This invention relates to a bellows and valve system used to administer ventilation air to a victim, either in conjunction with or without Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). The invention ensures that the rescuer does not come in mouth to mouth contact with the victim and air is delivered to the victim in an energy efficient manner. The viral diseases of AIDS, herpes, and hepatitis constitute a continuous threat to all professionals who work with the public at large or with specific sectors of the public known to be carriers of these diseases.
Hospitals and emergency care units currently stock three different sizes of ventilation bags to handle children, infants and adults. Besides this being an extra cost, the emergency vehicles have limited space for all they need to carry and stock. This device is smaller since one bellows can replace three separate bags. Also this device does not require a squeezing pressure performed by wrist muscles and is therefore a physically less tiring device to operate than the currently common Ambu bag.
The threat of catching a disease is so great today, that emergency care workers, when they are away from work, may not stop to assist in an accident because they are not adequately supported with health safety devices for their protection. The fireman, policeman, teachers, nurses, probation officers, etcetera trained in CPR, should have in their cars and where they work, a CPR aid that protects them from contracting any diseases (i.e. AIDS) from the victim. This device is something they could carry with them in their cars.
The following prior U.S. patents relating to this general field constitute all of the prior art known to the applicant. These patents were located through a novelty search made relative to applicant's invention. To make referencing of these patents easy, each patent has been given a single alphabetic designation from A to I. The following Table I summarizes the features of each of these patents. The specific patents are as follows:
A. Knapke, U.S. Pat. No. 1,918,041 1933;
B. Lombard, U.S. Pat. No. 2,535,938 1950;
C. Christman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,689 1963;
D. Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,502 1978;
E. Monaco etal, U.S. Pat. No. 3,252,457 1966;
F. Spears etal, U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,302 1962;
G. Gunderson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,725 1980;
H. Paoluccio etal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,765 1985;
I. White etal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,811 1985.
TABLE I __________________________________________________________________________ Patents Searched PATENT FACE MOUTH TO ALPHA BAG BELLOWS OXYGEN MASK MOUTH ENDOTRACHEAL __________________________________________________________________________ A NO NO NO YES NO NO B YES NO YES YES NO NO C NO NO YES YES NO NO D YES NO NO YES YES NO E NO NO YES YES YES NO F NO NO YES YES NO NO G NO YES YES YES NO NO H NO NO NO NO YES NO I NO NO YES NO YES YES __________________________________________________________________________
From this list of patents only patents B,D, and G provided a bellows or air bag for delivery of air to the victim. The patents D,E, H, and I all involved some form of mouth to mouth interface between rescuer and victim. Patents B,C,D,E,F,G, and H all used a face mask and all but one of those provided for supplemental oxygen. These same patents also involved some form of valve mechanism for air delivery to the victim. However, none of the patents provided the unique features inherent in the patent application. This system, provides for unanswered needs that include a remote variable volume bellows that is pumped by the rescuer's weight, a suction collection option, an oxygen enhance venturi valve, and a face mask valve that is controllable by the rescuer's hand to ensure a safe, open passage way of air both into and out of the victim. A special option allows for the effective purging of bad toxic air exhaled by the victim into the face mask. Currently the only means of handling a victim who has inhaled toxic fumes is to use a passive device--a face mask with holes in the side for ventilation purposes. This device with its toxic insert can be used with such a mask or with a normal fully closed mask.