US2240838A - Respirator - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1941.

J. H. EMERSON RESPIRATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6, 1941. .J. H. EMERSON RESPIRATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet WIIIIIIIIIII Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nnsrma'ron John a. Emerson, Cambridge, Mass.

Application January 6, 1941, Serial No. 373,213

6 Claims.

This invention relates to artificial respirators for stimulating breathing in persons suffering from infantile paralysis, and more particularly to an improvement permitting the patients arms to be raised and elbows to be bent while confined in the respirator, to thereby prevent the arm muscles and tendons from becoming permanently stretched, a condition which results when the arms remain extended at his sides for a prolonged Period of time.

This invention consists of an improvement upon a well-known type of prior art artificial respirator which comprises a substantially horizontal air-tight casing having a removable end wall to which the end of a sliding bed is attached. The removable end wall is provided with an opening through which the patients head may be passed as he reclines upon the bed. When the removable end wall is moved toward the open end of the horizontal casing the bed slides into the casing through its open end and when the end wall is closed against the end of the casing, the patients body reclines upon the bed and is enclosed in the casing from his feet up to his neck, and his head protrudes outwardly from the end wall of the casing. Alternate negative and positive or atmospheric pressures are created within the casing in time with the normal respiration periods of the patient. Each period of negative pressure created within the casing causes the patients chest and lugs to expand whereby fresh air is drawn into his lungs through his nose and month. Each period of positive or atmospheric pressure created within the casing causes the patients chest to collapse whereby the gases contained in his lungs are expelled through his nose and mouth. Such a prior art respirator is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,060,706.

Patients suffering from infantile paralysis remain confined in an artificial respirator continuously for periods ranging from a week to many months. To permit moving the respirator from room to room of a hospital as well as to maintain a relatively small air space about the patients body in the casing, it has been customary to make the casing of a width and height permitting it to pass through an ordinary doorway. While confined in the casing of a respirator of that size it is necessary for the patient to keep his arms extended along his sides on the bed. Since he is thus confined for many days the tendons and muscles that raise his arm at the shoulder and those that raise his forearm become stretched and when he is finally able to leave the respirator these muscles and tendons have frequently become permanently deformed or set in stretched position and he is unable to bend his elbows or raise his arms to the maximum normal extent.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a detachable enlarged casing portion which may be quickly and efliciently installed and removed from any standard respirator of the class in question, and which provides a space of sumcient size to permit raising of the patients arms and the bending of his elbows to the desired position while he is confined in the respirator. Further objects are the provision of such a detachable enlarged casing portion which may be opened while installed on the respirator and which is small enough to permit it to be carried while detached through a doorway of ordinary width and which is not so large as to increase the volume of the interior air space of a respirator casing to such an extent that the pressure alternating means for the ordinary respirator becomes inadequate to create alternate negative and positive pressures of the required amount in a respirator having the enlarged casing portion installed thereon.

Other objects relate to the construction and mode of operation, and will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings which exemplify one embodiment of the invention chosen for the purposes of illustration.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view with one end broken away of a respirator having my detachable enlarged casing portion installed thereon;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the respirator of Fig 1, in closed position but with the bed removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the lines 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The respirator illustrated comprises the casing I0 and the removable end wall II to which the head end of the bed I! is attached. The bottom of the bed is attached to the rod l3 so that the bed is located above this rod. The foot end of the bed is provided with a pair of rollers (not shown) which rest upon the inner wall of the casing Ill so that as the end wall H is moved toward the end of the casing (from the position of Fig. 1 to the closed position of Fig. 2) the bed slides into the casing l0 and the rollers at the foot end of the bed travel longitudinally along the wall of the casing. The rod i3 serves as a longitudinal axis about which the bed may be rotated to different angular positions for comfort of the patient.

The central hole provided in the end wall II is The casing I0 is supported by four legs I! each of which is provided with a caster l8. The removable end wall I l is supported by a pair of legs I! each of which is provided with a caster'20. Thus the removableend wall II and its attached bed |2 may be easily moved toward and away from the open end of the casing it for insertion of the patient, and the casing with the end wall in closed position may be easily moved from room to room of the hospital.

A flexible leather diaphragm 25 forms a closure for the foot endof the casing and also forms part of the respirator pressure alternating device. This diaphragm is operated by an operating arm 26 which has its upper end pivotally secured at 21 to the rigid diaphragm extension 28 and its lower end pivotally secured at 29 to the connecting rod 30. The operating arm is pivotally secured at 3| to the rigid extension member 32 which is secured to the bottom of the casing Ill.

The conecting rod 30 is reciprocated back. and forth horizontally by an electric motor (not shown) Such reciprocation causes reciprocation of the operating arm 26 about the pivot 3| thereby causing the diaphragm 25 to be moved in and out of the end of the casing 0. When the diaphragm is moved into the casing it creates positive pressure therein causing the patients lugs to collapse and i'orcing'an exhalation. When the diaphragm is returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 it creates negative pressure in the casing causing the patients lungs to expand and therebv drawing fresh air into the lungs through '45 the patients nose and mouth, causing an inhalation. The speed of the motor is controllable so that the diaphragm may be reciprocated from twelve to sixty times per minute. depending upon the normal rate of respiration of the patient and upon the ailliction for which he is being treated.

The enlarged casing 40 has an integral end wall 4| which is provided with a transverse opening adapted to register with the open end of the casing l0 and which is large enough to permit the bed to he slid freely therethrough. As shown in Fig. 2, the flange 42, which surrounds this transverse opening, fits loosely within the end of the casing l0. A projecting member 43 is secured to the casing i0 and a rubber sealing member 44 extends around the end of the casing and is retained by the member 43 (see Fig. 3). Six clamp-su porting members 46 are provided and each of th mproiects outwardly from the end wall Each of the clamp-supporting members 46 has an exteriorlv threaded outer end and is provided with an interiorly threaded nut 41. Six clamp members 48 are provided. one for each clamp-supporting member. The clamp 48 has a transverse perforation which is of such size that it will loosely receive the end of the clamp-supporting member 46. When the clamp is mounted on the clamp-supporting member it may be rotated about said member to a position in which a portion of the clamp adjacent one of its ends abuts one side of the projecting member 43. when the nut 41 is thereafter screwed toward the end 4|, one end of the clamp is forced into engagement with the end 4| of the enlarged casing and a portion adjacent the other end of the clamp is forced into engagement with the projecting member 48 thereby causing the end 4| to be drawn against the protruding side of the sealing member 44, as shown in Fig. 3. When each of the nuts 41 has been thus tightened the end wall 4| of the enlarged casing is effectively supported at the end of the casing I0 and an airtight seal i effected between them.

An enlarged removable end wall 50 is detachably secured against the other end of the enlarged casing 40 by means of the clamps 5| which are rotatably supported on the bolts 52. These clamps are rotatable to engage the lugs 53, thereby forcing the inner face of the end wall 56 against the rubber sealing disk 54 which is supported upon the periphery of the casing 40 by the outstanding member 55 (see Fig. 2).

The enlarged end wall 50 is provided with an outstanding flange 60 surrounding a transverse opening which extends through said end wall and which is large enough to permit the bed to be freely passed therethrough. A rubber sealing member 6| is supported upon the flange 60. Seven spaced clamp-supporting members 62 pro ject outwardly from the end wall 50 and each is provided with a nut 63 and a clamp 64 which clamp is slidable longitudinally of the clampsupporting member 62. The enlarged end wall 50 is clamped to the smaller end wall II by arranging the seven clamps 64 in the position shown in Fig. 4 and tightening the nuts 63, thereby forcing one end of each clamp into engage ment with the end wall 50 and a portion adjacent the other end'into engagement with the outstanding portion 10 of the end wall II. This draws the portion I0 of the end wall against the sealing member 6| causing said sealing member to be slightly compressed between the portion 10 and the end wall 50, as shown in Fig. 4.

Two hook I2 serve to support splints (not shown) which may be secured to the patients forearms.

The enlarged casing 40 is supported on the legs 14 and casters 15. The width of the enlarged casing 40 is small enough so that it may be carried edgewise through a door of ordinary size and so that when attached to a respirator of ordinary size the enlarged interior air space formed by the combined casings l0 and 4|] is not too large for the diaphragm 25 to properly function to create alternate negative and positive pressures therein. As shown in Fig. 1, the interior of the enlarged casing 40 is amply large enough to permit the patients elbows to be bent and his forearms to be elevated therein.

To attach the enlarged casing to any prior art respirator the removable end wall II and bed i2 are completely removed from the casing I0. The foot end of the bed is then passed through the opening in the enlarged end wall 50 and said end wall is then secured in air-tight position against the projecting portion 10 of the end wall II by rotating the clamps 64 to the proper positions and tightening the nut 63 which causes the clamps 64 to engage the portion I0 and the end wall 50. The end 4| of the casing 40 is then secured in air-tight position against the end of the casing III by rotating the clamps 48 to the proper position and tightening the nuts 41, thereby causing the clamps 48 to engage the projecting member, 43 and the end wall ll. The end of the bed l2 'is then slid into the casings l and I0 and the enlarged end wall 50 is clamped against the end of the casing 40 by means of the clamps 5| and lugs 53. This provides an airtight chamber enclosing the patients body up to his chin.

To remove the enlarged casing it is merely necessary to release the nuts 41 and 63 and swing the clamps l8 and 64 out of engagement with the member 43 and I0, respectively. With the enlarged casing 40 removed, the end wall H of the respirator may be clamped against the end of the casing l0 by clamps 80 which cooperate with lugs (not shown) similar to the lugs 53 but located on the periphery of the end wall II.

The respirator with the enlarged casing detached is suitable for use upon patients suffering from drowning or asphyxiation who remain therein for periods of only a few hours. By virtue of this invention a hospital having several prior art respirators may use any of them for patients whose ailiiction requires treatment in the respirator for only a short period of time, and whenever the occasion arises for treatment of a patient suffering" from infantile paralysis one of the same respirators may be moved to his room and the enlarged casing quickly installed thereon to convert the respirator into one suitable for prolonged treatment of the patient.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment oi, the invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts and substitution of equivalent elements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casing with one open end, a bed slidable into and out of the open end of said casing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, the improvement which comprises an enlarged casing having an opening in each end through each of which openings said bed may be passed, a compressible sealing member located exteriorly of one of said openings of said enlarged casing, means for detachably holding one end of said enlarged casing in engagement with a portion of said sealing member and the open end of said respirator casing in engagement with another portion of said sealing member, another compressible sealing member located exteriorly of the opening in the opposite end of said enlarged casing, and means for detachably holding said removable respirator end wall in engagement with a portion of said latter sealing member and the said latter end of said enlarged casing in engagement with another portion of said sealing member whereby the enlarged casing is detachably secured adjacent one end of the artificial respirator.

2. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casing with one open end, a bed slidable into and out of the open end of said casing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, the improvement which comprises an enlarged end' member having an opening through which the bed may be passed,

a compressible sealing member located exteriorly of said opening, means for detachably securing said removable end wall in engagement with a portion of said sealing member and said enlarged end member in engagement with another portion of said sealing member, an enlarged casing having an opening at each end through each of which openings said bed may be passed, a compressible sealing member located exteriorly of one of saidopenings of said enlarged casing, means for detachably securing one end of said enlarged casing in engagement with a portion of said latter sealing member and the. open end of the respirator casing in engagement with another portion of said sealing member, and means for detachably securing said enlarged end member to the open end of said enlarged casing whereby an openable enlarged casing is detachably secured adjacent one end of the artificial respirator.

3. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casing with one open end, a member projecting from the surface of said casing adjacent said open end and a bed slidable into and out of the open end of said casing, the improvement which comprises an enlarged casing having an opening in one end wall through which said bed may be passed, a clamp-supporting member associated with said end wall of the enlarged casing and projecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted on said clampsupporting member, and means associated with said clamp-supporting member upon actuation of which said clamp is releasably secured in a .position wherein a portion of the clamp engages said end wall and another portion of the clamp engages said projecting member of the respirator casing, whereby said end wall of the enlarged casing is detachably secured against the end of the respirator casing with their respective bed-receiving openings substantially in registration.

4. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casing with one open end, a member projecting from the surf-ace of said casing adjacent said open end and a bed slidable into and out of the open end of said casing, the improvement which comprises an enlarged casing having an opening in one end wall through which said bed may be passed, a clamp-supporting member associated with said end wall of said enlarged casing and projecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted on said clamp-supporting member, a compressible sealing member adjacent the member which projects from the surface of the respirator casing adjacent its open end, and means associated with said clamp-supporting member upon actuation of which said clamp is releasably secured in a position wherein a. portion of the clamp engages said member which projects from the respirator casing and holds the end wall of the enlarged casing in engagement with a portion of said sealing member whereby said enlarged casing is detachably secured against the end of the respirator casing with their respective bedreceiving openings substantially in registration.

5. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casing with one open end, a bed slidable into and out of the open end of said casing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, the improvement which comprises an enlarged casing having an opening in one end wall through which said bed may be passed, a clamp-supporting member associated with said end wall of the enlarged casing and projecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted on said clamp-supporting member, and means associated with said clamp-supporting pirator with the bed passing through the bedreceiving opening of said end wall of the enlarged casing.

6. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casing with one open end, a bed slid-able into and out of the open end of said casing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, the improvement which com-- prises an enlarged casing having an opening in one end wall through which said bed may be passed, a clamp-supporting member associated with saidend wall of the enlarged casing and projecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted on said clamp-supporting member, a compressible sealing member located between said clamp-supporting member and the edge of the opening in said end wall of the enlarged casing and means associated with said clamp-supporting member upon actuation of which said clamp is releasably secured in a position wherein a portion of said clamp engages the removable wall of the respirator casing and holds said wall in engagement with a portion of said sealing member whereby said wall is detachably secured against said wall of the enlarged casing with the bed passing through the bed-receiving opening of said end wall of the enlarged casing.

JOHN H. EMERSON.

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