A treatment device and a method for simultaneously applying vibrations and percussion forces to a predetermined area of a patient's body adjacent the lungs of the patient. The device comprises a housing having a handle portion. A clapping head is disposed exteriorly of the housing and connected to a reciprocable element which is imparted a set low frequency reciprocation movement by a low frequency generation device to impart a clapping action to the head. The head has a contact surface for engagement with the predetermined area of the patient's body. An independent vibrator element is also provided and has a body engaging member which is disposed in relation to the clapping head and connected to a vibration generating device capable of vibrating the vibrator element at a higher predetermined frequency than the reciprocation movement of the clapping head. Preferably, the clapping frequency is in the range of from 0.5 Hz to 2 Hz and the vibration frequency is in the range of from 40 Hz to 70 Hz.

Methods for employing a heart massager for substernal heart massage are disclosed. The heart massager comprises a heart-contacting member connected to a handle. The disclosed method comprises the following steps: making an incision in the skin in an intercostal space; surgically separating the intercostal space; inserting the heart massager through the intercostal space and guiding heart-contacting member of the massager onto the ventricular region of the heart; and periodically pressing and releasing the handle so that the heart's ventricles are compressed and allowed to return to their non-compressed condition.

An apparatus for assisting in the clearing of secretion from the lungs of a patient utilizes sonic pressure waves applied to the chest by an appropriate sound-generating transducer. A control unit allows the generation of a plurality of electrical signals at separate audio frequencies, which signals are combined and intermixed and amplified for driving the transducer. In general, the frequencies are in the range of 100-300 hz. A first frequency is chosen to coagulate the lung secretions, while the application of subsequent frequency signals breaks the secretions and facilitates their migration from the lungs. The use of sonic pressure waves minimizes trauma to the patient.

A fluidized patient support having a tank with side walls and a bottom holds a mass of fluidizable beads and includes a diffuser board disposed near the tank bottom to define a plenum which receives air flow from a blower. The fluidized patient support is provided with a percussive patient support surface by operative components that superimpose percussive fluidization in at least one preselected portion of the support surface formed when the beads are fluidized. The superimposed percussive fluidization results in large slugs of air reaching the patient support surface. Upon reaching the patient support surface, these slugs of higher pressure air percuss the body of the patient that is supported where such large slugs breach the surface.

A heart massager for substernal heart massage is disclosed. The heart massager utilizes a heart-contacting member adapted for insertion into a thoracic cavity for directly contacting the heart and a handle attached thereto for manually manipulating the apparatus. The heart-contacting member includes a cup having one end which is open and which receives the handle, and another end which is closed by an at least partially concave-shaped diaphragm which forms a heart contacting surface and allows the member to conform to the shape of the heart's surface. The ends of the cup are joined by a flexible sidewall which flares outward from the handle in its operative state. The cup's flexible sidewall allows the heart-contacting member to collapse so that it can be inserted into a relatively small incision in the chest cavity. After the heart-contacting member is inserted, fluid pressure is applied to the inside of the cup, thereby causing it to expand into its operative state.