Abstract: A motorized wheel assembly is provided for a wheelchair in which there is a seat for receiving the occupant attached to a vertical shaft with a single central wheel mounted at the bottom of the shaft for rotation about a horizontal axis transverse to the chair and defining a direction of forward movement of the wheel forwardly of the chair. On the shaft is carried a battery and control unit for supplying power to the drive motor of the, wheel mounted on the hub of the wheel. An outrigger frame includes a sleeve slidable on the shaft and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the sleeve each arm carrying a castor wheel to prevent toppling of the device. Steering is achieved by the feet of the user applied to the outrigger frame to rotate the chair and the drivewheel about a vertical axis.

Abstract: A motorized wheel assembly is provided in which there is a seat for receiving the occupant attached to a vertical shaft with a single central wheel mounted at the bottom of the shaft for rotation about a horizontal axis transverse to the chair and defining a direction of forward movement of the wheel forwardly of the chair. On the chair and the shaft is carried a battery and control unit for supplying power to the drive motor of the wheel mounted on the hub of the wheel. An outrigger frame includes a sleeve slideable on the shaft and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the sleeve each arm carrying a castor wheel to prevent toppling of the device. Steering is achieved by the feet of the user applied to the outrigger frame to rotate the chair and the drivewheel about a vertical axis.

Abstract: A ventilator for providing low pressure air for assisting the breathing of an imfirm patient includes a pump with a cylindrical chamber having a vane mounted within the chamber for sweeping the inside surface of the chamber in a pumping action. The pump is double-acting. Ports to the pump are located in a wedge-shaped divider member permanently mounted within the chamber and extending from the chamber to a shaft driving the vane. Valves for the ducts extending from the ports to respective inlets and outlets are mounted exteriorly of the wedge-shaped dividing member. The pump can therefore have lower volume and the shaft is directly driven providing high efficiency and simple adjustment of the volume supplied to the patient.

Abstract: The tidal volume indicator consists of a spirometer in conjunction with a ventilator system adapted for use for small children and neonates. The ventilator system incorporates valving to segregate the component parts into a machine system and a patient system and includes a unidirectional check valve between the exhalation valve manifold and the patient system. The tidal volume indicator includes a spirometer with read-out amplifier operatively connected therewith which enables the volume to be read accurately from between, for example, 0 and 150 ml. It consists of a rack and pinion assembly connected to the vertically moving shaft of the spirometer and a volume indicator needle in conjunction with the necessary scale. Also included is an adjustable warning operating device which will actuate an alarm or indicator if the preset volume deviates by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A source of power rotates a drive shaft upon which a pair of rollers are mounted. The rollers rotate in a recess and collapse an undialysed blood carrying tube against a wall thus causing a pumping action. When used with a single needle dialysis system, an occluding pin assembly intermittently clamps off the dialysed blood carrying tube as said source of power is interrupted in rotation thus permitting the device to be used with a conventional single needle assembly. By rotating a cylindrical member upon the upper end of the drive shaft, the rollers can be retracted from adjacent the wall against which the undialysed blood carrying tube rests thus facilitating the engagement and disengagement of the undialysed blood carrying tube with the device. Inasmuch as the wall thickness of such tubes often varies, between tubing produced by different manufacturers, means are provided to adjust the spatial relationship of the pump rollers with the wall against which the tube is pressed during the pumping action.