Portable lung purger and ventilator system

A method for purging airborne contaminants from the lungs, comprising the steps of:

• grasping in one or both of an individual's hands a lung purging apparatus having a housing including a mouthpiece and a hand gripping surface area sized and configured to be supported in an individual's hand, the apparatus further having a vacuum airflow system extending from the mouthpiece to an exhaust, a drive system for driving the vacuum airflow system to generate a vacuum at the mouthpiece and a power system for controllably powering the drive system;
• placing the mouthpiece at the individual's mouth;
• activating the lung purging apparatus to generate a vacuum at the mouthpiece;
• and
• continuing application of the vacuum for a selected time period.

A portable lung purger and ventilator system for exhausting airborne contaminants from the lungs, comprising:

• a case sized and configured to be held in the palm of an individual's hand, having a hand grip adapted to be grasped by an individual and a mouthpiece sized and configured for placement at an individual's mouth, said mouthpiece having an inlet for receiving a gas stream from the individual's mouth and an outlet for transferring a gas stream received through the inlet;
• a vacuum pump disposed in said case having an inlet in fluid communication with said mouthpiece for receiving a gas stream and an outlet for exhausting a gas stream received through said pump inlet;
• a drive disposed in said case operatively connected with said vacuum pump for providing motive power thereto;
• a switch disposed in said case operatively connected with said drive for controlling operation thereof;
• and
• a portable power source disposed in said case operatively connected with said drive for providing power thereto.

A portable lung purging apparatus for removing airborne contaminants from the lungs, comprising:

• a generally tubular housing sized to be held in the palm of an individual's hand, having a gripping surface adjacent a rearward end thereof and a mouthpiece at a forward end thereof, said mouthpiece having an inlet for receiving a gas stream from an individual's mouth, an outlet for dispelling a gas stream received through said inlet and a generally tapered outer surface portion extending between said inlet and outlet;
• a bearing support disposed in said case rearwardly adjacent said mouthpiece, having a bearing disposed along an approximate centerline of said case;
• a vacuum pump disposed in said case rearwardly adjacent said bearing support having first and second impellers mounted on a common pump shaft, said shaft having a forward end mounted in said bearing support and a rearward end;
• an gas stream exhaust disposed in said case rearwardly adjacent said pump having an array of exhaust ports arranged around the periphery of said case;
• a drive motor disposed in said case rearwardly adjacent said pump having an output shaft rotatably coupled with the second end of said pump shaft;
• a battery arrangement disposed in said case rearwardly adjacent and electrically connected with said drive motor;
• a switch disposed in said case adjacent said battery arrangement and extending through the periphery of said case for actuation by a user;
• and
• a vacuum pulsing system including an array of vents disposed in the periphery of said case between said bearing support and said gas stream exhaust, at least one passage extending from said vents to a generally annular valve seat disposed at an interior portion of said case rearwardly adjacent said first pump impeller, and a generally ring-shaped valve actuator slideably mounted in said case and biased against said annular valve seat, said valve actuator being biased to close against said valve seat until a selected vacuum is generated by said vacuum pump causing said valve actuator to open.