RESUSCITATION APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUS CARDIAC MASSAGE AND ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION

• US 3,782,371 A
• Filed: 05/26/1972
• Issued: 01/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rene Derouineau
• Original Assignee: Rene Derouineau
• Inventors: Derouineau, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, Lawrence W.
• Application Number:
  US05/257,076
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 128/28,51,52,53,278
• US Class Current: 601/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 31/007 Manual driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 31/008 Supine patient supports or bases, e.g. improving air-way access to the lungs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0009 with sub-atmospheric pressure, e.g. during expiration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0078 Breathing bags

Abstract

A light and self-contained device which allows resuscitation of an accident victim by a single person, even if inexperienced in resuscitation techniques. The apparatus has a base on which are mounted two vertical columns which are sufficiently spaced apart to admit the chest of a prone person. On the upper portions of these columns slides a cross-piece which can be clamped on the columns at an adjustable distance from the base. A vertical cylinder is mounted below the centre of the crosspiece and in it slides a piston provided with two piston rods. The upper rod is linked to a second order lever with which the piston can be reciprocated vertically. The lower piston rod is provided at its lower end with a rubber-based plunger for application to the chest of the patient. The upper end of the cylinder is linked by a pipe to a rubber air reservoir balloon. The lower end of the cylinder is linked by a pipe to a bellows made of a flexible, synthetic material. The air reservoir balloon is connected by a pipe to a face-mask for pumping air to the patient. The bellows is linked to a pistol with a manually controlled valve for suction of vomit from the mouth of the patient. In the piping of the face-mask is situated a safety valve set for a determined excessive air pressure, and on the pipe circuit for suction of vomit is placed a vomit reservoir. By means of T-pieces, the pipes connecting the cylinder to the balloon and the bellows are connected to a three-way valve on the crosspiece, allowing the connection to atmosphere of one or the other of these elements. A movable panel between the columns supports the head and chest of the patient and movement of the panel allows the plunger to be situated precisely at the base of the sternum of the patient. The handle of the lever is adjustable and dynamometric, so that the force applied to the chest by the plunger can be adjusted to the size of the rib cage and the age of the patient, to avoid possible fracture of the ribs.

Claims

1. Resuscitation apparatus comprising:

a generally horizontal support for a patient;

at least one vertical upright on said support;

a crosspiece moUnted on said upright for vertical displacements relative thereto;

means for locking said crosspiece on said upright at a predetermined distance from said support;

an air cylinder mounted on said crosspiece for vertical displacement therewith;

a piston mounted for vertical sliding motion in fluid-tight manner within said cylinder;

a manually operable actuator mounted on said crosspiece and connected to said piston for reciprocating said piston within said cylinder and thereby alternately displacing air between the upper end of said cylinder and said piston and between the lower end of said cylinder and said piston;

a piston rod attached to said piston and extending downwardly from said piston and out of the lower end of said cylinder;

means in said cylinder defining a fluid-tight passage for said piston rod through said lower end of said cylinder;

a resilient plunger at the end of said piston rod remote from said piston, for application to the chest of said patient to effect external cardiac massage;

means defining first inlet and exhaust ports in said cylinder on one side of said piston and means defining second inlet and exhaust ports in said cylinder on the opposite side of said piston;

a compressed air reservoir connected to said exhaust port at said one side of said piston;

a vacuum reservoir connected to said inlet port at said opposite side of said piston;

a suction device connected by a pipe to said vacuum reservoir; and

valve means connected to said compressed air and vacuum reservoirs and operable to place either of said reservoirs separately in communication with the atmosphere.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises a lever pivoted at one end to said crosspiece and articulated intermediate its ends to said piston, and further comprising an adjustable dynamometric handle at the opposite end of said lever for limiting the force applicable to said lever by force applied to said handle, whereby the force exerted on the patient during cardiac massage can be regulated.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said compressed air reservoir comprises a vessel of an elastic material and said vacuum reservoir comprises a resilient bellows, and further comprising a vomit receptacle connected to said pipe between said vacuum reservoir and said suction device.

4. Resuscitation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said valve means comprise a three-way valve operable, in one position thereof, to open one of said reservoirs to the atmosphere, in a second position thereof, to open the other of said reservoirs to the atmosphere and, in a third position thereof to prevent communication of said reservoirs with the atmosphere.

5. Resuscitation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising a face-mask, a flexible pipe connecting said face-mask to said compressed air reservoir, and a safety valve disposed on said flexible pipe between said reservoir and said mask for limiting the pressure of the air supplied to said face-mask.

6. Resuscitation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said suction device comprises a suction pistol having a manually operable control valve.

7. Resuscitation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising a return spring disposed and acting between said cylinder and said lever to return said lever to a predetermined position.

8. Resuscitation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising a return spring inside said cylinder and disposed and acting between said piston and said cylinder to return said piston to a predetermined position.

9. Resuscitation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising two vertical uprights pivotally mounted on said patient support to permit folding thereof to respective horizontal positions, said crosspiece spanning the space between said uprights.

10. Resuscitation apparatus comprising:

a generally horizontal support for a patient;

at least one vertical upright mounted on said support;

A crosspiece mounted on said upright for vertical displacements relative thereto;

means for locking said crosspiece on said upright at a predetermined distance from said support;

a cylinder mounted on said crosspiece for vertical displacement therewith;

a piston mounted for vertical sliding motion in fluid-tight manner within said cylinder;

a piston rod attached to said piston and extending downwardly from said piston and out of the lower end of said cylinder;

means in said cylinder defining a fluid-tight passage for said piston rod through said lower end of said cylinder;

a resilient plunger at the end of said piston rod remote from said piston, for application to the chest of said patient to effect external cardiac massage;

means defining first inlet and exhaust ports in said cylinder on one side of said piston and means defining second inlet and exhaust ports in said cylinder on the opposite side of said piston;

a compressed air reservoir connected to said exhaust port at said one side of said piston;

a vacuum reservoir connected to said inlet port at said opposite side of said piston;

a suction device connected by a pipe to said vacuum reservoir;

valve means connected to said compressed air and vacuum reservoirs and operable to place either of said reservoirs separately in communication with the atmosphere; and

a manually operable actuator mounted on said crosspiece and connected to said piston to produce displacement of said piston with respect to said cylinder and thereby causing during displacement of said piston in a first direction a cardiac massage movement of said plunger and a reduction of the air volume on one side of said piston and during the return stroke of said piston in a direction opposite to said first direction a vacuum on said one side of said piston and a compression of air at said other side of said piston.