Abstract:
A portable mechanical device to assist in external chest compressions during cardio-pulmonary resuscitative procedures. The embodiment consists of a frame ( 100 ), a plunger unit ( 104 ) and an articulating lever ( 109 ). The bottom member ( 102 ) of the frame is positioned under the subject such that the dome of the plunger unit ( 104 ) rests above the mid-sternal region. The handle ( 108 ) at the free end of the lever is used to apply downward force by the life-saver to provide the necessary chest compressions. The device is light in weight, easily transportable, and has an indefinite shelf life. This device is designed to be used by anyone with a basic training in CPR. The portability of the device renders itself useful outside the environs of a hospital, in confined quarters, and at remote locations.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,606 issued to George Csorba on Feb. 9, 1993 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,619 issued to Randall L. Everette on Nov. 2, 1993 
     The standard protocol for a ‘Cardiac arrest’ outside the hospital environment has been external chest compressions with intermittent forced mouth-to-mouth respiration till recovery of the subject or the arrival of additional help or with a tragic ending. Retrospective studies have shown that this method has not been effective in saving lives. Excessive ventilation, incomplete chest wall recoil, and interruptions in chest compressions in the traditional CPR do not improve the blood flow to the heart, brain etc. This worsens the chances of survival and increase the possibility of brain damage. New guidelines given by the American Heart Association in 2010 recommends high quality chest compressions to a depth of two inches for an adult and at the rate of 100 per minute in an effort to restore flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and the heart. This maneuver may delay the onset of tissue death and extend the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation. These new guidelines also keeps the heart in a more receptive stage for the electric shock that is used to defibrillate and jump start the heart in certain rhythm abnormalities like ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. 
     The need to provide approximately 100 compressions a minute demands the CPR provider to be in fairly good physical condition to sustain the procedure till the subject recovers or till help arrives or for another bystander to take over the compressions without interruptions. At present there are a few automated devices that do provide the required compressions by using compressed air, oxygen or a system of thoracic wraps that work with the help of motors etc. These devices are recommended to be used by the EMT personnel or in a hospital. 
     The inventions bearing U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,184,606 and 5,257,619 are mechanical devices that use physical effort by the life-saver to perform chest compressions during CPR. The design of these devices is broadly based on the principle of class 2 levers albeit with minimal mechanical advantage. There is a fulcrum at one end of a beam, a chest pad in the middle and the physical effort is provided at the other end. In this configuration there is minimal mechanical advantage and as such early life-saver fatigue is still an issue. There are no limits to check the depth for an effective compression or a guide for full chest recoil. 
     ADVANTAGES 
     The embodiment described herein is a manually operated mechanical device based on the time-tested principle of ‘Class 2 Levers’ and the resultant ‘Mechanical Advantage’, wherein the amount of effort needed to compress the chest to the required depth is a fraction of the effort needed to do the same without any devices. This makes it more usable for a trained lay person positioned beside a supine subject to render effective and sustained CPR and delay the onset of life-saver fatigue. The default chest compression depth is set to 2 inches. The embodiment also has user selectable options to reduce the chest compressions to accommodate smaller patients. Optionally an electronic metronome set at 100 beats per minute attached to the frame will give the life-saver an auditory cue to provide approximately the same number of chest compressions for an effective resuscitation. 
     SUMMARY 
     The embodiment addresses the need for a simple, effective, and economical device. The mechanical versions of the embodiment do not depend on any form of external energy other than a nominal physical effort by the CPR provider. 
     The embodiment consists of a rigid metal frame. The top member of the frame has the provision to receive a plunger unit that can be compressed repeatedly. The plunger unit has a central hollow plunger with a stem on the top. The height of the stem is designed to limit the downward travel to 2 inches. The lower end of the hollow plunger has a rigid collar that receives a nut. There is a flanged cap at the intersection of the stem and the plunger. The flange traps the upper end of a coil spring that resides inside a hollow rigid sleeve. The rigid sleeve has an upper flange that is attached to the under side of the top member of the rigid frame. The bottom end of the sleeve has lip that blocks the lower end of the coil spring. In this configuration when force is applied at the top of the stem, the plunger slides down the cylinder. When the same force is released the plunger retracts back. 
     A nut fixed inside the plunger receives a machine screw that travels inside the hollow plunger. The lower end of the machine screw is attached to a dome. The dome comes in contact with the sternum of the subject. The dome and the machine screw unit can be raised or lowered depending upon the chest height while the subject is in a supine position. 
     The anterior free end of the top member of the rigid frame has a set of articulating processes that mesh with similar complimentary processes found on a rigid lever forming an articulating hinge joint. This hinge joint constitutes the fulcrum of the class 2 levers. The lever has a linear ridge closer to the hinged portion going across the entire width. This ridge rests on the stem of the plunger unit. The free end of the lever is modified into a handle. The life saver uses this handle to exert downward force needed to depress the sternally placed dome and achieve the desired chest compressions. The caudal end of the rigid top member has a handle that can used to carry and transport the device. 
     The rigid frame has a bottom member that is longer than the top member. The free end of the top member and one end of the bottom member are attached to an upright member. The lower region of the upright member has a vertically positioned handle on the outside which is used by the life saver to slide and position the bottom member of the embodiment under the chest of the subject. A set of depth limiting blocks are hingedly attached to the top end of the upright member. These are used to reduce the plunger travel and thus the chest compression depth from the default 2 inches to either 1.75 inches or 1.5 inches. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  shows an embodiment with a straight operating lever. 
         FIG. 1B  shows the embodiment with the straight lever in a compressed position. 
         FIG. 1C  shows the embodiment with the straight lever in a storage position. 
         FIG. 2A  is another embodiment with a lever configured in a ‘Z’ shape. 
         FIG. 2B  shows the embodiment with the Z-lever in a downward compressed position. 
         FIG. 2C  shows the embodiment with the Z-lever in a storage position 
         FIG. 3A  shows yet another embodiment with two articulating levers. 
         FIG. 3B  shows the 2 lever embodiment with the levers in a compressed position 
         FIG. 3C  shows the 2 lever embodiment with the secondary lever in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 4  shows another embodiment with a partial disk in the secondary lever. 
         FIG. 5  shows a motorized version of the embodiment 
         FIG. 6  shows an exploded view of the plunger unit. 
         FIG. 7  shows a pair of optional plunger depth limiting blocks. 
         FIG. 8  shows the 1.75 inch depth limiting block. 
         FIG. 9  shows the 1.5 inch depth limiting block. 
         FIG. 10  shows a straight version of the primary lever. 
         FIG. 11  shows the Z-shape version of the primary lever. 
         FIG. 12  is a modified version of the straight lever with a handle and transverse bearing. 
         FIG. 13  is a rigid connecting shaft with hollow bearings at the ends. 
         FIG. 14  is a secondary lever with a body, sliding guide rods and a handle. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               100 , is the rigid frame. 
               102 , is the base of the rigid main frame that is positioned under the chest of the subject 
               104 , is the plunger unit that can be raised or lowered as needed. 
               106 , is the lock tab to secure the side of the lever while being stored or transported. 
               107 , is the top member of the rigid frame. 
               108 , the rigid handle used by the life-saver to apply the necessary downward force. 
               109 A, is the basic straight articulating lever. 
               109 B, is the lever in the Z-configuration. 
               109 C, is the primary lever in a two lever configuration. 
               109 D, is the primary lever in a two lever configuration with a disk in the secondary lever. 
               110 , is the body of the straight lever that shows a long open cavity in the middle for the clearance of the carrying handle during the compression phase. 
               110 A, is the body of the Z-shaped lever that shows an open cavity in the middle for the clearance of the carrying handle during the compression phase. 
               112 , is a rigid open handle that passes thru the open cavity of the body of the primary lever during the compression phase and is used to carry the device when the lever is rotated down into the storage position. 
               114 , are a set of optional plunger depth limiting blocks when a desired depth of either 1.75 or 1.5 inches is desired instead of the default 2 inches. 
               116 , is the angular part of the rigid upright frame that is contiguous with the top member of the main frame. The plunger depth limiting blocks are affixed to the top edge of the angular member by a pair of fully articulating hinges. 
               117 , is an optional after-market electronic metronome attached to the lower region of the outer surface of the angular member with a hook and loop type of fastener. The metronome is set to give out audible tones at the rate of 100 beats per minute to help guide the life saver to provide approximately the same number of effective chest compressions. 
               118 , is the upright member of the rigid frame that is contiguous with the lower end of the angular member and the base of the rigid frame. 
               120 , is a vertically mounted handle at the lower region of the vertical member. The handle is used to slide and position the embodiment under the chest of the subject. 
               122 , is the articulating hinge of the fulcrum comprising of meshing knuckles found on the anterior end of the top member of the rigid frame and the anterior end of the lever. 
               124 , is the visible portion of the stem of the plunger unit. 
               126 , is a modified version of the body of the primary lever found in the Z configuration. 
               128 , another modified version of the body of the primary lever designed for an embodiment with two levers. 
               130 , a rigid bearing located at the caudal end of the body of the primary lever. 
               132 , a rigid rod that connects the primary and secondary levers. 
               134 , a roller bearing located at the caudal end of the body of secondary lever. 
               136 A &amp;  136 B, a pair guide rods that connects to a rigid handle at the distal end and the proximal ends slide in the two corresponding channels in the body of the secondary lever. 
               137 , is the secondary lever pivotally attached to the primary lever  109 . 
               138 , a grub screw with an over-sized head to secure the guide rod  136 A. 
               140 , an angular extension at the distal end of the body of the lever  128  which houses a rigid anchor to secure a flexible cable. 
               142 , the flexible cable that connects the rigid anchor that is between the open channel of the partial disk  144 . 
               144 , the disk acts as the point of resistance of the secondary lever. 
               146 , an after market rotary power system comprising of a motor, a rechargeable battery pack, and a RPM controlling unit. 
               148 , a worm gear mounted to the shaft of the motor. 
               150 , a secondary reduction gear to mesh with the worm gear. 
               152 , is a shaft with bearings on the ends. The lower end is anchored to a bearing on the face of the reduction gear. The upper end of the shaft is secured to a similar bearing on one arm of a modified body of a primary lever. 
               154 , is an arch on the caudal end of the modified body of the lever. This arch provides clearance for the reduction gear when the connecting rod is at the bottom of the circular stroke. 
               156 , is another version of the body of the primary lever. 
               158 , a solid stem that is extruded from the top of the hollow plunger  160 . 
               159 , is the flanged cap on the top of the hollow plunger body  160 . 
               160 , the body of the hollow plunger. 
               162 , is a rigid collar that is attached to the lower rim of the body of the plunger. 
               164 , a machine nut that is secured inside the rigid collar. 
               166 , is a coil spring that slides over the outer surface of the body of the plunger. 
               167 , is the flange on the upper rim of a hollow housing  168  of the plunger unit. This is secured to the under-side of the anterior portion of the top member of the rigid frame. 
               168 , the hollow housing of the plunger unit. 
               170 , a rigid collar that is secured to the bottom rim of the body of the hollow housing. The inside diameter of the rigid collar is smaller than the opening found inside the body of the hollow housing forming an internal lip. 
               172 , a machine screw with a flange near the lower end that courses thru the nut. This setup lets the lifesaver to adjust the height of the dome  174  as needed. 
               174 , a resilient non-metallic user replaceable dome with a scalloped rim on the top edge. A central annular recess on the top surface of the dome receives the lower flanged end of the machine screw. 
               176 , the raised anterior edge on the top of the stem  158 . 
               180 , an optional 1.75 inch plunger depth limiting block. 
               182  A &amp;  182  B, a set of finger grip extrusions on the 1.75 inch blocks. 
               184 , an optional 1.5 inch plunger depth limiting block. 
               186 , a finger grip extrusion on the 1.5 inch block. 
               188  A &amp;  188  B, a pair of fully articulating hinges for the two blocks. 
               195  a carrying handle on the primary lever in the two lever configuration. 
               196 , the opening in the body of the lever  109 . 
               198 , the ridge going across the body of the lever  109  that is positioned caudal to the raised edge  176  of the stem  158  in the active position. 
               200 , the body of the secondary lever. 
               202  A &amp;  202  B, the screws to lock the two guide rods  136   a  &amp;  136 B. 
               204 , the upper roller bearing of the connecting rod  132 . 
               206 , is the shaft of the connecting rod  132 . 
               208 , is the lower bearing of the connecting rod that attaches to the secondary lever. 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1A  shows the embodiment in a perspective view. The primary lever  109 A is in an operational position. An optional after market electronic metronome  117  is mounted on the sloping part of the upright member with hook and loop or similar material for ease of removal or servicing the unit. The sections  102 ,  107 ,  116 , and  118 , comprising the rigid frame are permanently fused. The two handles  112  and  120  have non-slip sleeves or a non-slip coating on the cylindrical parts for improved grip. A pair of plunger depth limiting blocks  114  is in an inactive position. 
       FIG. 1B  shows the same embodiment with the lever  109 A in a compressed position wherein the dome of the plunger unit  104  has ventrally traversed the default 2 inches. The carrying handle is seen passing thru the opening in the body  110  of the primary lever  109 . 
       FIG. 1C  shows the same embodiment in a storage position. The lever  109 A is rotated cranially to assume a ventrally directed vertical position and is held in place by the locking tab  106 . This position makes it convenient to carry or transport the embodiment by using the handle  112 , or to place in a shelf for storage. 
       FIG. 2A  shows the embodiment with the primary lever  109 B modified in the shape of the letter Z. In this configuration the operational height of the handle  108  is lower and is farther away from the hinged attachment  122 . This shape brings the operational stroke of the lever  109 B to a more ergonomic position and increase the mechanical advantage and as such lesser effort to compress the chest cavity. Pending field trials this is the best mode. 
       FIG. 2B  is the Z lever embodiment in the compression phase where the dome of the plunger unit  104  has traversed the default two inches. 
       FIG. 2C  shows the Z lever embodiment in the storage position with the primary lever  109 B rotated cranially to rest in a ventrally directed position. 
       FIG. 3A  is another variation of the embodiment showing a two lever configuration with an effort to further enhance the mechanical advantage. Here the modified primary lever  109 C is shortened and sports an articulating handle  130  fixed to the outer edges of the distal end of the lever. The handle  130  is used to carry and transport the embodiment. A rigid connecting rod  132  with hollow bearings on the ends connects the primary lever  109 C and the secondary lever  137 . The plunger depth limiting blocks  114  are in the inactive position. 
       FIG. 3B  shows the embodiment with the two lever configuration in a compression phase with the secondary lever handle  108  in the downward position, the primary lever  109 C resting over the top member  107  and the dome has plunged two inches ventrally. 
       FIG. 3C  shows the two lever configuration in an inactive or storage position with the handle  108  of the secondary lever retracted towards the body. 
       FIG. 4  shows another variation of the two lever configuration wherein the distal end of the primary lever  109 D is modified to have an anchor point for a flexible cable  142 . The body of the secondary lever is replaced with a partial rigid disk  144  that has a groove on the outer edge. The two levers are connected with a flexible cable. 
       FIG. 5  shows yet another variation of the single lever embodiment wherein the power needed to depress the primary lever  156  is provided by a low speed high torque motor  146 . The shaft of the motor has a worm gear  148  and the worm gear meshes with a circular reduction gear  150 . This circular gear  150  has a bearing away from the axis on the surface for the attachment of a rigid connecting shaft  152 . The connecting shaft attaches to a similar bearing found on the distal end of the modified lever  156 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the exploded view of the plunger unit. The stem  158  is attached on the top of the flanged cap  159  of plunger  160 . The stem  158  shows a raised process  176  on the cranial edge of the top surface. This process when positioned cranial to the ridge  198  of the primary lever prevents metal to metal slippage and the caudal migration of the stem during the compression phase. A rigid collar  162  is attached to the bottom edge of the hollow plunger  160  and serves to secure a machine nut  164  inside it. A coil spring  166  goes around the outside of the body of the hollow plunger and is restrained by the flange  159 . The plunger unit with the coil spring around it telescope into the barrel of the plunger housing  168 . The housing  168  has a flange  167  on the top edge that is attached to the under side of the top member of the rigid frame. The housing  168  has a restricting collar  170  fixedly attached to the bottom edge of the housing  168 . The inner diameter of the collar  170  is the same as the outer diameter of plunger  160  and smaller than the inner diameter of the plunger housing  168 . This setup stops the lower end of the coil spring  166 . A machine screw  172  travels up and down in the machine nut  164 . The lower end of the machine screw is attached to a resilient thermoplastic dome  174 . The rim of the dome has a scalloped edge to enhance finger grip. The up and down travel of the machine screw  172  and the attached dome  174  permits the user to set the height of the dome based on the antero-posterior chest dimensions of the subject. 
       FIG. 7  shows the plunger depth limiting blocks  114 . Blocks  180  are deployed to restrict the plunger to 1.75 inches and block  184 , for a depth limit of 1.5 inches. The 1.75 inch blocks have finger grip ridges  182 A &amp;  182 B and the 1.5 inch block has ridge  186  to be used to rotate them onto the top of the rigid top frame. 
       FIG. 8  shows the 1.75 inch blocks in an operational orientation depicting the label for plunger depth limitations. Hinge leaf  188 A is part of the hinge that is attached to the sloping portion of the upright rigid member. 
       FIG. 9  shows the 1.5 inch blocks in an operational orientation depicting the labels for plunger depth limitations. Hinge leaf  188 B is part of the hinge unit that is attached to the sloping portion of the upright rigid member. 
       FIG. 10  shows the lever  109 A with the articular knuckles  122 , the ridge  198 , the handle  108  and the open cavity  196  for the clearance of the handle  112  of the top frame. 
       FIG. 11  shows the body  110  of the primary lever  109 B in a Z configuration. 
       FIG. 12  shows the primary lever  109 C in a two lever configuration 
       FIG. 13  shows the rigid connecting rod with a roller bearing  204  at the top end and a hollow bearing  208  at the lower end. 
       FIG. 14  shows the secondary lever in the two lever configuration with the handle  108  attached to guide rods and the body of the lever showing the articular processes  218  at the cranial end and a roller bearing  134  at the caudal end. 
     Operation: 
     This procedure presumes that the subject is in a supine position on a stable and flat surface. The lever of the embodiment is set in an operational position and the plunger dome is left at maximum height. Using the vertical handle found on the upright member of the rigid frame, the base of the device is slid under and across the chest of the subject. If more room is needed to align the plunger dome over the sternum then the upright member of the device could be positioned between the arm and the side of the chest. In confined quarters the device could also be positioned coming at an angle between the side of the neck and the top of the shoulder such that the sternal pad is over the mid-sternal region. This position also facilitates the exposure and access to the rest of the thoracic region for application of other devices like an AED unit. The dome is unscrewed using the scalloped rim so that the bottom of the dome touches the middle of the sternum. If the subject is adult then no further adjustments are needed and the lifesaver could position himself or herself at right angles to the device and by gripping the handle at the end of the lever, start the chest compressions by forcing the lever down and raising it up in a cadent manner. If the subject is not an adult then the optional plunger depth limits are deployed to restrict the compressions to either 1.75 or 1.5 inches. The rate of compressions could be synchronized with an after market electronic metronome set to 100 beats per minute. 
     MATERIALS, RAMIFICATIONS AND CONCLUSION 
     The rigid frame and the handles to be made of a light-weight structurally stable metal like aircraft-grade aluminum or similar material. The plunger unit to be made of surgical-grade stainless-steel. The screw and the matching nut with course threading could be made of steel or a stable thermo-plastic material. The user replaceable sternal dome with the scalloped rim on the top edge to be of a resilient thermo-plastic material with a softness of approximately 50 A to 60 A on the Durometer scale. The dome has central annular cavity on the flat top surface to receive the bottom of the machine screw. The articulating hinges of the depth limiting blocks to be of a non-corrosive metal and the blocks to be made of a high-density thermo-plastic material. 
     In accordance with another embodiment the mechanical advantage of the class 2 levers is enhanced by adding a secondary lever that works parallel to the primary lever. The anterior articular end of the secondary lever is hingedly attached to a set of similar articular processes that is located on the ventral edge of an extruded process on the under side of the caudal end of the rigid top member. 
     In accordance with another variation of the double lever embodiment, a partial disk with a recessed channel on the outer edge provides the anchor point. The channel provides a path for a flexible cable that connects the two levers. 
     In accordance with yet another embodiment that uses the same principle as the class 2 levers, but the power needed to activate the lever and thus compress the plunger is supplied by a small low speed high torque motor that is coupled to a worm-gear. The desired revolutions of the final gear are controlled by either a ‘Rheostat’ or a ‘Potentiometer’. 
     With all the variations shown, the reader will see at least one embodiment of the chest compressor to be less fatiguing to operate and effective in maintaining blood flow to the vital organs during a life-saver CPR procedure. These embodiments are simple in design, light-weight and economical to manufacture. The specificities of the description should not be construed as limitations of the scope of the embodiments but rather as an exemplification of several variations. In keeping with the principle of the class-2 levers, the embodiment can be designed with three levers working in parallel to maximize the mechanical advantage and further reduce the physical effort needed.