US 4,363,328 AGranted

Inhalation exerciser

AssigneeThermo Electron Corporation

InventorsVictor L. Poirier, Stanley D. Buczak, Robert F. Lynch, Thomas R. Salvo

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Abstract

An inhalation device for use in breathing exercises is described. The exerciser includes a thin-walled bellows whose upper end is attached to a top housing member and whose lower end deflects upward upon withdrawal of air from an opening in the upper end of the bellows. Deflection of the bellows allows accurate measurement of the volume of air inhaled by a patient and a true indication whether an inhaled breath is being held. Slotted support arms connecting the top housing member and a bottom housing member permit collapse of the device for storage and shipment of the exerciser as a compact unit. A weight attached to the lower end of the bellows provides a biasing force to assure return of the bellows to a fully extended position even after long-term storage of the device in collapsed form.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An inhalation device comprising:

a top housing member;
a bellows including an upper end attached to said top housing member and a lower end, said lower end being movable during use between an extended bellows position remote from said top housing member and a retracted bellows position adjacent to said top housing member, said lower end also being retainable in said retracted bellows position for facilitating storage of the device in compact form;
means for permitting withdrawal of air from the interior of said bellows;
means for measuring the volume of air withdrawn from said bellows;
a bottom housing member mounted in opposed relationship to said top housing member such that the bellows is positioned therebetween, said bottom housing member and said top housing member each including a tab projecting from each of two opposed sides thereof;
and
a pair of side arms supportably connecting said bottom housing member and said top housing member, each of said arms having an elongated slot therein receiving and slidably retaining one of the tabs of each of said housing members.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.