APPARATUS FOR ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION OR NARCOSIS

An insufflation apparatus for performing artificial respiration or narcosis of the type including a pumping means for moving gas from a gas source to a patient, inlet means for connecting the pumping means to the gas source, outlet means for connecting the pumping means to the air ducts of the patient, and check valve means in each of the inlet means and outlet means for preventing back flow of gas is improved by forming one wall of the pumping means with a resilient membrane. The resilient membrane serves as an elastic means for resisting increases in gas pressures up to a predetermined pressure which will not harm the patient so that gas will be pumped from the pumping means to the patient below that pressure. However, once that predetermined pressure is reached the resilient membrane expands and serves as elastic means compensating forces tending to further increase the gas pressure thereby limiting the over-pressure in this system to said predetermined pressure.