Abstract: A protective headgear system includes a cover including a substantially transparent facial shield, a sheet sealingly coupled to the facial shield around the cover's perimeter, the sheet including a substantially anterior portion including a first sheet material configured to act as a substantial barrier to the passage of air, and including a substantially posterior portion including a second sheet material configured to filter contaminants from air, and one or more seams between the first sheet material and the second sheet material, a flow restrictor configured to significantly create a flow barrier between the cover and the neck of a user for providing an interior volume, an air mover configured to draw some of the external air into the interior volume, a filter coupled to the cover, and one or more flow directors configured to direct internal air, including at least some exhaled air, toward the second sheet material.

Abstract: A protective headgear system includes a support configured to engage the head of a user, a facial shield having an upper portion coupled to the support and a lower portion having a lower extremity, a flexible sheet coupled to the facial shield, a base carried by the support, a first microphone carried below the lower extremity of the facial shield and preferentially oriented away from the user, a second microphone carried by the base and preferentially oriented toward the user, a first audio generator capable of being sensed by at least one ear of the user, and a second audio generator including a loudspeaker carried by the base such that the loudspeaker is located below the lower extremity of the facial shield and is oriented for preferential sound energy delivery generally away from the user.

Abstract: An air flow and filtration control system in the form of a headgear which is worn by a physician during a surgical procedure, a technician during an assembly process, or any other user wherein controlled air flow and air filtration is required or desired. The system includes a lightweight headgear structure which substantially surrounds the upper portion of the head of the wearer. A fan is mounted in the headgear structure and is positioned to move air relative to the headgear structure. A shroud (or hood) can be draped over and attached to the headgear structure in such a fashion as to completely cover the headgear structure and to cover at least a portion of the wearer in order to maintain sterile or controlled environmental conditions relative to the wearer. Typically, the shroud may include at least one filtration area (which may comprise the entire shroud) and a screen at the front of the apparatus for viewing therethrough.