumable, and it carries a single combined expiration date for battery and pads¹. When the Pad-Pak expires, the whole unit is replaced.

The device looks after itself between uses. It runs a self-test each Sunday at midnight GMT⁴. The retailer describes the same routine as weekly automatic self tests performed by the unit². Check the status indicator weekly: it should flash green every 5 to 10 seconds when the device is ready, and a flashing red indicator means a problem⁴. The maker's maintenance schedule is weekly checks of the status indicator and monthly checks of the Pad-Pak expiration date and for physical damage⁸.

Storage conditions decide how long the Pad-Pak lasts. The device is designed to operate between 0°C and 50°C⁵. Standby temperature is the same range, and transport temperature is -10°C to 50°C for up to two days; if the device has been stored below 0°C, return it to 0°C to 50°C for at least 24 hours before use⁸. Relative humidity should stay between 5% and 95%, non-condensing⁸. Storing it outside the temperature range may shorten the Pad-Pak's shelf life⁵.

Cleaning is simple and the maker is specific: use a soft cloth dampened with soapy water or 70% isopropyl alcohol⁸. Do not immerse the device in water or any fluid, and do not use abrasive materials, cleaners or solvents⁵. The IP56 rating covers dust and sprays of water but not immersion⁵.

Safety

The 350P is designed to be safe in untrained hands, but the maker's warnings are worth reading before you mount it on a wall.

Keep portable radio frequency equipment, including mobile phones and their antennas, at least 30 cm (12 in) from any part of the device⁵. The device is not intended for use near intentional transmitters of radio energy such as high frequency surgical equipment, radar installations or radio transmitters, nor near MRI equipment⁶.

Pad placement matters. With the adult Pad-Pak, place one pad horizontally on the right chest and the other vertically on the left rib cage⁸. With the Pediatric-Pak, place one pad on the centre of the chest and the other on the centre of the back⁸. The maker warns that air, hair, dressings or medicine patches between the pads and the skin can reduce defibrillation effectiveness⁵. Slightly red skin after shock therapy is normal⁵. If you want the detail on positioning, where do defibrillator pads go? covers it.

The device is for adults over 8 years old or over 25 kg with the adult Pad-Pak, and for children between 1 and 8 years of age or up to 25 kg with the Pediatric-Pak⁵. The maker warns not to delay treatment trying to find out a child's exact age and weight, and not to use the device on a child under one year old with the Pediatric-Pak⁴. The separate guide to using a defibrillator on a child or baby sets out the options.

Two status warnings are worth knowing by heart. If the status indicator is red and the device is beeping, there is not enough battery capacity to deliver a shock, and the maker says to replace the Pad-Pak or find another AED immediately⁴. If you hear "Warning low battery", the device will keep working but may have fewer than 10 shocks left, so prepare the spare Pad-Pak and be ready to swap it quickly⁸. If a spare Pad-Pak or alternative defibrillator is not available, the device will continue to analyse the rhythm and advise when CPR is needed, but it will not be able to deliver a shock⁸.

The maker lists the potential adverse effects of any AED, including failure to identify a shockable rhythm, failure to deliver a shock, myocardial damage, skin burns around the electrode area, and bystander shock from patient contact during defibrillation⁶. These are the reasons the prompts tell you to stand clear.

Support, registration and warranty

The 350P carries an 8 year limited warranty¹. The maker's manual sets out an eight year service life warranty from the date of sale to the original end user, and products with an expiration date are warranted until that date⁴. The warranty is void if the device has been opened, if unauthorised modifications have been made, if it has not been used in accordance with the instructions, if the serial number is removed or defaced, if it has been used or stored outside the temperature range, or if it has been tested using unapproved methods⁸.

Register the device. The maker asks owners to register at heartsine.com/register, by returning the warranty registration card, or by emailing heartsinesupport@stryker.com with name, address and device serial number⁸. Registration is how the maker tracks the location of each AED⁴.

After a use, report it to Stryker at aedevent@stryker.com. Sending the event data may make you eligible for a free replacement Pad-Pak⁴. The retailer also lists free replacement pads after use². Check the device for damage after use and replace it immediately if damaged³. The 90 minutes of rescue data stored on the device is what the report draws on¹.

For support, the maker's manual gives a customer support number of 800 442 1142 and a support email of heartsinesupport@stryker.com⁴. For UK buyers, the maker's UK page gives a phone number for delivery enquiries¹. If you are setting up a defibrillator for a village hall or club, the defibrillator guardian checklist sets out the routine checks that keep it ready, and the guide to public access defibrillators explains how to find the nearest one if yours is out of reach.