GB2204498A

GB2204498A - Resuscitator

Info

Publication number: GB2204498A
Application number: GB08710720A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Jackson
Original assignee: F A LESTER; Polyplas Ltd
Current assignee: F A LESTER; Polyplas Ltd
Priority date: 1987-05-06
Filing date: 1987-05-06
Publication date: 1988-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2007-05-06
Also published as: GB2204498B; GB8710720D0

Abstract

A device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation comprises a mouthpiece assembly having a first mouthpiece (1) with a free end (2) for fitting into a patient's mouth, a second mouthpiece (3) with a free end (4) for fitting into the mouth of the resuscitator, a non-return valve (22) allowing air flow through the mouthpieces from the resuscitator to the patient but not in the reverse direction, and a flexible, impermeable barrier (20) extending radially outwardly from a medial region of the mouthpiece assembly. The device is in two parts which clip together to hold the barrier 20 and valve 22. <IMAGE>

Description

DEVICE FOR USE IN MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION This invention relates to a device for use in mouthto-mouth resuscitation. This is a well-known and widelypracticed technique which can be extremely valuable in saving lives in emergency situations. With the spread of Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, however, there is a natural reluctance to give such resuscitation to a stranger. A device has been proposed that attempts to prevent physical contact between the patient and the resuscitator, but police and ambulance crews using the device have been very critical of its efficiency. The object of the present invention is to provide a device that will allow resuscitation to be performed in more or less the normal manner, but that will give the resuscitator substantially complete protection against contact with any of the patient's body fluids.

According to the invention a device for use in mouthto-mouth resuscitation comprises a mouthpiece assembly having a first mouthpiece with a free end for fitting into a patient's mouth, a second mouthpiece with a free end for fitting into the mouth of the resuscitator, a non-return valve allowing air flow through the mouthpieces from the resuscitator to the patient but not in the reverse direction, and a flexible, impermeable barrier extending radially outwardly from a medial region of the mouthpiece assembly.

In use, the resuscitator places the first mouthpiece into the patient's mouth, covers the whole of the nose and lower facial region with the barrier, pinches the patient's nose through the barrier material and, placing the second mouthpiece into his own mouth, proceeds with the usual mouth-to-mouth resuscitation routine. On blowing into the patient's mouth the valve allows free flow of air to the patient, but on compression of the patient's lungs during exhalation the exhaled air cannot pass through the mouthpiece assembly to the resuscitator and instead is diverted around the patient's side of the barrier. Body fluids that may be exhaled by the patient can thus not reach the resuscitator, and the barrier also gives the resuscitator protection against facial bleeding from the patient and against mucus and vomit from the patient.

Preferably the first and second mouthpieces are separate members joined together in an interface region, and the non-return valve is located in the interface region. Such arrangement can render manufacture and assembly of the device extremely straightforward.

Conveniently the non-return valve is an impermeable disc retained between the first and second mouthpieces for free oscillation between a first seating on the first mouthpiece and a second seating on the second mouthpiece, engagement of the disc on the first seating leaves free air passage arond the periphery of the disc from the interface region to the free end of the first mouthpiece and engagement of the disc on the second seating closes passage from the interface region to the free end of the second mouthpiece.

Conveniently the first seating comprises a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from a passageway section of the second mouthpiece, the circumference of the passageway section being greater than the circumference of the disc.

Desirably each rib is of stepped configuration having a first section which guides the periphery of the disc during its oscillatory movement and a second section forming part of the first seating. If the disc itself is of sufficient thickness then it is guided at all times by this rib configuration and thus prevented from unwanted jamming.

Conveniently the barrier is secured in position between the first and second mouthpieces in the interface region thereof, and in that region the first and second mouthpieces may be formed with inter-engaging configurations, between which the barrier may be held.

The barrier can be a simple, flat, substantially circular sheet of flexible plastics material, or it may be moulded from flexible plastics material to a form giving an impression of facial contour. However, a fully moulded mask is unnecessary as it is essential that the mask have sufficient flexibility to enable it to be readily used on any patient.

In order that the invention may be better understood a specific embodiment of a device in accordance therewith will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the device; Fig. 2 is a part elevation, part longitudinal crosssection through the device; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively enlarged sections of parts of the device; and Fig. 5 is a section in the direction of line V-V in Fig. 1, with parts removed for simplicity.

Referring now to the drawings these show a device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, comprising a mouthpiece assembly having a first mouthpiece shown generally as 1 with a free end 2 for fitting into a patient's mouth, and a second mouthpiece shown generally as 3 with a free end 4 for fitting into the mouth of the resuscitator. Each mouthpiece is moulded from a suitable plastics material. The free end of the first mouthpiece is of oval configuration and extends from an oval flange 5, from the opposite side of which extends a circular boss 6.

The inner surface of the boss 6 forms a passageway section from which six ribs such as 7 extend radially inwardly.

Each rib is of stepped configuration and has a first section 8 and a second section 9 projecting inwardly further than the first section. A seating surface 10 is formed between the sections 8 and 9. A rib 11 is formed around the outer circumference of the boss 6, and a groove 12 is formed in the face 13 of flange 5, extending around the boss 6.

The second mouthpiece 3 incorporates a cup-shaped section 13 terminating in a flange 14. The inner wall 15 of the cup-shaped section has an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the boss 6, and includes on its inner surface a circumferential groove 16 that is complementary to the rib 11. The flange 14 has a rib 17 that is complementary to the groove 12.

Each second section 8 of the ribs 7 is slightly tapered at 18 so as to form a rim 19 that will seat on the face 20 of the cup-shaped section 13 of the first mouthpiece when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1.

The device also incorporates a circular barrier sheet 20 of flexible plastics material having an inner circular opening 21 that is a close fit around the boss 6.

Finally, a valve disc 22 of impermeable material is provided, the disc having a diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of the circle inscribed within the second sections 8 of the ribs 7.

The device is simply assembled by inserting the valve disc 22 into the mouthpiece section 1 so that the disc seats on the parts 10 of the ribs. The barrier 20 is then fitted over the boss 6 and the second mouthpiece section 3 is presented to the first mouthpiece section so that the cup 13 fits over the boss 6. The two sections are then pressed together until the groove 16 snaps over the rib 11 and the rib 17 engages in groove 12 in order to trap the barrier in place and seal it against the two mouthpieces.

When assembled it will be seen that the valve disc 22 can oscillate freely between a first limit position 'wherein it seats on the parts 10 of the ribs 7 and a second limit position wherein it seats on the face 20 of the second mouthpiece. In this second position, passage from the first mouthpiece to the second mouthpiece is closed, while in the first position air can pass from the second mouthpiece around the circumference of the valve disc 22 and through the spaces between the ribs 7 into the first mouthpiece.

In operation, a resuscitator introduces the first mouthpiece 1 into the mouth of the patient and covers the lower part of the patient's face with the barrier 20. He then squeezes the patient's nose through the barrier material and places his own mouth to the second mouthpiece 3. When he blows through the second mouthpiece air passes into the patient's lungs. After the lungs have been inflated the patient's chest is then pressed to cause exhalation, but the exhaled breath together with any body fluids carried thereby cannot pass the non-return valve disc 22 so that the resuscitator is protected from contact with the exhalation. The exhaled breath is dispersed around the barrier 20 on the patient's side thereof. The barrier also protects the resuscitator against contact with any facial bleeding or body fluids that lie on the patient's side of the barrier.

It will be understood that many variations can be made to the specific configurations of the mouthpieces, and that the valve arrangement can be changed from that specifically described. Furthermore, the barrier need not be a circular flat sheet of material, but could be a sheet of any other configuration. In one form the barrier could be moulded to a form giving an impression of facial contour, but even then it should be of a material sufficiently flexible enabling it accurately to be positioned over a patient's face.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, comprising a mouthpiece assembly having a first mouthpiece with a free end for fitting into a patient's mouth, a second mouthpiece with a free end for fitting into the mouth of the resuscitator, a non-return valve allowing air flow through the mouthpieces from the resuscitator to the patient but not in the reverse direction, and a flexible, impermeable barrier extending radially outwardly from a medial region of the mouthpiece assembly.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the first and second mouthpieces are separate members joined together in an interface region, and the non-return valve is located in the interface region.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the nonreturn valve is an impermeable disc retained between the first and second mouthpieces for free oscillation between a first seating on the first mouthpiece and a second seating on the second mouthpiece, engagement of the disc on the first seating leaves free air passage arond the periphery of the disc from the interface region to the free end of the first mouthpiece and engagement of the disc on the second seating closes passage from the interface region to the free end of the second mouthpiece.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which the first seating comprises a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from a passageway section of the second mouthpiece, the circumference of the passageway section being greater than the circumference of the disc.

5. A device according to claim 4 in which each rib is of stepped configuration having a first section which guides the periphery of the disc during its oscillatory movement and a second section forming part of the first seating.

6. A device according to any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the barrier is secured in position between the first and second mouthpieces in the interface region thereof.

7. A device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A device according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the first and second mouthpieces are formed with inter engaging configurations in the interface region thereof.

8. -A device according to claims 6 and 7 in which the barrier is held between at least part of the inter engaging configurations.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the barrier is a substantially circular sheet of flexible plastics material.

10. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in which the barrier is moulded from flexible plastics material to a form giving an impression of facial contour.

11. A device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS 1. A device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, comprising a first mouthpiece having a first end for fitting into a patient's mouth and a second end defining a first valve seating and a first part of an interlock arrangement, a second mouthpiece having a first end for fitting into the mouth of a resuscitator and a second end defining a second valve seating and a second part of an interlock arrangement, the two mouthpieces being secured together at an interface region by engagement of the interlock arrangements, a valve member in the form of an impermeable disc mounted for free oscillation between a first position engaging the first valve seating but allowing free passage of air from the second to the first mouthpiece, and a second position in sealing engagement with the second valve seating to prevent the passage of air from the first to the second mouthpiece, means guiding the disc between the two seating positions, and a flexible, impermeable barrier secured between the mouthpieces at the interface region thereof and extending radially outwardly from the interface region.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the first valve seating comprises a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from a passageway section of the first mouthpiece, the circumference of the passageway section being greater than the circumference of the disc.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which each rib is of stepped configuration having a first section which guides the periphery of the disc during its oscillatory movement and a second section forming part of the first valve seating.

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the barrier is held between at least part of the interengaging configurations.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the barrier is a substantially circular sheet of flexible plastics material.

6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the barrier is moulded from flexible plastics material to a form giving an impression of facial contour.