Automated chest compression device

1. A device for compressing a chest of a patient comprising:

a platform for placement under a thorax of the patient;

a compression belt adapted to extend over an anterior chest wall of the patient, said compression belt comprising a load distribution section, a right belt end, and a left belt end;

a motor operably connected to the compression belt through a drive train, said motor capable of operating the drive train repeatedly to cause the compression belt to tighten about the thorax of the patient and loosen about the thorax of the patient; and

the drive train, comprising

a right drive spool and a left drive spool, said right drive spool and left drive spool disposed laterally in the platform, and

at least one linkage rotatably interconnecting the motor to said right drive spool and left drive spool, wherein the at least one linkage is configured to transfer rotation driven by the motor to rotate the right drive spool and left drive spool, wherein the right and left drive spools are configured to drive the compression belt;

wherein the right belt end and the left belt end are releasably attachable to the right drive spool and the left drive spool, respectively, at attachment points accessible from anterior or lateral sides of the platform, such that the attachment points are positioned for releasable attachment of the right belt end and the left belt end while the platform is disposed under the patient;

and wherein an inferior-superior centerline of the platform corresponds to an inferior-superior centerline of the patient, wherein the right drive spool is configured to be disposed to a right side of the inferior-superior centerline of the platform, and the left drive spool is configured to be disposed to a left side of the inferior-superior centerline of the platform.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the drive train comprises right and left intermediate straps fixed, respectively, to the right and left drive spools, wherein the right and left intermediate straps comprise the attachment points; and

the right and left belt ends each comprise releasable attachment means for releasably attaching the right and left belt ends, respectively, to the attachment points of the right and left intermediate straps.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the right and left intermediate straps are self-supporting yet flexible, such that the right and left intermediate straps are configured to be spooled on the right and left drive spools, respectively.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising right and left splines disposed on the right and left belt ends, wherein

the right and left drive spools each comprises a slot for receiving the right and left splines, respectively, to releasably attach the right and left belt ends to the right and left drive spools.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one linkage comprises:

a first linkage of the at least one linkage including a first drive belt operably connecting the motor to the right drive spool; and

a second linkage of the at least one linkage including a second drive belt operably connecting the motor to the left drive spool.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one linkage comprises:

a first linkage of the at least one linkage including a first drive chain operably connecting the motor to the right drive spool; and

a second linkage of the at least one linkage including a second drive chain operably connecting the motor to the left drive spool.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the drive train comprises a first drive shaft connected to the motor; and

the at least one linkage comprises

a first linkage of the at least one linkage including a first drive belt, drive chain or rack connecting the first drive shaft to one of the left drive spool or the right drive spool, and

a second linkage of the at least one linkage including a second drive belt, drive chain or rack connecting the first drive shaft to the other of the left drive spool or the right drive spool.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a control system operable to control operation of the motor to tighten and loosen the compression belt in repeated cycles of compression about the thorax of the patient, wherein

said control system is further operable to pre-tension the compression belt, prior to performing the repeated cycles of compression, by first operating the motor to loosen the compression belt, and then operating the motor to tighten the compression belt until the compression belt is tightened to a slack take-position.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a compression monitor with sensors secured to the compression belt, said compression monitor operable to determine the depth of compression achieved by the device for compressing the chest, wherein

the control system is further programmed to control operation of the motor based on the chest compression depth determined by the compression monitor.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the control system is further programmed to control operation of the motor to achieve a predetermined compression depth as determined by the compression monitor.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

upon positioning the patient on the device,

a medial-lateral axis of the platform corresponds to the medial-lateral axis of the patient;

the motor and drive train are disposed in a first region of the device along the inferior-superior centerline of the platform;

the left and right drive spools each extend into a second region of the device along the inferior-superior centerline of the platform, said second region being displaced from the first region and located inferiorly to the first region; and

the left and right drive spools are spaced laterally from the inferior-superior centerline of the device, thereby defining a radiolucent space within the platform devoid of radiopaque components;

such that said radiolucent space is disposed, when the device is installed under the patient with the compression belt spanning the anterior chest wall of the patient, under the heart of the patient.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the right and left drive spools each comprise:

a first segment engaging the at least one linkage; and

a second segment, extending inferiorly from the first segment, engaging the first and second belt ends and defining a space between the right and left drive spools on a coronal plane and inferior to the compression belt which is unoccupied by components of the drive train.

13. A method of performing chest compression on a patient, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a device for compressing a chest of the patient, said device comprising:

a platform for placement under a thorax of the patient,

a compression belt adapted to extend over an anterior chest wall of the patient, said belt comprising a load distribution section and right and left belt ends,

a drive train operably connected to the compression belt for repeatedly tightening and loosening the compression belt around the thorax of the patient,

a motor operably connected to the compression belt through the drive train, said motor capable of operating the drive train repeatedly to cause the compression belt to tighten about the thorax of the patient and loosen about the thorax of the patient, wherein

the drive train comprises

a right drive spool and a left drive spool, said right drive spool and left drive spool disposed laterally in the platform, wherein an inferior-superior centerline of the platform corresponds to an inferior-superior centerline of the patient, wherein the right drive spool is configured to be disposed to the right side of the inferior-superior centerline of the platform, and the left drive spool is configured to be disposed to the left side of the inferior-superior centerline of the platform, and

at least one linkage rotatably interconnecting the motor to said right drive spool and left drive spool, wherein the at least one linkage is configured to transfer rotation driven by the motor to rotate the right drive spool and left drive spool, wherein the right and left drive spools are configured to drive the compression belt, and

the right belt end and the left belt end are releasably attachable to the right drive spool and the left drive spool, respectively, at attachment points accessible from anterior or lateral sides of the platform, such that the attachment points are positioned for releasable attachment of the right belt end and the left belt end while the platform is disposed under the patient;

placing the patient on the platform, with the anterior side of the platform in contact with the thorax of the patient;

attaching the right belt end to the right drive spool, and attaching the left belt end to the left drive spool; and

initiating operation of the device to cause repeated cycles of tightening and loosening of the compression belt about the thorax of the patient.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

prior to initiating operation of the device,

manually tightening the compression belt about the thorax of the patient to an initial tightness, and

operating the device to loosen the compression belt to ensure that the compression belt is slack, and thereafter tightening the compression belt to a first, low threshold of tightness, and associating the position of the compression belt with a slack-take up position; and

after initiating operation and during the repeated cycles of tightening and loosening of the compression belt about the thorax of the patient, detecting the depth of compressions achieved by the compression belt with a compression sensor secured to the compression belt.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compression sensor is fixed to the compression belt and operable to generate compression signals corresponding the depth of compression achieved by the compression belt, the method further comprising:

during the repeated cycles of tightening and loosening of the compression belt about the thorax of the patient, applying at least one adjustment to operating the motor to achieve chest compressions of a predetermined depth as determined from the compression signals.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of, during the repeated cycles of tightening and loosening of the compression belt about the thorax of the patient:

operating the device to limit loosening of the compression belt between compressions to the slack take-up position.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of, after initiating operation:

interrupting the repeated cycles of tightening and loosening of the compression belt about the thorax of the patient to replace the compression belt, wherein replacing the compression belt comprises, while the patient remains on the platform,

detaching the right belt end from the right drive spool, and

detaching the left belt end from the left drive spool.

18. A device for compressing a chest of a patient comprising:

a platform for placement under a thorax of the patient, wherein,

an anterior-posterior axis of the platform corresponds to an anterior-posterior axis of the patient, and

an inferior-superior centerline of the platform corresponds to an inferior-superior centerline of the patient;

a compression belt adapted to extend over an anterior chest wall of the patient, said belt comprising a load distribution section, and right and left belt ends;

right and left drive spools laterally displaced from the inferior-superior centerline of the platform, said right and left drive spools operably connected to the right and left belt ends such that rotation of the right and left drive spools results in the right and left drive spools pulling the right and left belt ends posteriorly, for repeatedly tightening and loosening of the compression belt around the chest of the patient, wherein

the right drive spool is configured to be disposed to the right side of the inferior-superior centerline of the platform, and the left drive spool is configured to be disposed to the left side of the inferior-superior centerline of the platform; and

a motor rotatably interconnected to the right and left drive spools via at least one linkage of a drive train, wherein the at least one linkage is configured to transfer rotation driven by said motor to rotate the right and left drive spools.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein:

the drive train comprises right and left intermediate straps fixed to the right and left drive spools and the right and left belt ends.