MANUAL CPR APPARATUS WITH FORCE MULTIPLIER

摘要

A manual CPR apparatus for increasing the flow of blood in a patient suffering cardiac arrest. A force multiplier mounts to a base contoured to seat near a central region of the patient's chest. The force multiplier connects to a manual actuator and belt connectors which, in turn, connect to opposite ends of a substantially inelastic belt wrapped around the patient's chest. The force multiplier doubles the force manually applied to the actuator and directs it through the base toward the chest. The force multiplier includes two assemblies. The first has a pair of arms rigidly connected in the same plane to a trolley assembly and two grippable handles extending perpendicularly from either side of the trolley assembly. The trolley then attaches to a center post that rises from the base of the unit. The second assembly has a pair of vertical struts that attach to opposite sides of the base on either side of the pair of arms of the first assembly. The vertical struts pivotally attach to the centers of the pair of arms of the first assembly. The' arms of the first assembly further rigidly connect at opposite ends to a rigid, inelastic belt that encircles the chest of the patient. These arms have a pivotal mounting to the vertical struts at a fulcrum on the first assembly intermediate the handle and belt ends. A force applied to the handle causes the two ends of the two arms attached to the trolley assembly to move down the center post towards the base forcing the opposite end ends of the arms to rotate in the opposite direction around the pivotal mounts on the vertical struts. The rotation of the first assembly arms against the inelastic belt causes the base of the apparatus to move towards the center of the chest. The CPR apparatus pulls against the ends of the belt, resulting in a substantially insignificant movement of the belt while depressing the center of the chest.