Abstract:
A vest for a human body has an air core coupled to a pulsator operable to subject the vest to air pressure pulses which applies and releases pressure to the human body. The vest has a cover having a pocket accommodating the air core. The pulsator has diaphragms connected to a d.c. electric motor with a rotary to reciprocating motion transmitting mechanism operable to generate air pressure pulses which are transmitted to the air core which applies repetitive pressure pulses to the human body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention is directed to a medical device used to apply repetitive compression forces to the body of a person to aid blood circulation, loosening and elimination of mucus from the lungs of a person and relieve muscular and nerve tensions.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Artificial respiration devices for applying and relieving pressure on the chest of a person have been used to assist in lung breathing functions, and loosening and eliminating mucus from the lungs. Subjecting the person&#39;s chest and lungs to pressure pulses or vibrations decreases the viscosity of lung and air passage mucus, thereby enhancing fluid mobility and removal from the lungs. These devices use vests having air-accommodating bladders that surround the chests of persons. Mechanical mechanisms, such as solenoid or motor-operated air valves, supply air under pressure to the bladders in regular patterns of pulses. J. D. Ackerman et al in U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,192 disclose an artificial respiration apparatus having a chest vest supplied with air under pressure with an air pump. Solenoid-operated valves control the flow of air into and out of the vest in a controlled manner to pulsate the vest, thereby subjecting the person&#39;s chest to repeated pressure pulses. W. J. Warwick and L. G. Hansen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,505 disclose a chest compression apparatus having a chest vest surrounding a person&#39;s chest. A motor-driven rotary valve allows air to flow into the vest and vent air therefrom to apply pressurized pulses to the person&#39;s chest.  
           [0003]    R. S. Dillion in U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,925 uses an inflatable enclosure to cover a portion of a person&#39;s extremity, such as an arm or leg. The enclosure is connected to a fluid control and pulse monitor operable to selectively apply and remove pressure on the person&#39;s extremity. R. L. Weber in U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,354 discloses a rest inducing device having an air mattress supplied with air in pulses from an air pump at the frequency of the person&#39;s heartbeat.  
           [0004]    C. N. Hansen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,453,081 and 5,569,170 discloses an air pulsating apparatus for supplying pulses of air to an enclosed receiver, such as a vest or an air mattress. The apparatus has a casing with an internal chamber containing a diaphragm. A solenoid connected to the diaphragm is operated with a pulse generator to move the diaphragm to pulse the air in the chamber. A hose connects the chamber with the vest to transfer the air pulses to the vest. This apparatus requires a sizeable solenoid which is relatively heavy and uses considerable electrical power. The solenoid generates heat and noise. The body pulsating apparatus of the present invention overcomes the weight, noise and heat disadvantages of the prior air pulsating apparatus.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The invention comprises a jacket used to apply repetitive pressure pulses to a human body and a pulsator for generating air pressure pulses that are transmitted to the jacket. The jacket has an outer cover attached to a flexible liner. An air core of flexible material located between the cover and liner is connected with a hose to a pulsator operable to generate repetitive air pressure pulses which are transmitted to the air core. The air pressure pulses subjected to the air core create repetitive pressure pulses that are transmitted to the body of a person wearing the jacket. The pulsator has a casing with an internal chamber in air communication with the hose. A diaphragm open to the internal chamber is connected to a motion transmitting mechanism which moves the diaphragm relative to the internal chamber to sequentially increase and decrease the pressure of the air in the internal chamber thereby generating air pressure pulses. An electric motor drives the motion transmitting mechanism which moves the diaphragm. A motor control regulates the speed of the motor to control the air pressure pulse rate.  
           [0006]    The preferred embodiment of the pulsator has a casing with an internal chamber with first and second diaphragms. A check valve, such as a reed valve or flapper valve, mounted on the casing allow air to flow into the chamber responsive to movements of the diaphragms. A motion transmitting mechanism driven with an electric motor has a pair of cams and cam followers connected to the diaphragms operable to reciprocate the diaphragms thereby generating air pressure pulses in the internal chamber. The air pressure pulses are transferred to the air core of the vest which applies repetitive pressure pulses to the body of the person. A motor control regulates the speed of the motor to control the air pressure pulse rate.  
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the body pulsating apparatus located on a body of a person;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1A is an enlarged end view of the right end of the air pulsator of FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view, partly sectioned, of the jacket of the body pulsating apparatus of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is an outside plan view of the jacket of FIG. 2;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is an inside plan view of the jacket of FIG. 3;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the jacket of FIG. 4;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inside of the jacket, partly sectioned, showing the air core;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a plan view of the air core of the body pulsating apparatus;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the air core of FIG. 7;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line  9 - 9  of FIG. 8;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line  10 - 10  of FIG. 7;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line  11 - 11  of FIG. 9;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the air pulsator taken along line  12 - 12  of FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 is an enlarged and foreshortened sectional view taken along the line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line  14 - 14  of FIG. 13;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 15 is a reduced sectional view taken along the line  15 - 15  of FIG. 12; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 16 is a foreshortened sectional view taken along the line  16 - 16  of FIG. 15.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]    The body pulsating apparatus  10 , shown in FIG. 1, functions to apply repetitive pressure pulses to a person  11  having an upper body  13  and left and right shoulders  12  and  14 . A diaphragm  16  extends across the body below lungs  17  and  18 .  
         [0025]    A jacket  24  located about body  13  has an outside cover  26  joined to an inside liner  27 . Cover  26  is a non-elastic fabric. Liner  27  is an open mesh flexible sheet member secured to outer peripheral edges of cover  26 . Fasteners, shown as stitches  25  in FIG. 6, connect liner  27  to cover  26  and a bottom zipper  51 . An air core  28  confined between cover  26  and liner  27  operates to apply repeated fluid, herein air, pressure pulses, shown as arrows  33  and  34 , to body  11 . The frequency of the pulses is variable. The pressure of the air varies between 0.25 psi to 1 psi. Air core  28  can be subjected to other air pressures.  
         [0026]    An air pulsator  29  connected to jacket  24  with air hose  31  delivers air under pressure to air core  28 . Hose  31  is connected to a tube  32  attached to jacket  24 . The end of hose  31  telescopes over tube  32  to releasably connect hose  31  to jacket  24 . The air pressure delivered to air core  28  periodically increases and decreases to apply pressure pulses to body  13 . The details of pulsator  29  are hereinafter described.  
         [0027]    As shown in FIG. 3, jacket  24  has a pair of upright shoulder straps  36  and  37  laterally separated with a concave upper back edge  38 . Upright front chest portions  39  and  46  are separated from straps  36  and  37  with concave curved upper edges  41  and  47  which allow jacket  24  to fit under the person&#39;s arms. Loop pads  42  and  48  secured to the outer surfaces of chest portions  39  and  46  cooperate with hook pads  52  and  53  secured to the insides of shoulder straps  36  and  37  to releasably connect shoulder straps  36  and  37  to chest portions  39  and  46 . As shown in FIG. 1, shoulder straps  36  and  37  extend forwardly over shoulders  12  and  14  and downwardly over chest portions  39  and  46 . The hook and loop pads  42 ,  48 ,  52  and  53  are releasable VELCRO fasteners that connect shoulder straps  36  and  37  to chest portions  39  and  46  and hold chest portions  39  and  46  adjacent the front of body  13 .  
         [0028]    Jacket  24  has a first lateral end flap  43  extended outwardly at the left side of jacket  24 . A rectangular loop pad  44  secured to the outside of flap  43  cooperates with hook pads  54  and  56  on a second lateral end flap  49  on the right side of jacket  24  to hold jacket  24  around body  13 . The hook and loop pads  44 ,  54  and  56  are VELCRO fasteners that allow jacket  24  to be tightly wrapped around body  13 .  
         [0029]    Air core  28 , shown in FIG. 6, conforms to the shape and contour of the space between cover  26  and liner  27 . As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, air core  28  has a pair of upright back sections  96  and  97  that fit into pockets in shoulder straps  36  and  37  and upright front sections  98  and  99  that fit into chest portions  39  and  46 . The bottom section  101  of air core  24  is linear and has a length about the length of zipper  51 . Air core  28  has air impervious plastic sheet members  57  and  58  having outer peripheral edges  59  and vertical strips  76  to  87  heat sealed together forming enclosed vertical air chambers  61  to  74 , shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Horizontal strips  89  and  91  are heat sealed together generally parallel to the bottom edge  101 . The bottom ends of vertical strips  76  to  87  are spaced about horizontal strips  89  and  91  providing an air feeder passage  94  open to the bottom ends of air chambers  61  to  74 . The middle sections  88  of sheet member  57  and  58  are sealed together between back air chambers  61  and  67 . Strips  88  and  91  have adjacent ends spaced from each other providing a port  92  between a passage  93  and air feed passage  94  to allow air to flow into and out of air chambers  61  to  74 . The bottom of middle section  88  spaced about port  92  directs air into air feeder passage  94 .  
         [0030]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, air pulsator  29  has a box shaped case  106  supporting an ON-OFF switch  107  for controlling the operation of a d.c. electric motor  108 . An adjustable control  109 , shown as a dial in FIG. 1, functions to control the operating speed of motor  108  which regulates the pulse cycles or frequency of the pulses. For example, control  109  is adjustable to regulate the air pulses between 3 to 15 air pulses per second.  
         [0031]    Pulsator  29  has a square tubular body  111  with openings  112  and  113  in opposite walls  114  and  116 . End plates  117  and  118  connected to opposite ends of body  111  close chamber  119  in body  111  and confine motor  108  to chamber  119 . Plates  117  and  118  can be provided with openings to allow air to flow through chamber  119  and motor  108 . Openings  112  and  113  are covered with head plates  121  and  122 . Head plate  121  has a generally rectangular chamber  123 . A generally square diaphragm  124  extended across chamber  123  is clamped to wall  114  with bolts  126 . A variable orifice proportional free-flow valve  128  is connected to end plate  118  to vary the pressure of air in pulsator  29  and jacket  24 . Air hose  31  is connected to end plate  117 . Hose  31  transmits air pulses from pulsator  29  to jacket  24 . The pressure of the air in pulsator  29  and jacket  24  is between 0.25 psi and 1 psi. Other air pressures can be used.  
         [0032]    Head plate  122  has a generally rectangular chamber  129  closed with a generally rectangular diaphragm  131 . Bolts  132  clamp head plate  122  and diaphragm  131  to wall  116 . A one-way valve  134  mounted on end plate  118  allows air to be drawn into pumping chamber  119  upon operation of pulsator  29  to inflate the air core  28  in jacket  24 . Valve  134  is a reed-type or flapper-type check valve that allows air to flow into pumping chamber  119  in response to reciprocating movements of diaphragms  124  and  131  and automatically close when the flow of the air attempts to reverse direction. When the air pressure in pumping chamber  119  falls below atmospheric pressure, valve  134  allows additional air to be drawn into pumping chamber  119 . An air pump (not shown) coupled to air hose  31  can be used to supply air under pressure to jacket  24  and pulsator  29  to initially inflate apparatus  10 .  
         [0033]    Diaphragms  124  and  131  have the same size and structure. Diaphragm  124 , shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, has rigid top and bottom plates  136  and  137 . The plates  136  and  137  are plastic members reinforced with glass fibers. An expanded polyvinyl chloride core  138  is sandwiched between plates  136  and  137 . Core  138  is bonded to the inside surfaces of plates  136  and  137  to connect and reinforce plates  136  and  137 . A flexible flange  139  projects outwardly from the outer peripheral edges of plates  136  and  137 . Flange  139  is a rectangular flat member of air impervious flexible material, such as rubber, plastic or metal. The inner portion  141  of flange  139  is located between and secured to plates  136  and  137 . The outer portion of flange  139  has holes  142  for bolts  126  that secure head plate  121  and flange  139  to wall  114 . Flexible flange  139  allows plates  136  and  137  to be laterally moved, as shown as arrows  143 , relative to chamber  119  to pulse the air in chamber  119 .  
         [0034]    Diaphragm  131  has the same structures as diaphragm  124  including rigid plates  144  and  146 , foam core  147  and flexible flange  148 , shown in FIG. 12. Flexible flange  148  allows plates  144  and  146  to be laterally moved, as shown by arrows  149 , relative to chamber  119  to pulse the air in chamber  119 .  
         [0035]    A motion transmitting mechanism, indicated generally at  151  in FIG. 12, drivably connected to motor  108  converts rotary motion to reciprocating motion to linearly move diaphragms  124  and  131  relative to chamber  119 . This causes the air in chamber  119  to pulse by repetitively increasing and decreasing air pressure as diaphragms  124  and  131  are forced into and out of chamber  119 . Chamber  119  can be partially filled with solid filler material (not shown) to reduce the clearance volume of chamber  119  and thereby increase the magnitude of the air pulse.  
         [0036]    Motion transmitting mechanism  151  has a pair of circular cams  152  and  153  keyed to motor drive shaft  152 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, cams  152  and  153  eccentrically mounted on shaft  154  move cam followers  156  and  157  in opposite linear directions. Cams  152  and  153  have 180-degree eccentricity to balance the forces on cam followers  156  and  157  during rotation of shaft  154 . An ear  158  joined to cam follower  156  is pivotally connected to a yoke  159  with a pin  161 . A layer of adhesive or bonding material  162  secures yoke  159  to the center of diaphragm  124 . Cam follower  157  has an ear  163  connected to a yoke  164  with a pin  166 . Yoke  164  is secured with an adhesive or bonding material to the center of diaphragm  131 . Cam follower  156  has a rectangular opening  167  accommodating cam  152  and upper and lower faces  168  and  169  that contact cam  152 . Cam follower  157  has a rectangular opening identical to opening  167  accommodating cam  153  and upper and lower faces that contact cam  153 . Motor  108  operates to rotate cams  152  and  153  which move cam followers  156  and  157  in opposite directions thereby moving diaphragms  124  and  131  in opposite linear directions to pulse air in chamber  119 .  
         [0037]    Cam followers  156  and  157  are located in a casing  171  having linear walls  172  and  173  that have flat guide surfaces engageable with opposite sides of cam followers  156  and  157 . Casing  171  has a center rib  174  and end plates  176  and  177  that retain cam followers  156  and  157  in casing  171 . Supports  178  and  179  mount casing  171  on walls  181  and  182  of body  111  to fix the location of casing  171  in chamber  119 .  
         [0038]    In use, jacket  24  is placed about the person&#39;s body and retained in place with shoulder straps  36  and  37  connected to releasable members  42  and  48 . The circumferential location of jacket is maintained with connected releasable fasteners  44  and  54 , 56 . Air pulsator  29  is connected to vest air input tube  32  with an elongated flexible hose  31 .  
         [0039]    The operation of pulsator  29  is commenced to charge the vest and pulsator  29  with air under pressure. The air inflates air core  28 . As shown in FIG. 9, the air flows through manifold  93 , passage  92  into upright chambers  61  to  74 . The inflated air core  28  holds inside liner  27  in firm engagement with the front, back and sides of the person&#39;s body.  
         [0040]    Switch  107  is turned ON to start motor  108  which operates the rotary to reciprocating motion transmission mechanism  151  connected to diaphragms  124  and  131 . The frequency of the air pulses is adjusted with motor speed control  109  to provide efficient and effective pulses to the person&#39;s body. Diaphragms  124  and  131  increase air pressure in chamber  119  to provide an air pulse in jacket  24 . When diaphragms  124  and  131  are moved inwardly or toward each other the air pressure in chamber  119  is increased to provide the air pressure pulse in jacket  24 . The diaphragms  124  and  131  have rigid plates connected to flexible peripheral flanges which allows linear movements of diaphragms  124  and  131  so that relatively small movements of diaphragms  124  and  131  relative to chamber  119  cause a sufficient change in air pressure in chamber  119 . This air pressure change causes repeated pressure pulses in jacket  24 . The frequency of the pulses generated in jacket  24  can be altered by changing the speed of motor  108 . Control  109  is used to change the speed of motor  108  to alter the frequency of movements of diaphragms  124  and  131  which control the frequency of the air pulses. Also, reducing the clearance volume of chamber  119  can increase the magnitude of the air pressure pulse.  
         [0041]    The present disclosure is a preferred embodiment of the body pulsating apparatus. It is understood that the body pulsating apparatus is not to be limited to the specific materials, constructions and arrangements shown and described. It is understood that changes in parts, materials, arrangement and locations of structures may be made without departing from the invention.