Design of an ultrahigh-energy hydrogen thyratron/SCR research defibrillator

The design features of an ultrahigh-energy research defibrillator are described. Three voltage sources are used. The first is a 60-Hz supply of adjustable amplitude and duration for inducing fibrillation. The second source uses an 18.000-joule capacitor bank which can be charged to 800, 1600, or 2400 volts. SCRs in series with the chest are used to initiate the discharge, and SCRs shunting the capacitor bank terminate the discharge. The third source employs another 18,000-joule capacitor bank which can be charged to 5000, 10,000 or 15,000 volts. In this source, large ceramic-enveloped hydrogen thyratrons are used for both initiating and terminating the discharge. In the second and third sources, which can deliver rectangular, trapezoidal, truncated exponential, or untruncated exponential waveforms, capacitor charge time is 10 sec and the duration of the delivered shock is continuously adjustable from 100 musec through 1 sec.