Patent ID: 7297125

Claim:
A chest brace for a thorax of a patient comprising: (a) a rigid structure encircling the thorax of the patient and having a circumference, the rigid structure including: (1) an anterior member, (2) a posterior member, and (3) a linkage coupling the anterior member to the posterior member, wherein in an assembled configuration, the anterior member, the posterior member, and the linkage define the circumference for the rigid structure, wherein the linkage is moveable relative to the anterior member, the posterior member, or both to change a length of the circumference of the rigid structure, wherein the linkage maintains the anterior member a first distance from the posterior member during use of the chest brace over a plurality of respiratory cycles of the patient, allows expansion of such a patient's chest beyond the first distance by enabling the anterior member or the posterior member to move with the patient responsive to expansion of such a patient'chest beyond the first distance, and prevents the anterior member from moving closer than the first distance to the posterior member over the plurality of respiratory cycles, and wherein the first distance corresponds to a distance in which a chest of the patient is in a substantially non-collapsed position; and (b) a mechanism adapted to couple to a surface of the patient's chest to a portion of the rigid structure overlying the chest.