A new tool that can be used to restore normal blood flow in the case of cardiac emergencies may help heart attack survivors avoid subsequent brain damage, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

The potentially life-saving equipment is comprised of two separate parts, the ResQPump and the ResQPod.

Users may suction the ResQPump to the chest of a person in the midst of cardiac arrest and use the device's handles to lift the patient's chest up and down, helping to maintain continuous blood flow.

The ResQPod is similar to an air mask that would be used by emergency personnel. It covers the victim's face and moderates oxygen intake and output through a breathing tube.

The study results showed that the new system improved the cardiac arrest survival rate by 50 percent. Moreover, when the technique was administered to patients, the researchers found that it was almost three times more effective than traditional CPR methods in increasing blood flow to the heart and brain.

Study authors said that they will recommend the new device to the American Heart Association as a standard in first-response cardiac treatment.