Cardiac resuscitator and monitoring apparatus

A cardiac resuscitator apparatus comprising:

• an oro-pharyngeal airway for insertion into the pharynx of a patient, said airway having contact means mounted thereon for making electrical contact with tissue within the patient,
• second electrode means for external placement on the patient in the chest-abdominal region for making electrical contact with the patient in said region,
• first circuit means connected to said contact means on said airway for deriving an electrical input from the patient's heart for detecting an abnormal heart condition,
• second circuit means for generating a defibrillating pulse, said second circuit means having first and second terminals between which said defibrillation pulse is supplied, said second circuit means being responsive in its operation to detection of an abnormal heart condition by said first circuit means,
• and conductor means for respectively connecting said first and second terminals to said contact means and said second electrode means for delivering said defibrillating pulse to the patient through a current pathway in the trunk of the patient between said contact means mounted on said airway and said second electrode means for defibrillating the patient's heart.

A cardiac resuscitator apparatus comprising:

• an oro-pharyngeal airway for insertion into the pharynx of a patient, said airway having contact means mounted thereon for making electrical contact with tissue within the patient,
• second electrode means for electrically contacting the patient at another location remote from said contact means,
• electrical detecting means mounted on said airway and responsive to the patient's respiration by the detection of the flow of air past said detecting means on said airway,
• first circuit means connected at least to contact means on said airway and to said electrical detecting means for ascertaining the presence of heart associated electrical activity above a predetermined level together with the absence of respiration above a predetermined level for thereupon making a logical determination of a fibrillation condition,
• second circuit means for generating an electrical defibrillating pulse, said second circuit means being coupled to said first circuit means and responsive to said first circuit means for generating said defibrillating pulse in response to said logical determination of a fibrillation condition,
• and conductor means for coupling said second circuit means to contact means on said airway and to said second electrode means for delivering said defibrillating pulse to the patient through a current pathway in the trunk of the patient between said contact means and said second electrode means for defibrillating the patient's heart.

A cardiac resuscitator apparatus comprising:

• an oro-pharyngeal airway for insertion into the pharynx of a patient, said airway having contact means mounted thereon for making electrical contact with tissue within the patient,
• second electrode means for external placement on the patient in the chest-abdominal region for making electrical contact with the patient in said region,
• a microphone mounted on said airway for detecting the respiration of the patient by detecting a patient's breath sounds caused by the flow of air past said microphone on said airway,
• first circuit means connected to said contact means on said airway and to said second electrode means for ascertaining the presence of heart associated electrical activity above a predetermined level,
• second circuit means connected to said microphone for detecting a patient's respiration above a predetermined level,
• logical circuit means coupled to said first circuit means and said second circuit means for making a logical determination of the presence of heart associated electrical activity above a predetermined level together with the absence of respiration above a predetermined level for indicating a fibrillation condition,
• fourth circuit means for generating an electrical defibrillating pulse, said fourth circuit means being coupled to said logical circuit means and responsive to the logical determination thereof for generating said defibrillating pulse in response to determination of a defibrillation condition,
• and conductor means for coupling said fourth circuit means to said contact means on said airway and to said second electrode means for delivering said defibrillating pulse to the patient through a current pathway in the trunk of the patient between said contact means and said second electrode means for defibrillating the patient's heart.

A cardiac resuscitator apparatus comprising:

• first means for insertion into the region of a patient's mouth, said insertion means comprising electrical contact means for contacting the patient's tongue,
• external electrode means for placement on the patient in the chest-abdominal region for making electrical contact with the patient in said region,
• circuit means for generating an electrical defibrillating pulse, said circuit means having first and second terminals between which said defibrillation pulse is supplied,
• and connection means respectively coupling said first and second terminals to said contact means and said external electrode means for delivering said defibrillating pulse to the patient through a current pathway in the trunk of the patient between said contact means and said external electrode means for defibrillating the patient's heart.

A life sign monitoring system comprising:

• an airway adapted to be passed into the pharynx of a patient,
• contact means mounted on said airway,
• first means connected to said contact means for responding to electrical activity associated with the patient's heart,
• second means for sensing bodily movement of said patient, said second means comprising a sensor applied elsewhere to the body of the patient and responsive to chest expansion of the patient with respiration, said sensor comprising a strain gauge mounted upon means extending at least part way around the patient's chest comprising hinged tongs adapted to carry said strain gauge wherein said strain gauge is pressure-responsive and is disposed between said tongs and the patient's body,
• and logical means responsive to said first and said second means for indicating the presence of substantial electrical activity and whether bodily movement substantially accompanies said electrical activity.

A life sign monitoring system comprising:

• an airway adapted to be passed into the pharynx of a patient,
• contact means mounted on said airway,
• first means connected to said contact means for responding to electrical activity associated with the patient's heart,
• second means for sensing bodily movement of said patient, said second means comprising means for detecting the flow of blood in the patient, the last mentioned means including sound-sensing means, amplifier means, and filtering means responsive to blood flow sounds indicative of a sign of life, and multivibrator means responsive to blood flow indicating input from said amplifier means for standardizing the input therefrom, and integrating means for receiving the output of said multivibrator means,
• and logical means responsive to said first and second means for indicating the presence of substantial electrical activity and whether bodily movement substantially accompanies said electrical activity.