TASER® Conducted electrical weapons: Physiology, pathology, and law

Abstract

TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons are rapidly replacing the club for law-enforcement control of violent subjects within many countries around the globe. A TASER® CEW is a hand-held device that delivers a 400-volt pulse with a duration tuned to control the skeletal muscles without affecting the heart at a distance of up to 6.5 meters over tiny wires. If necessary, it begins with an arcing voltage of 50,000 V to penetrate thick clothing; the 50,000 V is never delivered to the body itself. This book will have significant utility due to the widespread usage of these devices and questions regarding its operation. This volume is written for cardiologists, emergency physicians, pathologists, law enforcement management, corrections personnel, and attorneys. Mark W. Kroll, PhD is an Adj. Full Prof. of Biomedical Engineering at both the California Polytechnic University , and the University of Minnesota . He is also the co-editor of the books: Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy, and Cardiac Bioelectric Therapy. Jeffrey D. Ho, MD is a Senior Faculty Physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and is a Deputy Sheriff with the Meeker County Sheriff's Office (Minnesota). He is an EMS Medical Director in Minnesota and an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Minnesota. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009.