Myron L. Weisfeldt, M.D.

Integrated system for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and circulation support
Patent # 4397306 | 09/09/1983

An integrated system for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and circulation support comprising chest compression means adapted to be positioned over the patient's sternum and operable to compress the sternum at desired intervals and to a desired degree, lung ventilating means including (1) a high pressure ventilator for ventilating simultaneously with chest compression; (2) a low pressure ventilator for inflating the lungs at low pressure between a selected number of compression cycles; and (3) a negative pressure ventilator for deflating the lungs between chest compressions; valve means for selectively operating only one of the indicated ventilators at any one time; means for restricting the abdomen to exert pressure on the abdominal wall; and control means for selectively operating the chest compression means, the lung ventilating means, valve means and abdomen restriction means in a selected sequence and for the period of time desired.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Assisted Circulation System
Patent # 4928674 | 05/29/1990

A vest system for generating cyclic fluctuations in intrathoracic pressure for use in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and non-invasive circulatory assistance. The vest is preferably provided with a two bladder inflation system. A high pressure bladder contacts the chest wall while a bias bladder is disposed between the high pressure bladder and the vest material. The bias bladder is pressurized to press the high-pressure bladder tightly against the chest wall so that cyclic inflation of the high-pressure bladder can generate large changes in intrathoracic pressure. The bias bladder is released periodically to allow the chest to expand for adequate ventilation. Air flow into and out of each bladder is controlled by sequencing large bore 3-way and 2-way solenoid valves and the rate of air flow into the high-pressure bladder is controlled by a variable resistor.

ECG Amplifier and Cardiac Pacemaker for Use during Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMR insensitive pacemaker)
Patent # 5217010 A | 08/02/1993

A device for monitoring a patient or pacing a patient is disclosed which can safely operate in a MRI system. The device uses unique RF filtering and shielding to attenuate voltages on the leads resulting from the high frequency RF signals produced in the MRI. The device is uniquely shielded to prevent induced currents from disrupting the amplifying and processing electronics. The device uses an optional secondary low pass or band reject filter to eliminate interference from the MRI's gradient magnetic field. The device uses optional inductors placed close to electrodes to limit RF currents through the electrodes. Several embodiments of the RF filter are taught which depend on the number of sensing leads, whether the leads are shielded, whether the RF filter is contained in the electronic shielded housing or whether single or multistage filtering is employed. The device may operate as an extended ECG monitor or may be an implantable MRI safe pacemaker.

Mri interference-filtered monitor, stimulator and pacemaker
Patent # WO1992021286 A1 | 04/08/1994

A device for monitoring, stimulating or pacing a patient to safely operate in an MRI system, uses RF filtering (104-110) to eliminate interference from the MRI gradient magnetic field and shielding (122) to attenuate voltages on the leads resulting from the high frequency RF signals produced in the MRI to prevent induced currents from disrupting the amplifying and processing electronics (124).

Cardiac assist method using an inflatable vest
Patent # 6752771 B2 | 01/14/1998

A method and device are disclosed for inflating an inflatable vest to assist the heart in patients suffering from heart failure. The inflation of the vest is synchronized with on-set of the systole phase of the heart, when the left ventricular compresses to force blood out of the heart and through the aorta. The inflated vest compresses the patient's chest and increases the intrathoracic pressure. This increase in pressure assists the heart in moving blood out of the heart and through the aorta. In addition, the vest is arranged to leave the patient's abdomen free of restraint so that the increase in intrathoracic pressure due to the vest moves blood into the abdomen, and to allow the abdomen to dynamically recoil in response to the vest inflation. In addition, ECG signals from electrodes applied to the patient are processed to trigger the vest inflation in real time with the current heartbeat cycle, such that the vest inflation is triggered when the heart begins to contract.

Cardiac assist method using an inflatable vest
Patent # 6179793 B1 | 01/14/1998

A method is disclosed for inflating an inflatable vest to assist the heart in patients suffering from heart failure. The inflation of the vest is synchronized with on-set of the systole phase of the heart, when the left ventricular compresses to force blood out of the heart and through the aorta. The inflated vest compresses the patient's chest and increases the intrathoracic pressure. This increase in pressure assists the heart in moving blood out of the heart and through the aorta. In addition, the vest is arranged to leave the patient's abdomen free of restraint so that the increase in intrathoracic pressure due to the vest moves blood into the abdomen, and to allow the abdomen to dynamically recoil in response to the vest inflation. In addition, ECG signals from electrodes applied to the patient are processed to trigger the vest inflation in real time with the current heartbeat cycle, such that the vest inflation is triggered when the heart begins to contract. A controller provides an adjustable signal blanking period to avoid noise components following the QRS complex.

Portable negative pressure ventilation device and methods and software related thereto
Patent # 8571663 B2 | 10/29/2013

Featured is an apparatus an apparatus including a monitoring and sensing means, an electrode patch and a control device operably coupled to each of the sensing means and the electrodes and outputs signals to the electrodes for purposes of stimulating the phrenic nerve to thereby cause breathing by natural contraction of the diaphragm. The control device is configured and arranged to initially localize the phrenic nerve with respect to a given set of electrodes that is effective, when appropriately energized, for stimulating the phrenic nerve to establish negative pressure induced respiration in the body, based on the output signal(s) from the monitoring and sensing means. After such initially localizing; the control device thereafter repetitively outputs stimulation signals via the given set of electrodes so as to thereby continuously stimulate negative pressure induced respiration. Also featured are methods related thereto.