EP-4736832-A1 - SUCTION CUP FOR A CHEST COMPRESSION DEVICE

EP4736832A1EP 4736832 A1EP4736832 A1EP 4736832A1EP-4736832-A1

Abstract

A device for applying compressions to a chest of a patient has a suction cup configured to contact the chest of the patient. The device also has a valve configured to allow air to exit or to enter a cavity through a boundary of the suction cup, the cavity being between the suction cup and the chest of the patient, and the device has a pump configured to evacuate the cavity through the valve.

Inventors

EHRSTEDT, MARCUS
SOLEM, KRISTIAN
LAGERSTRÖM, JONAS
NORDSTRÖM, Johan
FALK, THOMAS
VON SCHENCK, ERIC
KOCULA, WIKTOR
SEGERSTEIN, LARS ANDERS JÖRGEN
SVAHN, TOBIAS
AXELSSON, PER
SANDRUP, Eric
Bylund, Jon
LINDROTH, SARA
CARLSSON, Josefine

Assignees

Physio-Control, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251103

Claims (15)

A device for applying compressions to a chest of a patient, the device comprising: a suction cup configured to contact the chest of the patient; a valve configured to allow air to exit a cavity through a boundary of the suction cup, the cavity being between the suction cup and the chest of the patient; and a pump configured to evacuate the cavity through the valve.
The device of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure in the cavity, optionally wherein the pressure sensor includes a wireless transmitter configured to transmit pressure data that corresponds to the pressure in the cavity.
The device of claim 1, in which the valve is further configured to substantially prevent air from entering the cavity through the valve.
The device of claim 1, in which the valve is further configured to allow air to enter the cavity through the boundary of the suction cup, optionally wherein the valve is configured to allow air to enter the cavity to increase a pressure within the cavity to an amount that is less than an ambient pressure outside the boundary of the suction cup.
The device of claim 1, in which the pump is removably attached to the valve.
The device of claim 1, in which the pump is incorporated within an envelope of the suction cup.
The device of claim 1, in which the valve and the pump are removably attached to the suction cup as a single unit.
The device of claim 1, in which the pump is substantially toroidal and coupled to an upper surface of the suction cup.
The device of claim 1, in which the pump is a fixed-volume syringe, the fixed-volume syringe having a spring configured to prevent the fixed-volume syringe from evacuating the cavity beyond a threshold of safe attachment force.
The device of claim 1, in which the pump comprises a spring and bellows within the suction cup, the bellows configured to force air from the cavity through the valve, the spring configured to return the bellows to an uncompressed condition, optionally wherein the bellows is separated from the cavity by a valve that allows air to pass from the cavity into the bellows.
A mechanical cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) device, comprising: a compression mechanism configured to perform successive CPR compressions to a chest of a patient, the compression mechanism comprising: a housing, a piston, a suction cup at an end of the piston, the suction cup configured to contact the chest of the patient, a cavity being between the suction cup and the chest of the patient, and a valve configured to allow air to enter a cavity through a boundary of the suction cup to increase an air pressure within the cavity to an amount that is less than an ambient pressure outside the boundary of the suction cup; and a support structure comprising: a backboard configured to be placed underneath the patient; and a support leg configured to support the chest compression mechanism at a distance from the backboard.
The CPR device of claim 11, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to measure the air pressure in the cavity, optionally wherein the pressure sensor includes a wireless transmitter configured to transmit pressure data that corresponds to the air pressure in the cavity.
The CPR device of claim 11, in which the valve is further configured to allow air to exit the cavity through the boundary of the suction cup to decrease the air pressure within the cavity.
The CPR device of claim 13, further comprising a pump configured to evacuate the cavity through the valve.
The CPR device of claim 14, in which: (i) the pump is removably attached to the valve; (ii) the pump is incorporated within an envelope of the suction cup; (iii) the valve and the pump are removably attached to the suction cup as a single unit; (iv) the pump is substantially toroidal and coupled to an upper surface of the suction cup; (v) the pump is a fixed-volume syringe, the fixed-volume syringe having a spring configured to prevent the fixed-volume syringe from evacuating the cavity beyond a threshold of safe attachment force; or (vi) the pump comprises a spring and bellows within the suction cup, the bellows configured to force air from the cavity through the valve, the spring configured to return the bellows to an uncompressed condition, optionally wherein the bellows is separated from the cavity by a valve that allows air to pass from the cavity into the bellows.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims the benefit of provisional Application No. 63/715,427 filed November 1, 2024, which application is incorporated into the present disclosure by this reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure is directed to systems and methods related to mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) devices, and, more particularly, to suction cups for a mechanical CPR device and detection of suction cup attachment. BACKGROUND Mechanical CPR has several advantages over manual CPR. A person performing CPR, such as a medical first-responder, must exert considerable physical effort to maintain proper compression timing and depth. Over time, fatigue can set in and compressions can become less consistent and less effective. The person performing CPR must also divert mental attention to performing manual CPR properly and may not be able to focus on other tasks that could help the patient. For example, a person performing CPR at a rate of 100 compressions per minute would likely not be able to simultaneously prepare a defibrillator for use to attempt to correct the patient's heart rhythm. Mechanical compression devices can be used with CPR to perform compressions that would otherwise be done manually. Mechanical compression devices can provide advantages such as providing constant, proper compressions for sustained lengths of time without fatiguing, freeing medical personnel to perform other tasks besides CPR compressions, and being usable in smaller spaces than would be required by a person performing CPR compressions. Some conventional CPR devices utilize a suction cup to attach a piston to a chest of a patient for performing CPR compressions and decompressions. Specifically, these suction cups are beneficial for lifting the chest of a patient back to an original position before performing another compression. However, suction cups are generally designed to stick or attach to polished, flat, and hard surfaces, while a chest of a patient has curves in multiple directions. It can thus be difficult to adequately attach a suction cup to the topography of a patient's chest, and suction cups designed for CPR devices often have high walls and large internal volumes to adequately attach. But the higher the walls and the larger the internal volume of a suction cup, the greater the force needed to empty the air and create a pressure seal against the patient's chest. Generating enough force to create a reliable pressure seal without damaging a patient's skin can pose a difficulty. Configurations of the disclosed technology address shortcomings in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a CPR device, according to an example configuration.FIG. 2 is a front view of the CPR device of FIG. 1, also showing a representation of a patient within the CPR device.FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suction cup and pump for implementation with a CPR device, according to an example configuration.FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the suction cup of FIG. 3.FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a suction cup and pump for implementation with a CPR device, according to an additional example configuration.FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the suction cup of FIG. 5.FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a suction cup and pump for implementation with a CPR device, according to an additional example configuration.FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the suction cup of FIG. 7.FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a suction cup having an integral pump for implementation with a CPR device, according to an example configuration.FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the suction cup of FIG. 9.FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a sensor arrangement for a CPR device suction cup, according to an example configuration.FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a sensor arrangement for a CPR device suction cup, according to an additional example configuration.FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a sensor arrangement for a CPR device suction cup, according to an example configuration.FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a suction cup having a flexible lip for evacuating air for implementation with a CPR device, according to an example configuration.FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the suction cup of FIG. 14, before air is evacuated.FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the suction cup of FIG. 14, while air is being evacuated.FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a suction cup for implementation with a CPR device, according to an example configuration.FIG. 18 illustrates an example schematic block diagram of portions of a mechanical compression device system, according to configurations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Configurations of the disclosure are directed to suction cups for mechanical CPR devices with increased suction, and, accordingly, increased attachment force to the chest of a patient. Specifically, configurations of the disclosed suction cups implement valves for emptying the air contents out of