Artificial respiration has long been recognized as a method whereby one person can induce another, having stopped breathing, to respire. Heretofore, artificial respiration has included putting the person to receive artificial respiration on their back and tilting their head back to open the air passage to the lungs. Making sure the tongue is not obstructing the air passage, the person's nostrils are closed and the respiring person places his/her mouth over that of the person receiving artificial respiration and respiring air is blown into the person's mouth and lungs. Pulling back, the respiring air is exhaled from the lungs and mouth. This process is repeated until, for example, emergency assistance arrives.
If available, a person can artificially respire using a mouth and nose covering mask and a collapsible bag. Holding the mask over the person's nose and mouth the bag is collapsed and released to provide artificial respiration.
With diseases such as herpes, syphilis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and others, reluctance has been expressed by some to render artificial respiration. This is true since one must make intimate, mouth-to-mouth contact with the person who is to receive artificial respiration. Even if a bag respirator is available, it is often difficult to obtain a good seal about the nose and mouth for a proper respiration.
Hence, a need is seen for an inexpensive, efficient and compact device to assist in providing artificial respiration.