Resuscitation method and apparatus

The method of resuscitating a patient having cardiocirculatory arrest, comprising

• passing a supple band around the thorax of the patient so that the band is adapted when tautened to conform substantially to the contour of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• exerting a side-to-side clasping action on the thorax at its side portions and guiding the band for longitudinal movement over the clasped portions so that the tautening of the band exerts the clasping action and produces force components directed inwardly of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• tautening the band so that force components produce intrathoracic pressures sufficient to propel the blood of the patient into effective capillary circulation in the extrathoracic regions, said tautening step comprising drawing two end portions of the band substantially equal distances to the same side of the thorax while opposing bodily movement of the thorax to said same side,
• loosening the band so as to allow the elastic tissues of the patient's body to return blood to the intrathoracic region, and
• continuing to alternately tauten and loosen the band in a resuscitative rhythm.

The method of resuscitating a patient having cardiocirculatory arrest, comprising

• passing a supple band around the thorax of the patient so that the band is adapted when tautened to conform substantially to the contour of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• exerting a side-to-side clasping action on the thorax at its side portions and guiding the band for longitudinal movement over the clasped portions so that the tautening of the band exerts the clasping action and produces force components directed inwardly of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• tautening the band so that the force components produce intrathoracic pressures sufficient to propel the blood of the patient into effective capillary circulation in the extrathoracic regions,
• loosening the band so as to allow the elastic tissues of the patient's body to return blood to the intrathoracic region,
• continuing to alternately tauten and loosen the band in a resuscitative rhythm,
• setting an adjustable limit, after the band is in place around the thorax, for a parameter affecting the tautness of the band in accordance with the patient's body size and the amount of pressure to be applied to the thorax, and enforcing the limit each time the band is tautened.

The method of resuscitating a patient having cardiocirculatory arrest, comprising

• passing a supple band around the thorax of the patient so that the band is adapted when tautened to conform substantially to the contour of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• exerting a side-to-side clasping action on the thorax at its side portions and guiding the band for longitudinal movement over the clasped portions so that the tautening of the band exerts the clasping action and produces force components directed inwardly of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• tautening the band so that the force components produce intrathoracic pressures sufficient to propel the blood of the patient into effective capillary circulation in the extrathoracic regions,
• loosening the band so as to allow the elastic tissues of the patient's body to return blood to the intrathoracic region,
• continuing to alternately tauten and loosen the band in a resuscitative rhythm,
• juxtaposing the patient with a base member and with first and second band-guide members contoured to clasp the thorax at its side portions,
• traversing one of the band-guide members with respect to the base member in order to exert the clasping action, and
• using the other band-guide member to oppose bodily movement of the thorax to the one side.

The method of resuscitating a patient having cardiocirculatory arrest, comprising

• passing a supple band around the thorax of the patient so that the band is adapted when tautened to conform substantially to the contour of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• exerting a side-to-side clasping action on the thorax at its side portions and guiding the band for longitudinal movement over the clasped portions so that the tautening of the band exerts the clasping action and produces force components directed inwardly of the thorax around a major portion of its periphery,
• tautening the band so that the force components produce intrathoracic pressures sufficient to propel the blood of the patient into effective capillary circulation in the extrathoracic regions,
• loosening the band so as to allow the elastic tissues of the patient's body to return blood to the intrathoracic region,
• continuing to alternately tauten and loosen the band in a resuscitative rhythm,
• intensifying the inwardly directed force components on one portion of the thorax by placing a semi-rigid, surface-cushioned pad between the thorax portion and the band.