Negative pressure chest brace
First Claim
1. Chest brace apparatus for providing negative distending intra-thoracic pressure to a patient, comprising:
- adhesive means having an inner layer and an outer layer, said inner layer having means to adhere to a chest region of a patient and said outer layer manifesting an outer adherent layer; and
a brace structure for substantially encircling a patient'"'"'s body and comprising a resilient strip exhibiting an oval-like shape in a non-stressed state, said resilient strip including (i) a frontal segment with a patient-side adherent layer for joinder to said outer layer of said adhesive means, and (ii) flexure means connected to said frontal segment for imparting an outward flexure to said frontal segment so as to distend a patient'"'"'s chest region by outward pressure exerted thereon via said adhesive means, thereby creating a negative intra-thoracic pressure, and wherein said frontal segment is displaced from said adhesive means when not adherent thereto, and when adherent thereto, exerts an outward distending force thereon.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A chest brace apparatus prevents the chest wall from buckling inwards during spontaneous breathing efforts and provides negative distending intra-thoracic pressure to a patient. The apparatus includes a protective adhesive layer placed on the patients skin and a brace structure that is designed to attach to the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer has an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface adapted to adhere to a chest region of the patient and the outer surface manifesting an outer adherent layer for attachment to the brace structure. The brace structure is placed about the patient'"'"'s chest region and includes a frontal resilient segment with a patient-side adherent layer for joinder to the outer surface of the adhesive layer, and flexure strips connected to the frontal resilient segment for imparting an outward flexure thereon so as to distend the patient'"'"'s chest region by outward pressure exerted on the adhesive layer. A pneumatically operated extension device can be connected to the frontal resilient segment for control of distension thereof in response to a pneumatic control action. The brace structure is further adapted to enable manual distension or compression of the thoracic contents.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. Chest brace apparatus for providing negative distending intra-thoracic pressure to a patient, comprising:
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adhesive means having an inner layer and an outer layer, said inner layer having means to adhere to a chest region of a patient and said outer layer manifesting an outer adherent layer; and a brace structure for substantially encircling a patient'"'"'s body and comprising a resilient strip exhibiting an oval-like shape in a non-stressed state, said resilient strip including (i) a frontal segment with a patient-side adherent layer for joinder to said outer layer of said adhesive means, and (ii) flexure means connected to said frontal segment for imparting an outward flexure to said frontal segment so as to distend a patient'"'"'s chest region by outward pressure exerted thereon via said adhesive means, thereby creating a negative intra-thoracic pressure, and wherein said frontal segment is displaced from said adhesive means when not adherent thereto, and when adherent thereto, exerts an outward distending force thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification