Patent ID: 7410459

Claim:
A method of facilitating cardiac rest in a human comprising: inducing a controlled asystolic state in the human and applying life support techniques while the human is in the asystolic state, the life support techniques comprising application of a closed extra-corporeal circulation system having: (a) a venous conduit, (b) a gas exchanger, (c) a pump for pumping at least a portion of the human's blood, (d) arterial conduit, and (e) EKG gating mechanism comprising an EKG sensor means for sensing the human's heartbeat, and a feedback means for coordinating the EKG sensor means with the pump wherein the pump discontinues for a time of at least one heartbeat sensed by the EKG sensor means and resumes pumping when the heartbeat is not sensed by the EKG sensor means, wherein said pumping provides a rate or a volume sufficient to maintain blood pressure above a preset level and is controlled by an intrinsic rate and/or volume setting, wherein said circulation system is arranged such that the venous conduit is connected to a vein of the patient, the arterial conduit is connected to an artery of the patient, the gas exchanger is connected to at least one of the venous conduit and the arterial conduit, and the pump is connected to at least one of the venous conduit and the arterial conduit, and wherein the gas exchanger is adapted to remove at least a portion of a quantity of carbon dioxide from the patient's blood and is further adapted to add a quantity of oxygen to the patient's blood.