A chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device

Abstract

A chest unit (10) for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device, the chest unit (10) comprising: a chest portion (12) configured to move between an initial position and a maximally displaced position in response to a force applied to the chest portion (12) by a user; and a plurality of resilient members configured to provide resistance to the force applied by the user, wherein each of the resilient members has a stiffness that increases between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

Description

[0001] A CHEST UNIT FOR USE IN A CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION TRAINING DEVICE

[0002] FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to a chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training device.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] The ability to practice cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a chest-like device can help to improve an individual's CPR skills and can save lives. Previous chest units for CPR devices do not accurately perform like a human chest under compression and may therefore not adequately prepare an individual to perform CPR on a human. Therefore, there is a need to provide a chest unit for use in a CPR training device which accurately performs like a human chest when compressed to better prepare an individual for performing CPR on a human.

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training device comprising: a chest portion configured to move between an initial position and a maximally displaced position in response to a force applied to the chest portion by a user; and a resilient member configured to provide resistance to the force applied by the user, wherein the resilient member has a stiffness that increases between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

[0008] By the chest portion having a resilient member with a stiffness that increases between the initial position and the maximally displaced position, the chest portion is better able to mimic the behaviour of a human chest in response to CPR. For example, to mimic the increase in resistance to compression caused by the skeleton and internal organs.

[0009] The chest unit may comprise a plurality of resilient members configured to provide resistance to the force applied by the user, wherein each resilient member has a stiffness that increases between the initial position and the maximally displaced position. By having a plurality of resilient members that can each increase their stiffness in response to compression allows such resilient members to be arranged around the chest portion for a more balanced distribution of resistive forces when a compression is performed on the chest thereby providing a more realistic simulation of the human chest's response to applied force.

[0010] Optionally, the chest unit further comprises a housing, wherein each resilient member is pivotably coupled to the housing. This may provide a more balanced resistive force in response to a force applied to the chest portion, even if that force is not applied to the centre of the chest portion.

[0011] Optionally, each resilient member has a stiffness that increases in response to compression. Each resilient member may be a single component made of a material or formed in such a way that the stiffness increases in response to compression. For example, each resilient member may be formed from a composite material (such as layers of foam of different density) or a progressive spring having a stiffness that increases in response to compression.

[0012] Optionally, the chest portion can be further configured to move through an intermediate position between the initial position and the maximally displaced position. Each resilient member may provide a first stiffness between the initial position and the intermediate position and a second stiffness between the intermediate position and the maximally displaced position, wherein the second stiffness can be greater than the first stiffness.

[0013] The chest portion having a first stiffness between an initial position and intermediate position and a second, greater stiffness, between the intermediate position and maximally displaced position is advantageous as it mimics the structure of the human chest. When performing chest compressions on a human, the resistance to the compression will increase at a certain point due to the skeleton and internal organs being present, before coming to a gradual stop. The provision of an increased stiffness between an intermediate position and maximally displaced position will imitate this, providing a user with a realistic experience and better prepare them for performing chest compressions in real-life.

[0014] Optionally, each resilient member can comprise a first resilient component having the first stiffness that is at least engaged between the initial position and intermediate position and a second resilient component having the second stiffness is at least engaged between the intermediate position and maximally displaced position.

[0015] Optionally, at least a portion of each first resilient component can be adjacent to at least a portion of each second resilient component. Optionally, a distance between a chest-facing portion of each second resilient component and the chest portion can be greater than a distance between a chest-facing portion of each first resilient component and the chest portion.

[0016] Optionally, each first resilient component is a spring and each second resilient component is a foam block. Alternatively, each first and second resilient components are layers of a composite material, such as layers of a composite foam.

[0017] Optionally, each second resilient component may be a foam block comprising layers of foam of different densities in order to increase the stiffness as the second resilient component is compressed so as to provide a more graduated progressive stop.

[0018] Optionally, the chest portion can comprise a plurality of layers, optionally including one or more of a skin-like layer (for example, a silicone layer), a fat-like layer (for example, a foam layer) and a rib-like layer (for example, a rigid vacuum formed plastic layer).

[0019] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device comprising: a housing; a chest portion pivotably coupled to the housing, wherein the chest portion is configured to be moved, by a user, between an initial position and a maximally displaced position; a pivotable connection coupled to the housing, wherein the pivotable connection comprises a channel configured to allow a piston to slide through the channel; a sensor coupled to the pivotable connection wherein pivoting of the pivotable connection causes a corresponding pivoting of the sensor; and a piston having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the piston is pivotably coupled to the chest portion adjacent to the proximal end and the distal end of the piston is slideable through the channel of the pivotable connection; wherein the sensor is configured to measure the movement of the piston relative to the sensor in response to movement of the chest portion by the user in order to determine the movement of the chest portion between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

[0020] The chest portion, piston and sensor being pivotably connected to the housing allows for the depth of compression to be determined even when the compression is not applied centrally to the chest portion. A proximal end of the piston is coupled to the chest portion and the piston will move when the chest portion is compressed, the distal end of the piston is slideable through a pivotable connection and a sensor is coupled to the pivotable connection. As such, when the piston is moved by a force applied to the chest portion, the piston will pass through the pivotable connection and the sensor determines the movement of the chest portion between the initial position and the maximally displaced position. Even if the compressive force applied to the chest portion is off-centre, causing the chest portion to pivot relative to the housing, the piston and sensor will also pivot so that they move in registration with the chest portion and remain in the same plane. As they remain in the same plane, the piston will be moved in the same manner as if the compression was central and the movement of the chest portion between the initial position and the maximally displaced position can still be accurately determined.

[0021] Optionally, the chest portion can be pivotably coupled to the housing via a frame and the piston can be pivotably coupled to the frame adjacent to the proximal end.

[0022] Optionally, the chest portion can be pivotably coupled to the housing via one or more resilient members.

[0023] Optionally, the one or more resilient members can comprise a spring.

[0024] Optionally, the pivotable connection comprising a channel can be a piston rod ball joint.

[0025] Optionally, the piston can be pivotably coupled to the chest portion by a ball and socket joint.

[0026] Optionally, the sensor can be attached to an arm which extends from the pivotable connection.

[0027] Optionally, the sensor can be a rotary encoder and the piston can have a toothed rack configured to be received by a cog that drives the rotary encoder.

[0028] The piston having a toothed rack that is received by a cog, allows the movement of the piston to rotate the cog and drive the rotary encoder.

[0029] Optionally, the chest unit can be configured to output an indication indicative of the movement of the chest portion between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

[0030] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device comprising: a chest portion pivotably coupled to a housing; a gyroscope configured to measure a tilt of the chest portion with respect to the housing; and a processor configured to determine a hand position of a user on the chest portion based on the tilt measurement.

[0031] By determining the hand position of the user based on the tilt measurement obtained using the gyroscope, a simple and cost-effective system for determining the user's hand position is achieved compared to alternative means for detecting the user's hand position.

[0032] Optionally, the gyroscope can be configured to measure a yaw and a roll of the chest portion.

[0033] Optionally, the processor is provided with calibration data, wherein the calibration data is indicative of at least one reference hand position associated with a reference yaw and reference roll of the chest portion.

[0034] Optionally, the processor can be further configured to determine whether the hand position of the user corresponds to a predetermined hand position, wherein the predetermined hand position can be a hand position for performing CPR and the processor can be configured to output an indication based on the determination.

[0035] Optionally, the indication can comprise a graphical representation of the user's hand position compared to the predetermined hand position.

[0036] Optionally, the chest unit can be communicatively connectable to a display unit configured to output the indication to the user.

[0037] In another example, there is provided a system comprising the chest unit of any preceding statement and a display communicatively coupled to the chest unit and configured to output the indication to the user.

[0038] Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

[0039] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] By way of example only, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] Figure 1 shows a chest unit according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0042] Figure 2 shows an exploded version of the chest unit of Figure 1;

[0043] Figure 3 shows a sensor of the chest unit of Figure 1; and

[0044] Figure 4 illustrates an example of the chest unit of Figure 1 integrated into a kiosk.

[0045] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) devices with a chest unit have long been used to provide a safe way for an individual to practice CPR. However, previous chest units have not been designed in a manner which accurately reacts like a human chest when compressions are performed (i.e. a force is applied to the chest unit). Therefore, while previous chest units may allow an individual to become familiar with the actions of performing CPR, the previous chest units do not feel like a real human chest when performing CPR. This results in an individual not being fully prepared to perform CPR on a real human, which does not react to compressions in the same way as the previous chest units practiced on. For example, a real human chest exhibits non-uniform resistance or stiffness as force is applied to the chest. The present disclosure provides a chest unit for use in a CPR resuscitation training device which reacts more like a real chest when a force is applied, so as to better prepare a user for having to perform CPR on a human which may result in more lives being saved. Further, the chest unit of the present disclosure may accommodate non-central application of force (e.g., due to a user's hand not being placed in a central location on the chest unit), and may further compare a user's hand position to a known hand position for correctly performing CPR, and may output an indication to the user indicating whether the user's hand is correctly positioned. Thus, the user may receive continued feedback from the chest unit enabling the user to more effectively learn the correct technique for performing CPR.

[0047] Figure 1 shows a chest unit 10 for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training device according to an embodiment of the invention. The chest unit 10 is configured to mimic the mechanical behaviour of a human chest when a compressive force is applied to the chest unit 10. This allows a user to practice performing chest compressions on a chest unit which feels more realistic and better prepares them for performing chest compressions on a human. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the chest unit 10 of Figure 1 and Figure 3 illustrates a sensor of the chest unit 10 of Figure 1.

[0048] The chest unit 10 has a chest portion 12 that is formed to have a shape and feel that is representative of a human torso. The chest portion 12 can move relative to housing 20 in response to compression of the chest portion 12 by a user's hands. In an initial position, before a compressive force is applied to the chest portion 12 by the user, the chest portion 12 may be in a first position relative to the housing 20. This initial position may substantially correspond to the position illustrated in Figure 1 where the chest portion is at or above a top of the housing 20. As the user applies a compressive force to the chest portion 12 by performing a CPR action on the chest portion 12, the chest portion 12 is pushed down towards a base plate 26 of the housing 20, compressing one or more resilient members between the chest portion 12 and baseplate 26, until a maximally displaced position is reached.

[0049] Each resilient member provides resistance to the force applied by a user to the chest portion 12. Each resilient member can be coupled to the chest portion 12 or can be positioned so as to provide a resistance when the chest portion 12 is compressed by the force applied by the user to the chest portion 12.

[0050] Each resilient member is configured to have a stiffness that increases between the initial position and maximally displaced position. For example, the chest portion 12 can move through an intermediate position between the initial position and the maximally displaced position, where each resilient member provides a first stiffness between the initial position and the intermediate position, and a second stiffness between the intermediate position and the maximally displaced position, where the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness.

[0051] In order to achieve this increase in stiffness between the initial position and the maximally displaced position, each resilient member can be formed from separate resilient components having different stiffnesses. For example, a first resilient component having a first stiffness can be engaged between the initial position and intermediate position and a second resilient component having a second stiffness can be engaged between the intermediate position and maximally displaced position.

[0052] In the example chest unit 10 of Figure 1, the first resilient component 16 comprises a spring which is engaged between the initial position and the intermediate position and the second resilient component 18 comprises a foam block which is additionally engaged between the intermediate position and the maximally displaced position. The second resilient component 18 may comprise either a single density foam, or layers of different density foam to increase stiffness as the second resilient component 18 is compressed in order to provide a more graduated, progressive stop.

[0053] It should be understood that the first and second resilient components 16, 18 can comprise any suitable component that provides a resistive force when compressed (e.g., in response to the force applied by the user) and return to their original shape when the compressive force has ceased. For example, the first and second resilient components 16, 18 may each comprise a foam block having a different respective stiffness.

[0054] Rather than the resilient member being formed from first and second resilient components 16, 18 that are discrete components made from different materials, the resilient member could be formed from a single component with a stiffness that increases when it is compressed. For example, a composite material whose stiffness increases as the composite material is compressed, such as a composite foam block comprising a plurality of different stiffness foam layers. Or a progressive spring with stiffness that increases when it is compressed, for example, by having variable pitch or wire diameter of the coils, having a conical shape, or a composite spring comprising sections of different materials.

[0055] The first resilient component 16 and / or the second resilient component 18 can be pivotably coupled to the housing 20 to allow for the first resilient component 16 and / or the second resilient component 18 to provide a balanced resistive force in response to a force applied to the chest portion 12, even if that force is not applied to the centre of the chest portion 12. The first resilient component 16 can be adjacent to the second resilient component 18. The first and second resilient components 16, 18 can be positioned so as to ensure the resistance to the chest portion 12 is evenly distributed across the chest portion 12. The chest unit 10 thereby mimics a real human chest, which exhibits a balanced resistive force in response to an applied force. As a result, when the chest unit 10 is used as part of a training device, a user may effectively learn CPR technique by experiencing a realistic resistive response when force is applied to the chest unit 10.

[0056] The arrangement of the chest unit 10 described above, and particularly the one or more resilient members, results in a chest unit 10 which acts and feels more like a human chest when a force is applied to the chest (e.g. a compression when performing CPR). When performing a chest compression on a human an increasing resistance can be felt as the chest moves from its initial position to an intermediate position, which is replicated by the first stiffness of the resilient member (e.g., the first resilient component 16) between the initial position and the intermediate position. However, past the intermediate position the resistance to compression significantly increases, due to the presence of the internal organs, before coming to a stop. This is replicated by the increased stiffness of the resilient member at a greater depth of compression (e.g., the second resilient component 18). Conventional chest units used in CPR devices typically feature a single, central spring with a hard stop to replicate the chest under compression. However, this does not provide the effects described above and does not provide a realistic chest unit 10 under compression, because the single central spring does not accurately simulate the human chest's response to applied force. Therefore, the chest unit 10 of Figure 1 provides a user with a realistic performing chest to practice CPR on which better prepares the user for performing CPR on a real human.

[0057] In the example of Figure 1, the chest unit 10 comprises a plurality of resilient members each comprising a first resilient component 16 and a second resilient component 18. The use of a plurality of first and second resilient components 16, 18 can result in a more balanced distribution of resistive forces when a compression is performed on the chest. However, it should be understood that this is an example only, and the chest unit 10 may comprise one or more resilient members taking other forms which provide an increasing stiffness between the initial position and the maximally displaced position, as discussed above.

[0058] The chest portion 12 can be pivotably coupled to the housing 20 via a piston 32 (and / or a piston casing 31). The pivotable coupling of the chest portion 12 to the housing 20 is described in more detail in respect of Figure 2.

[0059] The piston casing 31 is configured to allow the piston 32 to slide through. A distal end of the piston casing 31 distal to the chest portion 12 is pivotably connected to a pivotable connection 22 of the base plate 26 of the housing, and a proximal end proximal to the chest portion 12 is pivotably coupled to the chest portion 12. The piston casing 31 can be coupled to the chest portion 12 via the frame 34, wherein the proximal end of the piston casing 31 is pivotably coupled to the chest portion via the frame 34.

[0060] The piston 32 has a proximal end proximal to the chest portion 12 and a distal end distal to the chest portion 12. The piston 32 can be pivotably coupled to the chest portion 12 adjacent to the proximal end. The piston 32 can be connected to the chest portion 12 via the frame 34 as shown in Figure 1 or the piston 32 can be directly coupled to the chest portion 12. The distal end of the piston 32 is slideable through a channel of the pivotable connection 22. The piston 32 can thereby be moved by the compression of the chest portion 12. The pivotable connection 22 can be any component which facilitates both pivoting of the piston 32 about the pivotable connection 22 and sliding of the piston 32 through the pivotable connection 22, for example, a piston rod ball joint.

[0061] Although Figure 1 shows chest unit 12 comprising the piston casing 31 it should be understood that the piston casing 31 may be omitted.

[0062] A sensor 24 can be coupled to the pivotable connection 22 of the base plate 26 of the housing 20. Pivoting of the pivotable connection 22 may cause a corresponding pivoting of the sensor 24. As the piston 32 is moved by the compression of the chest portion 12 and slides through the channel of the pivotable connection 22, the sensor 24 can measure the movement of the piston 32 relative to the sensor 24 in response to the movement of the chest portion 12. This allows for the movement of the chest portion 12 between an initial position and maximally displaced position to be determined. That is, the sensor 24 can determine a position of the chest portion 12 relative to the initial position and / or the maximally displayed position.

[0063] The pivotable connection 22 is coupled to the housing 20 and configured to allow the distal end of the piston 32 to slide through the pivotable connection 22. In the example of Figure 1, the pivotable connection 22 is coupled to the base plate 26 of the housing 20. The proximal end of the piston 32 may be pivotably coupled to the chest portion 12 and the chest portion 12 may therefore be pivotably coupled to the housing 20 via the piston 32 and / or the piston casing 31. This allows for the chest portion 12, the piston 32 and the sensor 24 to pivot, with respect the housing 20, and can allow them to stay in the same plane as each other. For example, a non-central force applied to the chest portion 12 can cause the chest portion 12 to pivot relative to the housing 20 (e.g., to tilt in a plane parallel to the base plate 26 of the housing 20). If the proximal end of the piston 32 was not pivotably connected to the chest portion 12 to allow the piston 32 to move in registration with the chest portion 12, then the non-central force applied to the chest portion 12 would not cause a corresponding movement of the piston 32 to allow for the movement of the chest portion 12 to be determined. However, when the chest portion 12 is coupled to the housing 20 via the piston 31 and the pivotable connection 22, the chest portion 12 and the piston 31 have a corresponding tilt relative to the housing 20 in response to the application of the non-central force. As these components stay in the same relative plane, any force applied to the chest portion 12 which causes a compression of the chest portion 12, will cause a corresponding movement of the piston 31 which can be measured by the sensor 24, allowing for the movement of the chest portion 12 between an initial position and maximally displaced position of the chest portion 12 to be calculated even when a non-central force is applied to the chest unit 12.

[0064] In a real-world scenario, when performing CPR on a human, compressions may be performed non-centrally to the chest. Therefore, it is important that a training device is able to accurately detect the movement of the chest portion caused by non-central compressions. Conventional chest units do not have pivotable connections allowing for the chest portion, piston and sensor to pivot with respect to the housing, and as such any compressions performed non-centrally on these chest units would result in an inaccurate or null measurement of the chest portion displacement.

[0065] The sensor 24 may be configured to detect the movement of the chest portion 12 between the initial position and the maximally displaced position. The chest unit 10 may further be configured to output an indication of the movement of the chest portion 12 to a user, allowing the user to determine if the force applied has resulted in the chest being compressed to an optimal depth for performing CPR. For example, the chest unit 10 may be communicatively connectable to an output unit configured to output an indication to the user. The indication may be a visual or audio output and the output unit may be a display unit. The indication may be indicative of the movement of the chest portion 12 between the initial position and the maximally displaced position. In some examples, the indication may indicate whether the user is applying a correct amount of force according to a predetermined reference force for performing CPR. For example, the predetermined reference force for applying CPR may be known in advance according to various medical guidelines and may be stored in a memory. The indication may be configured to indicate to the user whether the force applied by the user is less than, equal to or greater than the predetermined reference force. In combination with the chest unit 10 described above which accurately simulates a human torso's response to applied force, a user may effectively learn how to correctly perform CPR.

[0066] The chest unit 10 can comprise a gyroscope (not shown). The gyroscope 10 can be coupled directly to the chest portion 12 or to the frame 34 in order to measure a tilt of the chest portion 12. The chest unit 10 can comprise a processor (not shown) communicatively coupled wired or wirelessly to the gyroscope, the processor being configured to determine a hand position of a user on the chest portion based on the tilt of the chest portion 10 with respect to the housing 20 as measured by the gyroscope.

[0067] The gyroscope can be positioned so that a force applied to the centre of the chest portion will cause no change in angle of the gyroscope. When a non-central force is applied to the chest portion 12, the chest portion 12 will tilt with respect to the housing 20 and the gyroscope detects a yaw and a roll of the chest portion 12 and the yaw and roll are transmitted to the processor. The processor can be provided with calibration data, where the calibration data can comprise previously gathered data indicating a reference hand position on the chest portion 12 associated with a reference yaw and / or a reference roll of the chest portion 12. Using the calibration data, the processor can determine the hand position of a user on the chest portion 12 based on the detected yaw and roll.

[0068] In another example, the chest unit 10 may comprise an alternative type of sensor to determine the user's hand position. For example, the chest unit 10 may comprise a plurality of piezo-compressive sensors provided proximal to an upper surface of the chest portion 12 or one or more capacitive sensors. However, a gyroscope as described above provides a simple to manufacture and implement solution for determining the user's hand position.

[0069] The processor can be configured to determine whether the hand position of the user corresponds with a predetermined hand position. The predetermined hand position may be a hand position suitable for performing CPR. For example, the predetermined hand position may comprise a preferred position for a human hand performing CPR on a human torso which may be known, and the position may be stored in a memory of the processor. The processor can be configured to output an indication to the user indicative of whether the user's detected hand position corresponds to the predetermined hand position. In some examples, the indication can comprise a graphical representation of the user's hand position compared to the predetermined hand position, but it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, an indication may be output which indicates to the user whether their hand is in the predetermined hand location, or which indicates a direction in which the user should move their hand toward the predetermined hand location. Other forms of indication may be output alternatively or in addition, such as audio feedback.

[0070] The chest unit 12 can be connectable to a display. The display may be configured to output the indication of the user's hand position and / or the force applied to the chest unit 10 to the user as discussed above. The chest unit 12 may further be configured to determine a frequency of applications of force to the chest unit 12 and to output similar indications to a user indicative of whether frequency of the applications of force correspond to a predetermined frequency. It should be understood that there is a preferred position for the hand on a chest when performing CPR on a human, which may be defined according to various medical guidelines. The determination of a user's hand position, determining if it is ideal and outputting an indication of this to the user, allows the user to then determine if their hand position is in the ideal position and, if not, correct their hand position. This helps a user to improve their CPR skills in real-time and be better prepared for performing CPR on a human.

[0071] The gyroscope can be a solid-state gyroscope or any suitable gyroscope. The gyroscope may be approximated using accelerometers.

[0072] Figure 1 includes a plurality of arrows which illustrate how the chest unit 10 may move in response to a force applied to the chest portion 12 by the user. As described above, the chest portion 12 may move between an initial position and a maximally displaced position. The one or more resilient members may bias the chest portion 12 toward the initial position and may cause the chest portion 12 to move upwards as illustrated in Figure 1. When a user applies a downwards force to the chest portion 12, the chest portion 12 may move downwards towards the base plate 26 of the housing 20. The force applied by the user may be non-central, as explained above, which may cause a yaw and / or a roll of the chest portion relative to a rest plane. The piston 32 and / or the piston casing 31 are configured to move in alignment with the yaw and / or roll of the chest portion 12 due to the pivotable connection 22. The sensor 24 is connected to the distal end of the piston 32 and / or piston casing 31 and may also move in alignment with the yaw and / or roll of the chest portion 12. As will be discussed below in respect of Figure 3, in some examples the sensor 24 comprises a rotary encoder which may measure vertical displacement of the piston by measuring rotations of the rotary encoder.

[0073] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the chest unit 10 of Figure 1.

[0074] The components of Figure 2 with reference numerals matching those in Figure 1 should be understood as being the same as Figure 1, and descriptions of these components has been omitted to avoid repetition. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the chest unit 10, more clearly showing the configuration and relationship of various components of Figure 1.

[0075] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the chest portion 12. The chest portion 12 can be made of a single material or it can comprise a plurality of layers, including one or more of a skin-like layer 40 (for example, silicon), a fat-like layer 42 (for example, foam) and a rib-like layer 44 (for example, a rigid vacuum formed plastic layer. The plurality of layers provide a chest portion 12 which feels realistic and is intended to mimic the structure of a human chest.

[0076] A base layer 46 for the chest portion 12 can be coupled to the chest portion 12 and can be configured to engage with the resilient member (e.g., the second resilient components 18 in Figure 2) when the chest portion 12 moves between an intermediate position and maximally displaced position. Optionally, the base layer 46 of the chest portion 12 can be an acrylic baffle.

[0077] Compression spring mounts 48 can be coupled to the first resilient components 16 and configured to engage with the chest portion 12 as the chest portion 12 moves between the initial position and maximally displaced position. The compression spring mounts 48 are configured to allow the chest portion 12 to interface with the first resilient components 16 and transfer the force from the user's compression from the chest portion to the first resilient components 16. In some examples, the compression spring mounts 48 have a shape or surface relief which is complimentary to the shape or surface relief of a portion of the chest portion 12 which engages with the compression spring mounts 48. The complimentary shape ensures that the compression spring mounts 48 and the engaging portion of the chest portion 12 remain engaged when a non-central force is applied to the chest portion 12.

[0078] The piston 32 can be connected to the chest portion via the frame 34, wherein the proximal end of the piston 32 is pivotably coupled to the frame 34. The pivotable connection between the proximal end of the piston 32 and the frame 34 of Figure 2 is illustrated as a ball and socket joint 49, but it should be understood that other forms of pivotable connection are possible.

[0079] Figure 3 shows a view of the sensor 24 of the chest unit 10 of Figure 1. The sensor 24 can be coupled to the pivotable connection 22 between the piston 32 and the base plate 26 of the housing 20, wherein the pivotable connection 22 causes a corresponding pivoting of the sensor 24. The sensor 24 can be attached to an arm 27 which extends from the pivotable connection 22.

[0080] The sensor 24 can be a rotary encoder. The piston 32 can have a toothed rack 28 and the toothed rack 28 can be configured to be received by a cog 30 which drives the rotary encoder upon movement of the piston 32. In this way, movement of the piston 32 in response to movement of the chest portion 12 by the user causes corresponding movement of the toothed rack 28 which rotates cog 30 to drive the rotary encoder, which allows the rotary encoder to measure the movement of the chest portion 12 by the user.

[0081] The skilled person would appreciate that the sensor 24 can be any suitable sensor which allows for the movement of a piston 32 relative to the housing 20 to be measured. That is, any suitable sensor for measuring the movement of the chest portion 12 between the initial position and the maximally displaced position, and / or measuring the yaw and / or roll of the chest portion 12 may be used.

[0082] Figure 4 illustrates an example of how the chest unit 10 can be integrated into a kiosk 99, which could be installed in public locations (such as shops, workplaces, transportation hubs, etc). The chest unit 10 can be incorporated into a horizontal surface of the kiosk 99 at a height which is comfortable for the user to compress the chest unit 10. A display unit 98 can display CPR training information or feedback to a user on their CPR performance. For example, the user can perform compressions on the chest unit 10 and feedback can be output to the display unit 98 which indicates one of more of the user's hand position against a target hand position, an indication of the displacement of the chest portion 12 against a target displacement, and an indication of the rate of compressions performed against a target compression rate. This is advantageous as the user can be provided with immediate feedback on their CPR technique helping them to continuously improve their technique.

[0083] Instead of being integrated into a kiosk, the chest unit 10 could alternatively be integrated into a portable container (such as a suitcase), to allow the chest unit 10 to be easily transported to different locations (such as schools, community centres, workplaces, hospitals, etc) to allow individuals to be trained in how to perform CPR. The chest unit 10 can be configured to be communicatively connected to a display unit in the portable container or a separate external display (such as a television or tablet computer).

[0084] Whilst certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. Indeed, the novel devices, and methods described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the devices, methods and products described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the present application. The word "comprising" can mean "including" or "consisting of" and therefore does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in any claim or the specification as a whole. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope of the application.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device, the chest unit comprising: a chest portion configured to move between an initial position and a maximally displaced position in response to a force applied to the chest portion by a user; and a plurality of resilient members configured to provide resistance to the force applied by the user, wherein each of the resilient members has a stiffness that increases between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

2. The chest unit of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein each of the resilient members is pivotably coupled to the housing.

3. The chest unit of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein each resilient member of the plurality of resilient members has a stiffness that increases in response to compression, for example, a composite material or progressive spring having a stiffness that increases in response to compression.

4. The chest unit of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the chest portion is further configured to move through an intermediate position between the initial position and the maximally displaced position, wherein each resilient member of the plurality of resilient members provides a first stiffness between the initial position and the intermediate position, and a second stiffness between the intermediate position and the maximally displaced position, wherein the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness.

5. The chest unit of claim 4, wherein each resilient member of the plurality of resilient members comprises a first resilient component having the first stiffness that is at least engaged between the initial position and intermediate position and a second resilient component having the second stiffness that is at least engaged between the intermediate position and maximally displaced position.

6. The chest unit of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first resilient component is adjacent to at least a portion of the second resilient component.

7. The chest unit of either of claims 5 or 6, wherein a distance between a chest-facing portion of the second resilient component and the chest portion is greater than a distance between a chest-facing portion of the first resilient component and the chest portion.

8. The chest unit of any of claims 5 to 7 wherein the first resilient component is a spring and the second resilient component is a foam block.

9. The chest unit of any preceding claim, wherein the chest portion comprises a plurality of layers, optionally including one or more of a skin-like layer (for example, a silicone layer), a fat-like layer (for example, a foam layer) and a rib-like layer (for example, a rigid vacuum formed plastic layer).

10. A chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device, the chest unit comprising: a housing; a chest portion pivotably coupled to the housing, wherein the chest portion is configured to be moved, by a user, between an initial position and a maximally displaced position; a pivotable connection coupled to the housing, wherein the pivotable connection comprises a channel configured to allow a piston to slide through the channel; a sensor coupled to the pivotable connection wherein pivoting of the pivotable connection cause a corresponding pivoting of the sensor; and a piston having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the piston is pivotably coupled to the chest portion adjacent to the proximal end and the distal end of the piston is slideable through the channel of the pivotable connection; wherein the sensor is configured to measure the movement of the piston relative to the sensor in response to movement of the chest portion by the user in order to determine the movement of the chest portion between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

11. The chest unit of claim 10, wherein the chest portion is pivotably coupled to the housing via a frame and the piston is pivotably coupled to the frame adjacent to the proximal end.

12. The chest unit of either of claims 10 or 11, wherein the chest portion is pivotably coupled to the housing via one or more resilient members.

13. The chest unit of claim 12, wherein the one or more resilient members comprise a spring.

14. The chest unit of any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the pivotable connection comprising a channel is a piston rod ball joint.

15. The chest unit of any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the piston is pivotably coupled to the chest portion by a ball and socket joint.

16. The chest unit of any of claims 10 to 15, wherein the sensor is attached to an arm which extends from the pivotable connection.

17. The chest unit of any of claims 10 to 16, wherein the sensor is a rotary encoder, and wherein the piston has a toothed rack configured to be received by a cog that drives the rotary encoder.

18. The chest unit of any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the chest unit is configured to output an indication indicative of the movement of the chest portion between the initial position and the maximally displaced position.

19. A chest unit for use in a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training device, the chest unit comprising: a chest portion pivotably coupled to a housing; a gyroscope configured to measure a tilt of the chest portion with respect to the housing; and a processor configured to determine a hand position of a user on the chest portion based on the tilt measurement.

20. The chest unit of claim 19 wherein the gyroscope is configured to measure a yaw and a roll of the chest portion.

21. The chest unit of claim 20 where the processor is provided with calibration data, wherein the calibration data is indicative of at least one reference hand position associated with a reference yaw and a reference roll of the chest portion.

22. The chest unit of any of claims 19 to 21, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether the hand position of the user corresponds to a predetermined hand position, wherein the predetermined hand position is a hand position for performing CPR; and output an indication based on the determination.

23. The chest unit of claim 22, wherein the indication comprises a graphical representation of the user's hand position compared to the predetermined hand position.

24. The chest unit of any of claims 22 to 23, wherein the chest unit is communicatively connectable to a display unit configured to output the indication to the user.

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