"Don't tase me, bro!" questions

[TRWXXA]

Originally Posted by Annie

Had it coming?
Being tossed out on his ass; Yes.
50,000 volts across the heart; No.

You obviously have NO idea how a Taser works.

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by TRWXXA

You obviously have NO idea how a Taser works.

And you seem to be saying you do. Enlighten us?

Blessings,
B

[TRWXXA]

Originally Posted by Bill of Rights

And you seem to be saying you do. Enlighten us?

Gee... Where should I start? How about the "across his heart" statement?

Since current is going to flow in the most direct route between the two Taser probes, you'd need to get them on opposite sides of the heart so that the heart lies in the straight line path between them. That'd be an interesting trick since the probes are fired from the same point. Perhaps the cops do the old "curve the bullet" technique with the second probe.

The Taser uses 50,000 volts to get the current to make the leap from the probes, into the body. By the time the electricity enters the body, it's down below 5000 volts -- less than the voltage of the static discharge you get when you touch a doorknob.

Besides, it's not the voltage that harms, it's the current. 12 volts DC can kill you if you flow enough current. A Taser puts out about 2 miliamps (0.002 amps) -- about 1/50th of the current needed to affect the heart, and and even smaller fraction needed to affect electronic pacemeker devices.

Most deaths that occur in police custody (even the so-called "Taser deaths") are a result of positional (or exertional) asphyxiation that leads to cardiac arrest.

[Annie]

Originally Posted by TRWXXA

Gee... Where should I start? How about the "across his heart" statement?

Since current is going to flow in the most direct route between the two Taser probes, you'd need to get them on opposite sides of the heart so that the heart lies in the straight line path between them.

If that's so, then how do defibrillators work? The pads are side by side on those as well.

[Crystalship1]

Originally Posted by Annie

If that's so, then how do defibrillators work? The pads are side by side on those as well.

Ummm......

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by Annie

If that's so, then how do defibrillators work? The pads are side by side on those as well.

The ones with the old "paddle" style electrodes required 25# of pressure to ensure the current passed into the body. Also, the lower one is on the patient's side. Still possible to hit those spots with a taser shot, but it would have to be from just the right angle.

With the more common sticky pads that they use today, the pressure is not an issue, and I don't think the barbed probes would be either, which means that the issue of current (amperage) is the key point. If the taser uses that milliamperage current, I could see it affecting motor neurons and being less likely to affect the heart. Still possible, but much less likely, even with the skin resistance being overcome by penetrating skin with a barbed electrode.

Good questions, Annie, and TRWXXA, thank you for explaining without being (too) condescending.

Blessings,
B

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by Crystalship1

Ummm......

Good God, I haven't seen a LifePak 5 in probably 13 years!
(but the paddle in the right hand is incorrectly placed. Needs to be more to the patient's right. )
Blessings,
B

[TRWXXA]

Originally Posted by Bill of Rights

(but the paddle in the right hand is incorrectly placed. Needs to be more to the patient's right. )

That's the first thing I thought. The paddle on the patient's left isn't being held flat against the skin either. When they're correctly placed, the right atrium (where the heart's natural "pacemaker" is) falls in the line between the electrodes. Even at their lowest power setting, heart defibrillators deliver about 150 times the energy of the most powerful Taser.

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by TRWXXA

That's the first thing I thought. The paddle on the patient's left isn't being held flat against the skin either. When they're correctly placed, the right atrium (where the heart's natural "pacemaker" is) falls in the line between the electrodes. Even at their lowest power setting, heart defibrillators deliver about 150 times the energy of the most powerful Taser.

2 joules? Granted, that'd be for a neonate, but that's an awfully low amount of energy. Forgive me if I sound skeptical, but it's important to me to know that if I quote this, I do so accurately. Double check, please, or provide a reference where I can do so?

Thanks and Blessings,
B

[Cwood]

I did some surfing and found this pdf on the Tech Specs of Taser Internationals M26

The taser has a peak out current of 18 amperes for 11 milliseconds with an average power output of 26.4 watts per second. The body current output puts it a 162.5 Milli Amps, that is assuming the body's resistance is 1000ohms. This resistance will change due to ones body composition and mosture on the skin.

Here is the source pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/200502042...onuniv_000.pdf



Food for thought.....

162.5 milli amps is enough to seriously injure or kill someone depending on the duration of contact. The M26 maximum output duration is 5 seconds.