Patent ID: 8062239

Claim:
A method of performing CPR on a cardiac arrest patient, said method comprising: providing a chest compression device comprising: a belt adapted to extend at least partially around the chest of the patient and fastened on the patient; belt tensioning means operably connected to the belt for repeatedly tightening and loosening the belt around the chest of the patient; a motor operably connected to the belt tensioning means, said motor capable of operating the belt tensioning means repeatedly to cause the belt to tighten about the chest of the patient and loosen about the chest of the patient; a brake operably connected to the belt tensioning means and capable of holding the belt in a tightened state about the chest of the patient; operating the chest compression device to cause repeated cycles of tightening of the belt to a set threshold of tightness, and operating the brake during said cycles of tightening of the belt to engage the belt tightening means when the belt has been tightened to said threshold of tightness to momentarily hold the belt at said threshold of tightness, and disengaging the brake during said cycles to allow the belt to loosen about the patient.