Abstract: The invention is a percussor comprising an anvil, a hammer, a coil, and a pulse generator. The anvil is equipped with a force-receiving surface and a force-delivering surface which are rigidly connected together, the force-delivering surface being intended for contact with a patient's body. The hammer is also equipped with a force-receiving surface and a force-delivering surface, the hammer being attached to the anvil in such a way that the hammer's force-delivering surface and the anvil's force-receiving surface are mechanically free to come together or move apart. The coil forces the hammer's force-delivering surface and the the anvil's force-receiving surface to separate when the coil is energized with an electrical current. The pulse generator supplies repeated electrical current pulses to the coil which causes repeated impulse forces to be applied to a patient's body whenever the technician applies a continuing force to the hammer's force-receiving surface.

Abstract: The oxygen breathing system with programmed oxygen delivery comprises a breathing circuit which a user exhales into and inhales from and a source of oxygen which delivers oxygen to the breathing circuit at a programmed rate. The oxygen is supplied at a high rate during the initial period of operation and at a low rate during the remaining period of operation. An overpressure relief valve in the breathing circuit opens during the initial time period because of the high oxygen delivery rate thereby flushing from the breathing circuit the nitrogen initially residing in the lungs of the user and in the breathing circuit. As a result of the flushing, the oxygen content in the breathing circuit approaches 100 percent at the end of the initial period and remains near this level during the subsequent time period.

Abstract: A conformal seal carried on a face mask is disclosed herein which is mounted about the edge marginal peripheral region of a rigid shell intended to be placed over the nose and mouth areas of a user. The seal includes an endless toroid made with a pliable membrane preferably filled with a deformable filler material so, that upon donning the mask, the seal causes the filler material volume to become smaller in cross section so that its peripheral length is shorter or reduced in cross section as compared with the peripheral length of the toroidal membrane. Thus, the slack membrane allows the filler material to conform to and seal with any irregular face against which it is applied.

Abstract: A pneumatic percussor is disclosed herein for therapeutic purposes such as to loosen and mobilize bronchial secretions in humans which provides an applicator having a cylindrical body with a central partition incorporating a movable poppet valve. A front diaphragm is movably carried in the body immediately ahead of the partition so as to define a pressure chamber therebetween. A relief chamber is defined on the opposite side of the partition as established by a second or rear diaphragm which also carries the poppet valve. A hammer is secured to the front diaphragm so as to follow its movement and an application pad is fixed to the hammer. Biasing springs normally maintain the poppet valve closed and the front diaphragm against an impact seal carried on the partition.

Abstract: A method and appartus for determining patient lung pressure, compliance and resistance, for use in conjunction with a respirator system of the compensated-volume type wherein a predetermined volume of gas is delivered to the patient in each breathing cycle. The method and apparatus of the invention determine both the system pressure at the point of delivery to the patient and the patient lung pressure, both at the end of the inspiration phase of the breathing cycle, and utilize these values, together with a compensated volume signal, to compute the values of patient compliance and resistance. Control circuitry, actuated periodically or on demand, substitutes an enforced plateau period following inspiration, to allow the system pressure to fall to the value of lung pressure which is obtained at the end of the inspiration phase, thereby permitting the measurement of lung pressure by sampling system pressure at the end of the plateau period.