Portable negative pressure ventilation device and methods and software related thereto

A device kit for a medical emergency used for inducing respiration in a patient unable to breath on their own, said device kit including

• at least one electrode patch including a body attachment structure and a multiplicity of electrodes that are mechanically attached to the body attachment structure so as to be in a predetermined orientation, the body attachment being configured and arranged so as to be removably secured to the body;
• a monitoring and sensing means for monitoring and sensing a characteristic of the body or bodily function and providing an output signal(s) representative of the sensed characteristic when operably coupled to the body;
• a control device configured so as to be operably coupled to each of the sensing means and the electrodes,
• the control device being configured and arranged to:
• initially and automatically localize the phrenic nerve with respect to a given set of electrodes that is effective, when appropriately energized, for stimulating the phrenic nerve so as to establish negative pressure induced respiration in the body, said determination being based on the output signal(s) from the monitoring and sensing means, and
• repetitively output stimulation signals via the given set of electrodes when such a determination is made by the control device, thereby continuously stimulating negative pressure induced respiration in the body;
• wherein the monitoring and sensing means continues monitoring and sensing of the characteristic of the body or bodily function while the control device continuously stimulates negative pressure induced respiration in the body and provides output signals to the control devices representative of the sensed characteristic;
• and
• wherein the control device is further configured and arranged to continuously monitor such output signals from the monitoring and sensing means and to one of control the stimulation signals being outputted so as to modify the negative pressure conditions being induced in the body for stimulation or to provide an indication to a user of an unsatisfactory condition.

A method for localizing a phrenic nerve located in the neck of a body;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• providing an electrode patch including a multiplicity of electrodes that are in a predetermined orientation;
• removably securing the electrode patch to the neck so that at least some of the electrodes are in general proximity to the phrenic nerve;
• monitoring and sensing a characteristic of the body or bodily function and providing an output signal(s) representative of the sensed characteristic;
• selecting one subset array of electrodes from a predetermined number of subset arrays of the multiplicity of electrodes,
• energizing the selected subset array of electrodes with stimulation signals,
• evaluating the output signal from the monitoring and sensing means for the energized selected subset array and determining if the output signal indicates the presence of negative pressure induced respiration in the body,
• in the case where said evaluating and determining does not indicate the presence of negative pressure induced respiration, selecting another subset array of electrodes from the predetermined number of subset arrays, and repeating said energizing and evaluating;
• and
• in the case where said evaluating and determining does indicate the presence of negative pressure induced respiration, identifying the selected subset array of electrodes or selected another subset array resulting in such an indication as the given set of electrodes that are localized to the phrenic nerve.

A method for inducing negative pressure respiration in a body using a phrenic nerve located in the neck of a body;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• removably securing an electrode patch including a multiplicity of electrodes that are in a predetermined orientation to the neck so that at least some of the electrodes are in general proximity to the phrenic nerve;
• monitoring and sensing a characteristic of the body or bodily function and providing an output signal(s) representative of the sensed characteristic;
• localizing the phrenic nerve with respect to a given set of electrodes that is effective, when appropriately energized, for stimulating the phrenic nerve so as to establish negative pressure induced respiration in the body, said locating being based on the output signal(s) from the monitoring and sensing;
• repetitively outputting stimulation signals via the given set of electrodes when such a determination is made, thereby continuously stimulating negative pressure induced respiration in the body.