Cardiac/pulmonary resuscitation method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A cardiac resuscitation apparatus for transferring masses of blood from a patient'"'"'s leg and abdominal areas to an upper regions of a patient'"'"'s body to increase arterial pressure independently of a patient'"'"'s heart action comprising:
- a source of pressurized gas;
a inflatable abdominal cuff adapted to extend over a patient'"'"'s abdomen;
at least one inflatable leg cuff adapted to extend over at least an upper portion of one of a patient'"'"'s legs;
valve means connected between the pressurized source, the cuffs and a region of low pressure for selectively connecting the cuffs to the pressurized gas source and to the low pressure region; and
a valve control means coupled to valve means for controlling the valve means to periodically and alternately connect the cuffs to the pressurized gas source and to the region of low pressure independently of the patient'"'"'s heart action whereby the inflation/deflation cycle of the abdominal cuff is less than about 40 cycles/min, the inflation/deflation cycle rate of the leg cuff being between zero in which the leg cuff is continuously inflated and the inflation/deflation cycle rate of the abdominal cuff.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for resuscitating the cardiac/pulmonary activity of a patient includes the use of pneumatically controlled inflatable/deflatable cuffs secured over the patient'"'"'s legs and abdomen and optionally the chest. The cuffs are preferably inflated and deflated at a cyclical rate of 10-40 cycles/min. with the inflation/deflation mode of the chest cuff, if used, being out-of-phase with the operation of the abdominal cuff. A ventilator and face mask may be used to supply breathable air to the patient'"'"'s airway in conjunction with the cyclical operation of the cuffs.
134 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A cardiac resuscitation apparatus for transferring masses of blood from a patient'"'"'s leg and abdominal areas to an upper regions of a patient'"'"'s body to increase arterial pressure independently of a patient'"'"'s heart action comprising:
-
a source of pressurized gas; a inflatable abdominal cuff adapted to extend over a patient'"'"'s abdomen; at least one inflatable leg cuff adapted to extend over at least an upper portion of one of a patient'"'"'s legs; valve means connected between the pressurized source, the cuffs and a region of low pressure for selectively connecting the cuffs to the pressurized gas source and to the low pressure region; and a valve control means coupled to valve means for controlling the valve means to periodically and alternately connect the cuffs to the pressurized gas source and to the region of low pressure independently of the patient'"'"'s heart action whereby the inflation/deflation cycle of the abdominal cuff is less than about 40 cycles/min, the inflation/deflation cycle rate of the leg cuff being between zero in which the leg cuff is continuously inflated and the inflation/deflation cycle rate of the abdominal cuff. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A cardiac/pulmonary resuscitator comprising:
-
a face mask for providing fluid communication to a patient'"'"'s lungs; a ventilator including a source of pressurized gas, at least a portion of said gas being breathable;
the ventilator being connected to the face mask for periodically connecting the face mask to the gas source for transferring breathable gas to the mask;an inflatable chest cuff adapted to extend over a patient'"'"'s chest; a chest cuff valve connected between the pressurized gas, the chest cuff and a low pressure region, whereby the chest cuff is inflated to apply pressure to a patient'"'"'s chest when connected to the pressurized gas source and is deflated to relieve pressure on a patient'"'"'s chest when connected to the low pressure region; a valve controller coupled to the chest cuff valve to operate the valve so that the chest cuff is periodically and alternately connected to the pressurized gas source and the low pressure region to provide an inflation/deflation cycle of the chest cuff within the range of about 10-40 cycles/min, the inflation/deflation cycle of the chest cuff being out-of-phase with the operation of the ventilation valve; an inflatable abdominal cuff adapted to extend over a patient'"'"'s abdomen; an abdominal cuff valve connected between the pressurized gas source, the abdominal cuff, and the low pressure region; at least an inflatable leg cuff adapted to extend over one of a patient legs; a leg cuff valve connected between the pressurized gas source, the low-pressure region; and the valve controller being further coupled to the abdominal cuff valve and the leg cuff valve to operate the valves independently of a patient'"'"'s heart action so that the abdominal and leg cuffs are periodically and alternately connected to the pressurized gas source and the low pressure region to provide an inflation/deflation cycle for the abdominal cuff which is out-of-phase with the chest cuff cycle and an inflation/deflation cycle for the leg cuff between zero, in which the leg cuff is continuously inflated and 40 cycles per minute. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of enhancing a patient'"'"'s cardiac activity comprising the steps of:
-
placing an inflatable cuff over the abdominal area and another inflatable cuff over at least the upper leg portion of the patient, each cuff being arranged to apply pressure to the underlying vessels when inflated to divert blood to the upper portions of the patient'"'"'s body; inflating and deflating the abdominal cuff at a frequency less than about 40 cycles/min. independently of the patient'"'"'s heart action; and inflating and deflating the leg cuff at a frequency within the range of about 0 to less than 40 cycles/min with the leg cuff being continuously inflated at the zero cycle rate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of rehabilitating a patient'"'"'s cardiac/pulmonary activity comprising the steps of:
-
fitting the patient with a face mask which provides fluid communication to the patient'"'"'s lungs; providing a source of breathable gas under pressure; placing one inflatable/deflatable chest cuff over the patient'"'"'s chest area and another inflatable/deflatable cuff over the patient'"'"'s abdominal area, the chest cuff, when inflated, being arranged to depress the chest and force air out of the patient'"'"'s lungs, the abdominal cuff being arranged, when inflated to apply pressure to the underlying vessels to direct blood into the patient'"'"'s chest area; inflating and deflating the chest cuff and the abdominal cuff independently of the patient'"'"'s heart action and in synchronism with each other but in an out-of-phase relationship at a frequency within the range of about 10 to 40 cycles/min.; connecting the face mask to the breathable gas source to supply breathable gas to the face mask and the patient'"'"'s lungs in synchronism with the inflation mode of the abdominal cuff; placing an additional inflatable/deflatable cuff over at least the upper portion of each of the patient'"'"'s legs and inflating and deflating the leg cuffs at a frequency of about 0 to 40 cycles/min, with the leg cuffs being continuously inflated at the zero cycle rate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
-
Specification