Iron Lung: Vacuum Sack

Having a huge interest in vintage medical devices, I am completely fascinated with the Iron Lung. Although there were earlier versions of the Iron lung, in 1931 Emerson developed the most commonly used design, which is the model shown in this video. Using negative pressure created by a large diaphragm at the end of the cylinder, the iron lung causes the patient’s chest and abdomen to expand, drawing air into the lungs through the patient’s exposed nose and mouth on the outside of the cylinder. Modern ventilators (that you may have seen me playing with in many other videos), use positive pressure, meaning that it blows air into the lungs. The whole aesthetic of the iron lung is extremely exciting to me - the shiny chrome pieces, the vintage medical yellow paint, the rolling of the body into this morgue freezer-type device, and of course, the control of the breath. That is why I traveled across the country to play with this device! In this video, I help Heavy into a skin-tight red latex vac bag before sliding their body into the iron lung. I wanted to be able to see the rise and fall of their chest through the sack. The iron lung has several air-tight ports on the sides that allow for a nurse to reach inside without losing pressure. I used these ports to grope and stimulate Heavy while they focused on their breathing. After Heavy was settled into the rhythm of the machine, I added a gas mask, bubbler bottle to the inhale port and a small breathing bag to the exhale port so I could fully monitor every inhale and exhale in conjunction to the rhythm of the machine’s motor. Welcome to the Iron Lung! I fell in love with it, and I hope you enjoy!