Importance

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Abstract

A bellows 10 is adapted to be placed on the chest of a patient and includes a closed chamber which is coupled by a conduit 20 and a first valve apparatus 22 to an airway apparatus 24 adapted to be inserted into the patient's airway, and by a second valve apparatus 26 and a conduit 28 to an inflatable bladder 30 forming part of an abdominal restraint 32 adapted to be secured about that portion of the patient's body in the region of the abdomen. As the bellows is being compressed by the application of manual force, valve apparatus 22 functions to couple the gas being expelled from the bellows into the patient's lungs via airway apparatus 24 (with valve apparatus 22 also functioning to limit the resultant lung pressure to a desired value), whereby the patient's intrathoracic pressure is increased due to the combination of the manual force applied to the patient's chest through the bellows and the pressure generated in the patient's lungs. When the bellows is being decompressed following removal of manual force therefrom, valve apparatus 22 functions to couple gas from the patient's lungs and from the atmosphere back to the bellows. Intrathoracic pressure may be further increased by the use of the abdominal restraint, with valve apparatus 26 functioning to pressurize the inflatable bladder whenever the bellows is compressed and also being selectively actuable (by a pushbutton actuator) to vent the inflatable bladder to the atmosphere so that the bladder may be deflated.

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First Claim