Improved device for the rapid determination of the cardiothoracic index by means of a graduated strip of elastic material

摘要

The improved device allows the direct determination of the cardiothoracic index without absolute measurements or arithmetic operations. It consists of an elastic strip of homogeneous thickness which is graduated from 0 to 100 in equal parts B, with an end 1 fastened to a rule A over which it may be extended via pulling on the other end 2 from an element C which can move along the rule, which element has a fastening system 3 which makes it possible to lock the movable element at any point of the rule. This arrangement makes it possible to make its ends 0 and 100 coincide with the borders of the thorax in order, by maintaining the necessary elongation by virtue of the fastening system 3, to move the device in order, now, to make 0 coincide with one of the cardiac borders, so that reading off the scale on the other cardiac border X directly gives the cardiothoracic index. IMAGE