US3043292A - Inflatable, double-walled resuscitation garment - Google Patents

Description

y 10, 1962 E. s. MENDELSON 3,043,292

INFLATABLE, DOUBLE-WALLED RESUSCITATION GARMENT Filed June 26, 1959 24 g3 W Z2 Z6 J INVENTOR. .5 74/ U52/%71z 560/ MLIQA l rroPX/s/ iinited States Fatent @flflce 343,Z9Z V Patented July 10,- 1962 INFLATABLE, DOUBLE-WALLED RESUSCITA- TION GARMENT Emanuel S. Mendelson, Telford, Pa, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 26, 1959, Ser. No. 823,265

3 Ciairns. (Cl. 12830) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to devices for facilitating artificial respiration in the human body and particularly to chest respirators.

Ordinarily, chest respirators are concave shells that form an air tight chamber between the chest and the shell. Alternating positive and negative pressures applied in the chamber cause the chest to be forced inwardly and outwardly, as in breathing. The shell functions as a reaction member, for which purpose it must be sufficiently rigid to prevent it from being forced substantially out of shape by the changes in pressure that take place in the chamber. Necessary rigidity is supplied by making the shell of firm materials like sheet metal, plastics, etc.; but, although satisfactory for the purpose'of resuscitation, their rigidity and bulk limit the extent to which they can be worn with any degree of comfort as a precaution against a quick need for artificial respiration. Usually they are worn by the patient only during the time in which artificial respiration is being applied, and while he is in a supine position.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved chest respirator which is suitable for wear by an ambulating wearer.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a collapsible, inflatable, flexible chest respirator capable of being worn as an ordinary garment when collapsed and readily inflatable to rigidity for the application of artificial respiration while the patient is in a supine or other position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description of the invention when read in connection with accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective showing of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the respirator collapsed and worn by a patient;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but shows the respirator inflated.

In a general way, the invention comprises a double Walled, inflatable shell or casing made of flexible, impermeable material adapted to enclose a portion of the body, as the thoracic area, for the application of artificial respiration. The walls or panels of the shell are secured to each other at numerous points in a symmetrical pattern. Positive pressure introduced between the walls of the shell tends to extend it lengthwise into a stiffened form. Straps passed around the back of the body hold it thereto. The stiffened shell is used as a reaction member for cycling pressure.

The principle on which the shell stitfens or becomes rigid harks back to the law relating pressure, wall tension, and radii; e.g., within a fluid filled distensible tube of circular cross-section and infinite length, as a balloon, pressure affects wall tension inversely with the radius. The length of the shell in this invention is substantially greater than the distance separating the panels; therefore, its tendency to extend lengthwise will be greater than it is to widen. Consequently, it stiifens upon inflation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a form of the invention is shown in which the respirator is generally indicated by the numeral 10. It comprises an inflatable shell or casing 12 designed to cover a desired portion of the body, as, the chest, and to assume a dished or concave shape upon inflation. The casing 12 has two panels, an inner panel 14 and an outer panel 16, of suitable material which is fiexible and air impermeable. A rubber coated fabric is considered satisfactory. The peripheral edges 17 of the panels 14- and 16' are joined together by an adhesive, vulcani'zing or other suitable means so as to form an inflatable chamber 18 between the panels. At numerous points, 20, the panels, 14 and 16, are fastened together in a suitable manner, the purpose of which will be apparent hereinafter. preferred that fastening points 20 be uniformly spaced according to a pattern, for instance,.parallel rows of evenly spaced points that are staggered in relation to those in adjacent rows.

A peripheral portion 21 of the casing 12 is inwardly turned under itself, the edges 17 thereby being well under the inner panel 14 along with a part of the inflatable chamber 18. The portion 21 provides a means of sealing the casing 12, upon inflation, to the body of the patient.

Chamber 18 is connected to a suitable source of fluid pressure 22, e.g., a carbon dioxide container, by a conduit 24. A conventional valve 26 attached to conduit 24 provides a means for controlling the inflation of chamber 18 from the source 22; a second valve 23 is included for its deflation.

A tube 28 extends through both panels 14 and 16 of the casing 12 orificing in the chamber '19 between the inner panel 14 and the body of the patient.

A source of cycling fluid pressure is connected to the tube 28; it may be a motor driven apparatus or a suitable, manually operated device like the bellows 31 shown schematically. The latter is preferred for maximum portability.

Straps 32 having ends 33 and 34 secured to opposite sides of outer panel 16 of the casing 12, as by stitching, not shown, are adapted to extend around the patient and to be joined by an adjustable buckle 36, to provide a means for holding the casing on the body.

The respirator is designed to be worn conveniently in a collapsed condition either over or under the clothing of the patient, since it flattens substantially completely (FIG. 2) and is flexible. When donned, it is readily inflated by opening the valve 26. The casing 12 thereupon takes a rigid concave form (FIG. 3), since the extent of relative separation of the panels 14 and 16 is limited by the fastening points 20. The turned-under portion 21 is pressed against the body by the inflating pressure within chamber 18 sealing the chamber 19 between the inner panel 14 and the body. Alternating positive as well as negative pressure may then be applied to the covered part of the body by sequentially compressing and expanding the bellows 31, since the chamber 19 is air tight and the casing 12, stiffened on inflation and held in place by the straps 32, provides an effective reaction member. The device is deflated by opening the valve 23. As is apparent, the respirator may be readily operated by a patient in a variety of postures and circumstances.

It will be understood that it is not intended to limit this invention by theories offered to explain it, and that many of the elements, as the bellows, the valves, etc. are 1 I of usual construction and well known in the art; they may or may not be of the type shown and described in illustrating the invention. Consequently, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not ina limiting sense.

As shown, it is Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is: r

t 1. A chest respirator comprising a collapsible, inflatable casing adapted to cover the thoracic area of the 1 body, said casing, being of substantially'rectangular and linear construction and having a pairof superimposed panels of flexible, air impermeable material, said panels being secured to eachother at their peripheral edges to form an inflation chamber therebetween and a peripheral portion of said casing including part of said inflation chamber being turned under thereof to form a seal be tween the body and said casing upon inflation thereof, a plurality of uniformly spaced means securing said 5 panels to each'other at various'points thereof, means for introducing ffluid pressure into said chamber between said panels whereby said casing becomes rigid and assumes 4 secured to each other at their peripheral edges to form a an inflation chamber therebetween and a peripheral portion of said casing including part of said inflation chamher being turned under thereof to form a seal between the'wearers body and said casing upon inflation thereof, a source of gas under pressure including valve means for controlled release of said gas, conduit means communicatively connecting said source of gas to said chamber for inflation of said casing, a plurality of means securing 'said panels to each other at uniformly spaced points and in parallel rows so that said separation of said panels is restricted with inflation of said chamber and said casing assumes a rigid concave shape above .said thoracic area, strap means attached to said casing for securing said casing onsaid wearer, means for producing an alternating fluid pressure, and conduit means communicatively connecting said later means through said casing to said thoracic area thereunder whereby a pulsating pressure may be applied between said respirator and said thoracic area.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,676,587 Corcoranf, April 27, 1954' 2,833,275 Tunniclifie May 6, 1958 2,853,998 Emerson Sept. 30, 1958 2,869,537 Chu Jan. 20, 1959 2,399,955 Huxley Aug. 18, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,744

Images