1. A patient resuscitation system in which a plurality of inflatable cuffs are arranged to extend around separate portions of a patient’s anatomy for enhancing the patient’s blood flow when the cuffs are periodically inflated and deflated, wherein a timer sets the inflation and deflation period for each cuff, the improvement comprising:
a) a primary air compressor connected to a volume chamber for providing sufficient pressure therein to inflate the cuffs;
b) a pneumatic circuit including a secondary air source for providing separate pneumatic control signals for each cuff corresponding to the inflation and deflation periods set by the timer, the pneumatic control signals having a pressure greater than that present in the volume chamber; and
c) an air handler individually connected between each cuff, the volume chamber and the atmosphere, each air handler being responsive to the pneumatic control signals and the absence of such control signals for placing the associated cuff(s) in fluid communication with the volume chamber or the atmosphere to inflate or deflate the associated cuff in accordance with the inflation and deflation periods set by the timer.
2. The resuscitation system of claim 1 wherein each air handler includes a normally open inflation diaphragm valve and a normally open deflation diaphragm valve with the inflation valve, located between each associated cuff and the volume chamber and the deflation valve located between the cuff and the atmosphere, the valves being arranged to close in response to the receipt of a pneumatic control signal and to remain open in response to the absence of said control signal.
3. The resuscitation system of claim 2 wherein the inflation diaphragm valve is in the form of an air module and the deflation diaphragm valve is in the form of an air relay, the air module and the air relay being individually responsive to the control signal or lack thereof, with the control signal being applied to only the air module or the air relay at any one time so that the application of the control signal to the air relay closes the deflation diaphragm valve which disconnects the cuff from the atmosphere and the absence of the control signal to the air module leaves the inflation diaphragm valve open inflating the cuff while the application of the control signal to the air module closes the inflation diaphragm valve and the absence of the control signal to the air relay opens the deflation diaphragm valve deflating the cuff as dictated by the timer.
4. The resuscitation system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of cuffs includes a chest cuff, an abdominal cuff and leg cuff(s), and wherein the pneumatic circuit includes a control valve for each of the cuffs, the control valves for the chest cuff and the abdominal cuff having an auto position in which the control signals are directed to the associated air modules and air relays to alternately inflate and deflate the chest cuff and the abdominal cuff, and an off position in which the associated air modules continuously receive control signals, the control valve for the leg cuffs having an auto position in which the leg cuffs are alternately inflated and deflated in accordance with the dictation of the timer, and an on position in which the leg cuffs are continuously inflated by continuously applying the control signal to the air relay while isolating the air modules from the control signal, and an off position in which the associated air module are continuously receives the control signals.
5. The resuscitation system of claim 1 further including a manually adjustable pressure and rate selector switch coupled to the volume chamber and the timer allowing the user to select two different cyclical rates of operation and two different pressures in the volume chamber wherein the timer is responsive to the cyclical rates selected by the pressure and rate selector switch to set the inflation and deflation periods accordingly.
6. The resuscitation system of claim 5 further including a source of breathable gas, a patient mask, and a manually adjustable tidal volume control unit with a multiple position selector switch responsive to the timer and connected between the breathable gas source and a patient mask, the selector switch allowing the user to determine the volume of breathable gas provided to the patient or accommodate the demands of the patient.
7. The resuscitation system of claim 1 wherein the source of pneumatic control signals is a secondary air compressor producing control signals having a pressure greater than the pressure in the volume chamber.
8. The resuscitation system of claim 3 wherein the timer is set to continuously inflate and deflate the chest and abdominal cuffs alternately, each cuff being inflated for one second and deflated for one second and wherein the timer is set to continuously inflate and deflate the leg(s) cuff with 10 seconds inflated and 2 seconds deflated.
9. The resuscitation system of claim 3 including a cyclical rate and pressure switch for setting the rate at which the timer sets the cyclical rate of inflation and deflation for the chest and abdominal cuffs and for setting the volume chamber pressure.
10. The resuscitation system of claim 9 wherein the cyclical rate is set at about 30 cycles per minute and the pressure is set at about 150 mm Hg.
11. The resuscitation system of claim 10 wherein the cyclical rate is set at about 30 cycles per minute and the pressure is set to about 100 mm of Hg.
12. A patient resuscitation system comprising:
a) an individual inflatable cuff adapted to extend around each of a patient’s chest, abdomen and leg(s) for enhancing the blood flow in the patient’s circulatory system when periodically inflated and deflated;
b) a timer for setting the inflation and deflation periods for each of the cuffs;
c) a solenoid individually associated with each cuff connected to the timer;
d) an air compressor connected to a volume chamber for providing sufficient pressure to inflate the cuffs when connected thereto;
e) a source of control signal pressure independent of the volume chamber;
f) a pneumatic circuit under the control of the solenoids and responsive to control signal pressure for providing separate pneumatic control signals for each cuff corresponding to the inflation and deflation period for that cuff; and
g) an air handler individually connected between each cuff, the volume chamber and the atmosphere, each air handler being responsive to said pneumatic control signal and the lack of the pneumatic control signal for connecting the associated cuff to the volume chamber or the atmosphere to inflate and deflate the cuff in accordance with dictates of the timer, the volume chamber pressure constituting the cuff pressure when connected thereto.
13. The resuscitation system of claim 12 further including a cyclical rate and cuff inflation pressure switch arranged to set different cyclical rates and inflation pressure.
14. The resuscitation system of claim 13 wherein the pneumatic circuit includes manually operable valves allowing an operator to override the timer and maintain the cuffs in a deflated state.
15. The resuscitation system of claim 14 wherein one of the manually operable valves allows the operator to continuously inflate the leg cuff(s).
16. The resuscitation system of claim 12 wherein each air handler includes an air module connecting and disconnecting the associated cuff to the volume chamber in the absence and presence of the control signal, respectively, and an air relay connecting and disconnecting the associated cuff to the atmosphere in the absence and presence of said pneumatic control signal, respectively.
17. The resuscitation system of claim 16 further including an exhaust valve connecting and disconnecting the leg cuff(s) air relay to the pneumatic control signal in the absence and presence of said pneumatic control signal being applied to the leg cuff(s) air module, respectively.
18. The resuscitation system of claim 17 wherein the timer is arranged to cause (1) the chest and abdomen cuffs to inflate and deflate in an out of phase relationship at about one second intervals and (2) the leg cuffs to inflate and deflate for about 10 seconds and 2 seconds, respectively.
19. The resuscitation system of claim 13 further including a source of breathable gas, a face mask and a tidal volume control unit with a multiple position selector switch connected between the source of breathable gas and the mask allowing an operator to select the volume of gas supplied to the mask.
20. A system for the resuscitating patients undergoing cardiac or other serious heart ailments comprising:
a) at least one inflatable cuff adapted to extend around a portion of the patient’s anatomy;
b) a timer for setting the time of inflation and deflation for the cuff;
c) a primary air compressor connected to a volume chamber;
d) a secondary air compressor for generating pneumatic control signals having a pressure greater than the pressure in the volume chamber;
e) an air handler connecting the cuff to the volume chamber or the atmosphere in response to the pneumatic control signals for inflating or deflating the cuff; and
f) a pneumatic circuit under the control of the timer for channeling the control signals to the air handlers to inflate and deflate the cuff as dictated by the timer.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein said at least one cuff comprises a plurality of individual cuffs adapted to extend around separate portions of the patient’s anatomy and wherein the system timer is arranged to set the inflation and deflation period for each of the cuffs and further including a separate air handler for each cuff.
22. The system of claim 20 wherein the system includes a cyclical rate and volume chamber pressure switch allowing an operator to set the chamber pressure to at least two different pressures and cyclical rates.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A lift system for use in loading a cot into and unloading a cot from an interior of an ambulance, the cot having a head end, at least one load wheel, and a support frame, the system comprising:
a first rail coupled to the ambulance by a brace and further coupled to the ambulance at a first axle, wherein the first rail pivots at the first axle;
a linear actuator coupled to the ambulance and to the brace, wherein the linear actuator has a length and is configured to mechanically vary the length of the linear actuator;
a first extension coupled to the first rail such that the first extension may move axially relative to the first rail;
the first extension including a cot clamp device, the cot clamp device configured to detachably couple to the support frame such that when the cot clamp device is coupled to the support frame the cot clamp device and the support frame are of substantially fixed relative distance, wherein activation of the linear actuator pivots the extension to support at least a portion of the weight of the cot.
2. The lift system of claim 1, further comprising:
a second rail coupled to the ambulance at a second brace and a second axle, a second extension coupled to the second rail such that the second extension may move axially relative to the second rail and extend beyond the interior of the ambulance; a second interface coupled to the second extension that may be detachably coupled to the support frame substantially opposite to the cot clamping device.
3. The lift system of claim 1, wherein the linear actuator is a motorized winch.
4. The lift system of claim 1, wherein the interior of the ambulance has a load end and a cab end opposite the load end and wherein the linear actuator is fixedly coupled to the interior of the ambulance adjacent to the cab end.
5. The lift system of claim 2, wherein the first brace and the second brace comprise a single structure.
6. The lift system of claim 2, wherein the first axle and the second axle comprise a single structure.
7. The lift system of claim 2, wherein the second rail is separated from the first rail by a distance, and wherein the distance is adjustable.
8. The lift system of claim 1, wherein the first brace is shaped to accommodate a portion of the support frame of the cot.
9. The lift system of claim 1, wherein the cot clamping device is shaped to define at least a partial sleeve of a portion of the support frame.
10. The lift system of claim 2, wherein the first rail is substantially parallel to the second rail and further comprising a base plate fixedly coupled to the ambulance and coupled to at least one axle wherein the position of the at least one axle relative to the base plate is adjustable in a position that is substantially perpendicular to first rail and the second rail.
11. The lift system of claim 2, further comprising a first leg between the first rail and the first axle, and a second leg between the second rail and the second axle.
12. A method of lifting a load on a transport into and out of a vehicle having an interior floor at a height, the transport having a carriage and a support frame, the method comprising:
providing at least one extendable rail having a first end, a cot clamp device and a second end substantially enclosed in the vehicle;
coupling the rail to the interior of the vehicle at a brace located at the first end and at an axle;
extending the rail outside of the vehicle;
allowing the brace to pivot the rail about the axle, bringing the second end of the rail in closer proximity to the transport;
coupling the cot clamp device to the support frame of the transport;
securing the cot clamping device to the support frame of the transport;
moving the brace to pivot about the rail while the cot clamping device is coupled to the support frame of the transport sufficiently to raise the carriage of the transport to the height of the interior floor of the vehicle; and
laterally manipulating the transport into the vehicle.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the support frame has a peripheral width and the at least one extendable rails provided includes a first extendable rail and a second extendable rail separated by a rail width.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of adjusting the rail width to substantially equal the peripheral width of the support frame.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the support frame of the transport is more narrow than the rail width and is provided with at least one cot clamp device arm adjacent to each side of the support frame and an adjustable length crossmember coupling at least one of cot clamp device arms to the support frame the method further comprising adjusting the crossmember such that the distance between the cot clamp device arms corresponds to the rail width.
16. A lift system for use in loading a cot into and unloading a cot from an interior of an ambulance, the cot having a head end, at least one load wheel, a cot clamp device cot mechanism, at least one cot clamp device cot mechanism hole and a support frame, the system comprising:
a first rail coupled to the ambulance by a brace and further coupled to the ambulance at a first axle, wherein the first rail pivots at the first axle;
a second rail coupled to the ambulance at a second brace and a second axle, a second extension coupled to the second rail such that the second extension may move axially relative to the second rail and extend beyond the interior of the ambulance;
a linear actuator coupled to the ambulance and to the brace, wherein the linear actuator has a length and is configured to mechanically vary the length of the linear actuator, wherein the linear actuator is a motorized winch;
a first extension coupled to the first rail such that the first extension may move axially relative to the first rail;
the first extension including a cot clamp device, the cot clamp device including a first cot clamp device arm, the first cot clamp device arm configured to pivot with respect to the first extension and configured with at least one hole, the first cot clamp device arm configured to detachably couple to the at least one cot clamp device cot mechanism hole by alignment of the at least one hole of the first cot clamp device arm with the at least one cot clamp device cot mechanism hole and insertion of a cot clamp device pin therein, such that when the cot clamp device is coupled to the support frame the cot clamp device and the support frame are of substantially fixed relative distance, wherein activation of the linear actuator pivots the extension to support at least a portion of the weight of the cot.
17. The lift system of claim 16, wherein the first cot clamp device arm is configured to slide with respect to the first extension.
18. The lift system of claim 17, wherein the interior of the ambulance has a load end and a cab end opposite the load end and wherein the linear actuator is fixedly coupled to the interior of the ambulance adjacent to the cab end.
19. The lift system of claim 18, wherein the first brace and the second brace comprise a single structure.
20. The lift system of claim 16, wherein the first axle and the second axle comprise a single structure.