HARCO Electronics HAR-24 DC Defibrillator

Circa 1974

A specialized medical instrument designed to "reset" a heart that has fallen into a life-threatening, chaotic rhythm (like ventricular fibrillation).

Use Cases:

1. Hospital "Code Blue" Response

• Coronary Care Units (CCU): This was the primary home for a HAR-24. Patients with known heart conditions were monitored by a unit like your HAR-17; if the monitor showed a lethal rhythm, the HAR-24 was used immediately to "shock" them back to life.

• Emergency Rooms (ER): It was kept on a rolling "crash cart" along with emergency medications, ready to be wheeled to any bed where a patient arrived in cardiac arrest.

• Intensive Care Units (ICU): Used for critically ill patients whose hearts might fail due to trauma, surgery, or severe infection.

2. Surgical Suites

• Operating Rooms (OR): Anesthesiologists and surgeons kept these units on standby during high-risk surgeries.

• Internal Defibrillation: The silver "Internal" port on the front allowed it to be used during open-heart surgery, where specialized smaller paddles were applied directly to the heart muscle.

3. Early Paramedic Services

• Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU): In the early 1970s, pioneering paramedic programs began placing these units in large, van-style ambulances.

• The "Weight" Factor: Because this unit weighs approximately 30–40 lbs and lacks a battery, its "mobile" use was difficult. It was typically bolted to a counter in the ambulance and powered by a vehicle inverter.

(H-27.5cm x W-35cm x D-35cm)