Apparatus to restore heartbeat

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REACTIVATING THE HEART OF A HUMAN PATIENT FOLLOWING CESSATION OF HEART BEAT, COMPRISING A SUPPORT UNDERLYING THE BACK OF SAID PATIENT INCLUSIVE OF THE CARDIAC REGION, A RESILIENT PRESSURE APPLICATOR INCLUDING A RIGID PLATE AND A RESILIENT PRESSURE PAD SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID RIGID PLATE, SAID PLATE AND PRESSURE PAD HAVING AN AREA ONLY SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER THE HUMAN BREASTBONE, MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID PRESSURE PAD IN A POSITION EXTERIORLY OF THE BODY OF THE PATIENT AND SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE BREASTBONE OF THE PATIENT AND IN CONTACT WITH THE BODY OF THE PATIENT, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A RECIPROCABLE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SHAFT HAVING SAID PRESSURE APPLICATOR SECURED TO ITS LOWER END, ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR LOCATING AND MAINTAINING SAID SHAFT AND SAID APPLICATOR IN POSITION WITH SAID PRESSURE PAD IN CONTACT WITH SAID PATIENT AND DIRECTLY OVERLYING SAID BREASTBONE, POWER MEANS IMPARTING RHYTHMICAL DOWNWARD FOLLOWED BY UPWARD MOTIONS TO SAID SHAFT AT A RATE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE NORMAL RATE OF HEART BEAT AND WITH STROKES AND PRESSURES SUFFICIENT TO COMPRESS SAID BREASTBONE ONLY TO THE MINIMUM EXTENT REQUIRED TO EFFECT PERFUSION IN THE HEART FOLLOWED BY SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE RELEASES OF SAID BREASTBONE FROM THE PRESURE OF SAID PAD, AND MEANS PROVIDING A FORCE REACTION BETWEEN SAID PAD AND SAID SUPPORT, WHEREBY THE BREASTBONE MAY BE DEPRESSED REPETITIVELY BY THE SAME AMOUNT OVER A LONG TIME PERIOD WHILE SAID BACK IS RETAINED SUBSTANTIALLY IMMOVEABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWERMOST POSITION OF SAID PAD DURING SAID RHYTHMICAL MOTIONS OF SAID SHAFT, WHEREIN SAID POWER MEANS INCLUDES AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, A CAM ACTUATED PERIODICALLY BY SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR, SAID CAM BEING IN DRIVING RELATION TO SAID SHAFT, WHEREIN IS PROVIDED SPRING MEANS ALONE RETAINING SAID SHAFT IN ACTUABLE RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID CAM, AND WHEREIN SAID CAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A RELATIVELY RAPID DEPRESSION AND RELATIVELY SLOWER RISE OF SAID PRESSURE PAD.