Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
148 words
Apparatus for maximizing the volume of blood pumped by a heart, wherein the lungs associated with said heart are ventilated by a respirator, wherein said respirator causes ventilation of said lungs in response to a control signal, said apparatus comprising: a first monitor for generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; a second monitor for generating a flow rate signal representative of the rate of flow of air into and out of said lungs; a third monitor for generating a pressure signal representative of the air pressure in said lungs; and a controller, connected to receive said heart signal, said flow rate signal, said pressure signal and to said respirator, for generating said control signal in response to said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal, whereby blood being pumped from the heart is assisted by the ventilation of said lungs.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
148 words
Apparatus for maximizing the volume of blood pumped by a heart, wherein the lungs associated with said heart are ventilated by a respirator, wherein said respirator causes ventilation of said lungs in response to a control signal, said apparatus comprising: a first monitor for generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; a second monitor for generating a flow rate signal representative of the rate of flow of air into and out of said lungs; a third monitor for generating a pressure signal representative of the air pressure in said lungs; and a controller, connected to receive said heart signal, said flow rate signal, said pressure signal and to said respirator, for generating said control signal in response to said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal, whereby blood being pumped from the heart is assisted by the ventilation of said lungs.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim wherein said controller comprises a plurality of threshold detectors for detecting when said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal exceed threshold levels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first monitor comprises an electro cardiogram signal generator, whereby said heart signal comprises an electrocardiogram signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said heart comprises a Ventricle and wherein said electrocardiogram signal is representative of the contraction of said ventricle, said threshold level representative of a point during said ventricular contraction, so that said detector detects a particular point during ventricular contraction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of said detectors comprises a comparator and a variable reference signal generator, whereby the comparator compares a monitor generated signal to a signal generated by the associated variable reference signal generator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises delay means for delaying the provision of said control signal to said respirator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said delay means is operative in response to said flow rate signal and said pressure signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
111 words
A system for maximizing the volume of blood pumped by a heart or optimizing ventilation/perfusion matching in the lungs, said system comprising: a programmable respirator for ventilating lungs associated with said heart, wherein said respirator causes inspiration in response to a control signal, a monitor for generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; and a controller, connected to receive said heart signal and to said respirator, for monitoring said heart signal and for generating said control signal when said heart signal is representative of the diastolic phase of said heart, whereby blood being pumped from the heart is assisted by the inspiration pulses generated by said ventilator.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
111 words
A system for maximizing the volume of blood pumped by a heart or optimizing ventilation/perfusion matching in the lungs, said system comprising: a programmable respirator for ventilating lungs associated with said heart, wherein said respirator causes inspiration in response to a control signal, a monitor for generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; and a controller, connected to receive said heart signal and to said respirator, for monitoring said heart signal and for generating said control signal when said heart signal is representative of the diastolic phase of said heart, whereby blood being pumped from the heart is assisted by the inspiration pulses generated by said ventilator.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for maximizing the volume of blood pumped by the heart of a patient or optimizing ventilation/perfusion matching in the lungs of a patient, said method comprising the steps of: ventilating said patient, wherein said ventilation is achieved in response to a control signal; generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; generating a flow rate signal representative of the flow rate of air into and out of said lungs; generating a pressure signal representative of the air pressure in said lungs; and generating said control signal in response to said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal, whereby the pumping action of said heart is assisted by the ventilation of said lungs.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for maximizing the volume of blood pumped by the heart of a patient or optimizing ventilation/perfusion matching in the lungs of a patient, said method comprising the steps of: ventilating said patient, wherein said ventilation is achieved in response to a control signal; generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; generating a flow rate signal representative of the flow rate of air into and out of said lungs; generating a pressure signal representative of the air pressure in said lungs; and generating said control signal in response to said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal, whereby the pumping action of said heart is assisted by the ventilation of said lungs.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 9, wherein said step of generating a control signal comprises the steps of monitoring said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal and detecting when such signals exceed threshold levels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said step of generating a heart signal comprises the step of generating an electrocardiogram signal, whereby said heart signal comprises an electrocardiogram signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said heart comprises a ventricle and wherein said step of generating an electrocardiogram signal comprises the step of generating a signal representative of the contraction of said ventricle, said threshold level representative of a point during said ventricular contraction, so that said step of monitoring comprises the step of detecting a particular point during ventricular contraction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said step of detecting a particular point during ventricular contraction comprises the steps of generating a variable reference signal and comparing said electrocardiogram signal to said variable reference signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of delaying said control signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the step of delaying said control signal comprises the step of delaying said control signal until said heart is in the diastolic portion of its cycle.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for treating respiratory, cardiac or coextensive respiratory and cardiac failure, wherein heart and lungs are functioning abnormally, said method comprising the steps of: providing a respirator for ventilating said lungs, wherein said respirator is operative in response to a control signal; generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; generating a flow rate signal representative of the flow rate of air into and out of said lungs; generating a pressure signal representative of the air pressure in said lungs; and generating said control signal in response to said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal, whereby the pumping action of said heart is assisted by the ventilation of said lungs.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for treating respiratory, cardiac or coextensive respiratory and cardiac failure, wherein heart and lungs are functioning abnormally, said method comprising the steps of: providing a respirator for ventilating said lungs, wherein said respirator is operative in response to a control signal; generating a heart signal representative of the action of said heart; generating a flow rate signal representative of the flow rate of air into and out of said lungs; generating a pressure signal representative of the air pressure in said lungs; and generating said control signal in response to said heart signal, said flow rate signal and said pressure signal, whereby the pumping action of said heart is assisted by the ventilation of said lungs.