Artificial respiration system

Claim 2

An artificial respiration system comprising, in combination, respirating means for alternately forcing air into the lungs of a patient during an inhalation period and permitting outflow of air from the lungs of the patient during a subsequent exhalation period; synchronizing means for geNerating a synchronizing signal indicative of the time intermediate said inhalation period and said exhalation period; warning means for issuing a warning signal; pressure-detecting means for detecting when the pressure of air in the lungs of the patient falls below a predetermined value; and activating means connected to said synchronizing means for receipt of said synchronizing signal and connected to said pressure-detecting means and operative for causing said warning means to issue a warning signal if the pressure detected by said pressure-detecting means falls below said predetermined value during the time of receipt by said activating means of said synchronizing signal.

Claim 3

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said synchronizing means comprises control means connected to said respirating means for controlling the sequence of operation of the same and operative for generating a first signal to cause said respirating means to force air into the lungs of the patient and operative for generating a second signal to cause said respirating means to permit outflow of air from the lungs of the patient and operative for generating said synchronizing signal intermediate said first and second signals.

Claim 4

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said respirating means comprises inhalation conduit means for carrying air into the lungs of the patient and a source of ventilation gas connected to said inhalation conduit means at one end of said inhalation conduit means and operative for establishing a predetermined pressure in said inhalation conduit means, and exhalation conduit means for carrying air out of the lungs of the patient, valve means for selectively establishing communication between the lungs of the patient and either said inhalation conduit means or said exhalation conduit means, said pressure-detecting means comprising means for detecting when the pressure of air in said inhalation conduit means falls below a predetermined value, and wherein said synchronizing means comprises control means connected to said respirating means for controlling the sequence of operation of the same and operative for generating a first signal to cause said valve means to establish communication between said inhalation conduit means and the lungs of the patient and cause said source to establish said predetermined pressure in said inhalation conduit means and operative for generating a second signal to cause said valve means to establish communication between said exhalation conduit means and the lungs of the patient and operative for generating said synchronizing signal intermediate said first and second signals to maintain communication between said inhalation conduit means and the lungs of the patient and simultaneously prevent said source from establishing said predetermined pressure in said inhalation conduit means so that the pressure established in said inhalation conduit means intermediate said inhalation and exhalation phases will be dependent upon the pressure in the patient''s lungs.

Claim 5

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure-detecting means comprises means for generating an insufficient-pressure signal when the pressure of air in the lungs of the patient falls below a predetermined value, and wherein said activating means comprises an AND-gate having one input for receipt of said synchronizing signal and having another input for receipt of said insufficient-pressure signal and having an output connected to said warning means and being operative for activating said warning means when an insufficient-pressure signal and a synchronizing signal are concurrently present at said inputs of said AND-gate.

Claim 6

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said activating means comprises manually operable means for deactivating said warning means.

Claim 7

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said activating means comprises bistable means operative when in one of the two states thereof for causing said warning means to generate a warning signal and operativE when in the other of the two states thereof for maintaining said warning means non-activated, and means for triggering said bistable means into said other of the two states thereof if the pressure detected by said pressure-detecting means falls below said predetermined value during the time of receipt by said activating means of said synchronizing signal.

Claim 8

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said activating means further comprises manually operable means for resetting said bistable means to said one state thereof.

Claim 11

The method defined in claim 8, wherein said step of generating a warning signal comprises generating a warning signal if and only if the gas pressure in the patient''s lungs falls below a predetermined fixed value during generation of one of the synchronizing signals.