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The 20th century is a major technological leap, especially in medicine.
One such invention was a machine that saved the lives of many people
At the beginning of the century humanity was under the control of a poliomyelitis epidemic. The disease had many consequences and complications. Among other things it caused muscle weakness, including the chest muscles, which led to respiratory failure. A vaccine against polio was not discovered until 1955
Iron lungs
The invention of the machine called the “iron lung” was the only chance of survival for many sick people. The machine created a vacuum that mimicked the mechanism of physiological gas exchange.
It was a type of respirator that evolved using other mechanisms of the breathing process based on hypertension.
Many people who have lived in them for decades to this day, however, became stuck in the iron lungs.
The story of Paul Alexander
One of them is seventy-year-old Paul Alexander from Dallas, Texas, who has used the “iron lung” continuously since 1952.
Paul received the iron lungs at the age of five
The disease caused him permanent respiratory failure.
The principle of the iron lung is that the patient is placed into a chamber. The device is sealed and creates a vacuum inside. The pump lowers the pressure, which causes the chest to expand, and then you inhale, then the pressure is reduced and you exhale. The iron lung is a non-invasive breathing aid. It does not supply air artificially, it replaces the chest muscles.
Over time, people using iron lungs began to have serious problems due to the discontinuation of the device’s production in the 1960s.
It is estimated that several dozen people around the world still use iron lungs. However, maintenance and spare parts are becoming a serious problem.
A few years ago Paul began to have serious problems with the machine
It started to fail, which posed a direct threat to his life.
He searched the internet for someone who could check and replace worn parts. Brady Richards came to him and offered help.
The device is so archaic that when Brady took it into his workshop, the young workers didn’t even know what it could be.
“When we brought the lungs into the workshop, one of the younger employees asked what I was doing with this grill.”
Despite his illness, Paul tried to live a normal life to the best of his abilities. Paul even lived in a dormitory and studied law, and even participated in postgraduate court proceedings. During that time he could still leave the “iron lung” for four hours a day. Now that is no longer possible.
While many patients chose a tracheotomy (connecting a tube directly to the trachea) and the use of a portable ventilator, many people still chose to live in the iron lung. According to them, the non-invasive method and independence from hospitals and doctors are arguments in favor of the 1960s mechanical device. Even without maintenance and technical support it still sustains many lives.
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SOURCE AND PHOTOGRAPHS: YOUTUBE
