Clinical Review of Medcraft Corporation's New Brief-Pulse ECT Device

Recently, Medcraft Corporation, a well-known U.S. manufacturer of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) equipment, introduced a new bidirectional brief-pulse model. This machine offers some features that are not currently available on most other ECT devices. In particular, the clinician determines how much stimulus energy the patient receives by setting joules, leading the duration of the electrical stimulation to vary up to 6 s, depending on the patient's dynamic impedance, and the set energy and current levels. The machine is battery powered, completely isolating it from wall current. We summarize our experience with this device, reviewing its features, safety, practicality, and cost.