Frequently asked questions about Air
Tasers:
HOW DOES AN ADVANCED TASER WORK?
Upon firing, compressed nitrogen projects two ADVANCED TASER probes
15 feet at a speed of 135 feet per second. An electrical signal
transmits throughout the region where the probes make contact with
the body or clothing. The result is an instant loss of the
attacker's neuromuscular control and any ability to perform
coordinated action. ADVANCED TASER uses an automatic timing
mechanism to apply the electric charge. The ADVANCED TASER releases
an electric current in a pre-set time sequence (an initial seven
seconds followed by several 1.8 second breaks for a total time of
about 30 seconds in each cycle). This cycle ensures that the nervous
system of the target does not recover instantly to allow him to
remove the probes. The follow-on bursts disrupt the process of
re-equilibration of the nervous system. While the target is
disabled, the user can place the device on the ground and escape.
HOW CAN THE ADVANCED TASER BE SO EFFECTIVE YET
NON-INJURIOUS?
The ADVANCED TASER does not depend upon impact or body penetration
to achieve its effect. Its pulsating electrical output interferes
with communication between the brain and the muscular system,
resulting in loss of control. However, the ADVANCED TASER is
non-destructive to nerves, muscles and other body elements. It
simply affects them in their natural mode. More importantly, no
deaths have ever been directly attributed to the TASER .
WHAT HAS TESTING REVEALED REGARDING THE ADVANCED
TASER? Anesthesiologist and specialist in medical electronics,
Dr. Frank Summers, MD of St. Joseph's Hospital, Orange, California,
directed tests of volunteers at St. Joseph's in 1971 and 1974. Dr.
Summers stated, "...We undertook this [volunteer test] in the
operating rooms at St. Joseph's Hospital. We had an assembly of
cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists... we had a real [TASER]. We
tested extensively and made movies. The tests were impressive. We
monitored all parameters of physiology, including
electrocardiographs. The tests did not produce any lethal effects
and we found that the background work that had been done did indeed
pan out in practice."
DOES THE TASER AFFECT THE HEART OR A CARDIAC
PACEMAKER?
The ADVANCED TASER's output is well below the level established as
"safe" by the federal government in approving such devices as the
electrified cattle fence. In a medical study of the Model XR 5000Ô
electronic stun gun, Dr. Robert Stratbucker of the University of
Nebraska Medical Center confirmed that the T-Wave does not interrupt
the heartbeat or damage a pacemaker. Any modern pacemaker is
designed to withstand electrical defibrillator pulses that are
hundreds of times stronger than the ADVANCED TASER's output. The
ADVANCED TASER current of 0.3 joules is well below the 10-50 joule
threshold above which cardiac ventricular fibrillation can occur.
ISN'T HIGH VOLTAGE LETHAL?
High voltage, in itself, is not dangerous. One can receive a
25,000-volt shock of static electricity from a doorknob on a dry day
without harm. The physiological effect of electrical shock is
determined by: the current, its duration, and the power source that
produces the shock. The typical household current of 110 volts is
dangerous because it can pump many amperes of current throughout the
body indefinitely. By contrast, the ADVANCED TASER power supply
consists of an alkaline 9-Volt battery that is capable of supplying
less than three watts of electrical power for a few minutes.
WILL THE TASER CAUSE ELECTROCUTION?
No. The output is metered by the electronics and the electrical
energy in each pulse is always the same, regardless of the target
condition. The electrical output will not be transferred from one
person to another even if they touch. ADVANCED TASER, Inc.'s
president has been stunned by an ADVANCED TASER while standing in
water to emphasize this point.
WHAT ARE THE AFTEREFFECTS?
A person hit with an ADVANCED TASER will feel dazed for several
minutes. The pulsating electrical output causes involuntary muscle
contractions and a resulting sense of vertigo. It can momentarily
stun or render an attacker unconscious. Yet, the ADVANCED TASER's
low electrical amperage and short duration of pulsating current,
ensures a non-lethal charge. Moreover, it does not cause permanent
damage or long-term aftereffects to muscles, nerves or other body
functions. A January 1987 Annals of Emergency Medicine study
reported TASER technology leaves no long term injuries compared with
50% long term injuries for gun shot injuries.
MUST THE PROBES PENETRATE THE BODY TO BE
EFFECTIVE?
No. The electrical current will "jump" up to two inches as long as
both probes are attached to clothing or skin. At most, only the
3/8-inch needlepoint will penetrate the skin. They have less energy
than a spring propelled BB.
WHAT IF THE PROBES MISS?
The ADVANCED TASER can be used in a touch-stun mode. The user is
thus provided with a final backup if the probes miss the target.
Should the user miss or engage a second attacker, he can touch the
unit directly to the target and it will work like a powerful
touch-stun device.
WHAT IS THE BEST-SHOT AT MAXIMUM RANGE?
As long as the spread of the probes is at least six inches, the
ADVANCED TASER will be extremely effective. To ensure that the
spread is greater than six inches, the ADVANCED TASER should be
fired at a target several feet away. The optimum shot is from seven
to ten feet away form the target to achieve maximum effect. At seven
to ten feet away - the spread of the probes will be approximately 16
inches, ensuring that the target receives the most efficient T-Wave
flow.
DOES TEMPERATURE HAVE A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE
ADVANCED TASER? No. The ADVANCED TASER utilizes compressed
nitrogen (an inert gas). The ADVANCED TASER compressed air capsules
have successfully held their charges at temperatures of minus 20º F
and up to 160º F. Moreover, altitude will not adversely effect the
firing of an ADVANCED TASER. In addition, the temperature will not
effect the T-Wave. However, as with any product containing
polycarbonates and other thermoplastics, the ADVANCED TASER and Air
Cartridges should never be left in direct sunlight.
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