Patient usable emergency medical kit

• US 20030154981A1
• Filed: 02/16/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graham Lindley Spruiell
• Original Assignee: Graham Lindley Spruiell
• Inventors: Spruiell, Graham Lindley
• Granted Patent: US 7,086,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.22
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/10 Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 Packaging for specific medical equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an emergency medical kit for use immediately upon the onset of symptoms and before treatment by a medical professional. The kit is compact and lightweight for easy portability. The emergency medical kit is particularly beneficial for a person that may be prone to or at risk of suffering from an attack of a particular medical condition such a heart attack or a stroke or other arterial conditions that may result in infarction or otherwise reduced oxygenation. A physician may prescribe the emergency medical kit to a patient that is prone to or at risk of suffering a particular serious illness. The treatment provided by the contents of the kit includes the administration of breathable oxygen and may also include the administration of a medication for assisting in saving the life of or reducing permanent tissue damage in the victim. The emergency medical kit may be stored and carried in a portable bag or container that may include handles and or straps for transporting the medical kit and which may also serve to help support the breathable oxygen supply during it'"'"'s use by attaching the bag or container to the victim. The medication provided in the emergency medical kit might include medications for preventing thrombosis, inducing arteriolar relaxation or assisting in diminishing oxygen demand.

Claims

1. An emergency medical kit, comprising a breathable oxygen delivery system and a medication for use in response to symptoms of a particular serious illness as soon as the symptoms occur.

2. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the breathable oxygen delivery system comprises a portable oxygen tank for storing oxygen under high pressure and wherein the portable oxygen tank comprises a composite material over wrapped onto a gas impermeable inner vessel.

3. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the breathable oxygen delivery system comprises a portable oxygen tank having an empty weight of less than 5.0 pounds.

4. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the breathable oxygen delivery system comprises a portable oxygen tank having an empty weight of less than 2.0 pounds.

5. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 further comprising a portable container for housing and carrying the breathable oxygen delivery system and the medication.

6. The emergency medical kit of claim 5 further comprising one of a wireless communication device and a loud noise-making device.

7. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the serious illness comprises one of a heart attack and a stroke.

8. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the medication is prescribed for a particular user by a physician and wherein the user has a known susceptibility to one of a heart attack and a stroke.

9. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the medication comprises one of an anticoagulant, an antiarrythmic agent and a cardioprotective agent.

10. The emergency medical kit of claim 9 wherein the cardioprotetcive agent comprises one of a nitrate, a beta blocker and an ACE inhibitor.

11. The emergency medical kit of claim 9 wherein the anticoagulant comprises one of acetylsalicyclic acid, clopidogrel, heparin and glycoprotein IIb/III/b inhibitors.

12. The emergency medical kit of claim 9 wherein the antiarrythmic comprises magnesium.

13. The emergency medical kit of claim 1 wherein the breathable oxygen delivery system comprises:

an oxygen storage tank having at least a 50 cubic inch internal storage capacity, an oxygen storage operating pressure range of between 100 and 4000 PSI and an empty weight of less than 5.0 pounds;

a regulator valve attached to the oxygen storage tank for receiving oxygen from the tank at an inlet pressure of between 100-4000 PSI and delivering oxygen at an outlet pressure range of less than 50 PSI;

an oxygen delivery tube having an inlet end attached to the regulator valve for receiving oxygen at the pressure of less than 50 PSI and an outlet end; and

,

a user oxygen delivery device attached to said delivery tube outlet end for delivering a supply of breathable oxygen to a user.

14. An emergency medical kit for use in a pre-hospital setting comprising a breathable oxygen delivery system and a medication for one of:

assisting in preventing thrombosis;

assisting in inducing arteriolar relaxation

assisting in establishing a cardiac rhythm; and

,

assisting in diminishing oxygen demand.

15. The emergency medical kit of claim 14 wherein the medication is prescribed by a physician for one of a know condition and a susceptibility to a known condition.

16. A medical emergency kit according to claim 15 wherein the breathable oxygen supply is prescribed by a physician in a preset condition to deliver oxygen at least one of a predetermined rate and a predetermined pressure.

17. An emergency medical kit for treatment of a know condition or a susceptibility to a known condition upon the onset of symptoms of the known condition comprising:

a breathable oxygen supply having;

an oxygen storage tank having at least a 50 cubic inch internal storage capacity, an oxygen storage operating pressure range of between 100 and 4000 PSI and an empty weight of less than 5.0 pounds;

a regulator valve attached to the oxygen storage tank for receiving oxygen from the tank at an inlet pressure of between 100-4000 PSI and delivering oxygen at an outlet pressure range of less than 50 PSI;

an oxygen delivery tube having an inlet end attached to the regulator valve for receiving oxygen at the pressure of less than 50 PSI and an outlet end; and

,

a user oxygen delivery device attached to said delivery tube outlet end for delivering a supply of breathable oxygen to a user; and

,

a portable container for storing and transporting the breathable oxygen supply in a convenient manner.

18. The emergency medical kit of claim 17 further comprising a medication for one of:

assisting in preventing thrombosis;

assisting in inducing arteriolar relaxation;

assisting in establishing a cardiac rhythm; and

,

assisting in diminishing oxygen demand.

19. A method for treating a serious illness immediately upon the onset of one or more symptoms of the serious illness comprising the steps of:

establishing a risk that a patient may suffer an unexpected attack of the serious illness;

predetermining a treatment for prolonging the patients'"'"' life and reducing a risk of permanent damage to the patient in the event that the attack occurs;

providing the patient with a portable emergency medical kit for carrying out the treatment upon the onset of symptoms before the patient can be treated by a medical professional; and

,

teaching the patient how to recognize the symptoms and how to carry out the treatment upon the onset of the symptoms.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of providing a breathable oxygen supply in the portable emergency medical kit.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of providing a medication in the portable emergency kit for one of:

assisting in preventing thrombosis;

assisting in inducing arteriolar relaxation;

assisting in establishing a cardiac rhythm; and

,

assisting in diminishing oxygen demand.

22. A method for treating a serious illness comprising the steps of;

providing a person susceptible to the serious illness with a breathable oxygen delivery system; and

providing a person susceptible to the serious illness with a medication for use in response to symptoms of a particular serious illness as soon as the symptoms occur.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of providing a portable container for housing and carrying the breathable oxygen delivery system and the medication.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of providing a medication in the portable emergency kit for one of:

assisting in preventing thrombosis;

assisting in inducing arteriolar relaxation;

assisting in establishing a cardiac rhythm; and

,

assisting in diminishing oxygen demand.