Abstract: The invention provides a gas mask comprising a face piece including a transparent eye covering, and including a space to allow air to circulate around the nose and mouth of a wearer, and having an airtight seal to prevent contaminated air from entering the gas mask; a filtration apparatus containing an active stage and a passive stage, the passive stage for filtering out particles above a predetermined size, and including adsorbent media for removing toxic or harmful substances and fluids from the contaminated air, the active stage containing at least one agent to kill ambient bacteria and viruses; an intake vent permitting contaminated air to enter into the filtration system; at least one passageway connecting the filtration apparatus to the space around the nose and mouth of the wearer; and an exhalation port through which exhaled air may be expelled.

Abstract: An apparatus having a face mask removably attachable to a firefighting hood is provided. The face mask used in cooperation with a breathing apparatus such as a self-contained breathing assembly or a respirator. The face mask has a rim supporting a seal member that operatively sealingly engages the user's face providing a breathing chamber between the user's face and the face mask that is sealed off from the external environment. The firefighting hood has a compliant material enclosing the wearer's head and a support frame surrounding a front opening in the firefighting hood exposing the wearer's face. The firefighting hood matingly engages the face mask such that a perimeter portion of the firefighting hood around the front opening is nested behind the rim of the face mask so as to prevent gaps between the firefighting hood and the face mask.

Abstract: A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that includes an emergency filtration device for use in the event of an SCBA malfunction or exhaustion is described. The SCBA may include an air supply, a visored face mask, a hose connecting the air supply to the face mask, and a regulator controlling the supply of air from the air supply to the face mask. The regulator has a regulator cover or front plate with a given configuration. The emergency air filtration device is adapted to connect to the face mask in place of the regulator, and includes an air filtration media within a housing, and a filtration device cover positioned in front of the device. The filtration device cover has a configuration corresponding to the given configuration of the regulator cover, so that the user responds by “muscle memory” to quickly replace the regulator with the filtration device under stressful conditions with limited visability.

Abstract: Respirator having a transparent bag for covering a head of a user and at least one filter for filtering air from outside the bag. The at least one filter is attached to the bag and located away from a line of sight of the user. A band attached to the bag is located around the top of the head.

Abstract: Breathing apparatuses for protecting users from inhaling contaminated air through their mouth and nose. One of the exemplary breathing apparatuses utilizes a filtering unit, whereas another exemplary breathing apparatus utilizes a air source in conjunction with a filtering unit. A nose plug prevents the contaminated air from entering the users' nose and a transparent bag prevents the contaminated air from entering the eyes, ears and noses of the users.

Abstract: A heat-moisture exchanger (HME) and nebulization device for connection to a mechanical ventilator or anesthesia apparatus, to provide humidification or an aerosolized medication without disconnection of the HME from the ventilator circuit, a respiratory device comprising a first housing having an output fitting to provide a connection to an artificial airway of a patient, and a rotatable second housing connected to the first housing, having an input fitting to provide a connection to a ventilator circuit, the input fitting, and the output fitting are in communication with a primary gas flow, the first housing is partitioned into at least two chambers, a chamber to provide an enclosure for an absorbent material, and a chamber to provide a passageway for conveyance of an aerosol, the second housing to provide an enclosure for a nebulizer having a reservoir for a liquid medication, an instillation port to inject the liquid medication, interior to the chamber or passageway, a reciprocating member to open and clos

Abstract: A simple, lightweight, easily deployable mask designed for use in modern fires. The mask substantially covers a wearer's face and includes a peripheral adhesive seal for preventing contaminants from effecting the wearer's visual or respiratory systems. The peripheral seal preferably comprises an adhesive band employing the skin adhesive commonly used in surgical masks. The adhesive band provides for closed attachment of the mask to the brow, the temporal area, cheek, over the jaw and down under the chin. The mask is anchored firmly to the ears of the wearer by resilient straps. Thus attached, the mask seals the eyes, nasal passages and mouth from the toxic external environment. The mask includes an intermediate seal separating the mask into separate visual and respiratory portions.

Abstract: The device has a face cover, a mouth-and-nose mask, and fasteners for holding the face cover on the face. The face cover is provided with a flexible gasket surrounding the eyes, a sea means at its periphery, and a closable coupling to a filtered gas feed. The mouth-and-nose mask, placed inside the face cover, is fitted with a demand regulator and with a direct exhaust to atmosphere. The breathe-in and breathe-out paths are separated by cases.

Abstract: A head gear apparatus (10) is provided that moves air to cool a caregiver's head. The head gear apparatus (10) includes a helmet (12) that has a shell (114) configured to rest upon a head of a user and a fan housing (120) movably coupled to shell (114), a fan (122) is positioned to lie within fan housing (120) and moves with fan housing (120) relative to shell (114), and a garment (14) selectively coupled to helmet (12). Garment (14) includes a face shield (20).

Abstract: A rotationally adjustable respirator cartridge having a self-contained end of service life indicator adjacent the interior of a sidewall of the cartridge shell and in contact with the filter medium provides a color-changing display field that is visible to the wearer of the respirator through a transparent portion of the sidewall. A display window is defined by an opaque border area that surrounds the sensor display field and obscures a predetermined portion of the downstream end of the indicator to provide a desired margin of safety to the wearer. In order to permit the wearer to rotationally position the color-changing display field in the line of sight through the transparent portion of the respirator facepiece, the cartridge is provided with a rotatable mounting assembly that is continuously rotatable in one direction and that forms a seal with the cartridge shell.

Abstract: A protective headgear for a firefighter comprising a firefighting hood constructed from an aramid knit material, including a front opening for exposure of the firefighters face; an SCBA mask shaped to engage the firefighter's face; a fastening system for attaching the SCBA mask to the firefighting hood along the perimeter of the mask such that the front opening of the hood is positioned within the perimeter of the mask, assuring that at least the firefighter's mouth will be within the mask when worn; and a retainer attached to opposite sides of the mask and adapted to extend around the back of the firefighter's head such that the strap holds the mask snugly against the firefighter's face. Preferably, the fastening system attaches the mask to the firefighting hood at a plurality of points along the perimeter of the mask, such that when the hood and face mask system is donned by the firefighter, there is no skin exposed between the hood and the mask.

Abstract: A speech transmission adapter and a respirator mask comprising a speech transmission adapter. The respirator mask comprises an inhalation port, an exhalation port, and a speech transmission adapter in detachably sealed engagement with the inhalation port. The adapter comprises a peripheral housing, a speech reception means supported by the peripheral housing, and a speech transmission means operably coupled to the speech reception means. The speech reception means receives sound pressure generated by a wearer of the respirator mask, and the speech transmission means conveys signals representative of such sound pressure to an external speech transducer. The adapter mates to the inhalation port of a respirator mask and expands the clean air envelope defined within the mask to include the speech reception means within the clean air envelope without requiring structural modification of the respirator mask.

Abstract: A manually manipulated resuscitation mask, which includes a flexible barrier for providing a sealing contact with a face of a victim in a region adjacent to a victim's mouth. The flexible barrier has an opening therethrough to cooperate with the victim's mouth. The opening in the sheet is comprised of an integrally connected, flexible sleeve, extending away from the flexible sheet and the victim's face. The sleeve has an open end remote from where the sleeve is integrally connected to the flexible barrier sheet. The mask also includes a tubular member that has first and second end portions. The tubular member is positionable within the flexible sleeve and has the first end portion integrally secured to the open end of the flexible sleeve. The second end portion of the tubular member is located adjacent to the flexible barrier sheet when the tubular member is positioned within the sleeve.

Abstract: A post-operative anaesthesia recovery apparatus that permits anaesthetic waste gases exhaled by a patient to be withdrawn and discharged outside the unit. The apparatus includes a face mask having a recovery port and an oxygen port. The oxygen port allows oxygen to be fed to the patient. The recovery port is attached to a suction evacuation assembly, which is in turn attached to a discharge assembly. An air entrainment cartridge attaches the evacuation assembly to the recovery port. The cartridge is provided with longitudinal channels that allow a flow of air into the apparatus. The entrained air maintains a slightly sub-atmospheric pressure within the apparatus and allows the patient to breathe normally without complex valve systems.

Abstract: An improved oral/nasal mask-hood is provided for protection of individuals in the event of fire or smoke exposure. When attached to a supplemental supply of oxygen the mask-hood also provides hypoxia protection to individuals exposed to decompression as in some aircraft incidents. The mask-hood employs a five stage filtering process for converting toxic atmospheric air to breathable fresh air. The hood covers the wearer's head, neck and shoulder area. A neck seal is provided inside the hood for preventing gases from locating within the hood and irritating the wearer's eyes. A transparent member is located on the hood adjacent the wearer's line of sight to provide visibility during the emergency. The hood-mask device, as assembled, is small enough to retrofit into the space provided for the present decompression mask alone.

Abstract: A protective breathing mask has a connector housing unit having a connector housing for accommodating breathing mask components. The connector housing unit has a flange-like collar extending from the connector housing. The flange-like collar has a connecting rim. A mask body made of an elastomer has a profile-reinforced portion defining a cutout for the connector housing unit and the profile-reinforced portion is shaped to match the peripheral rim. A clamping ring is provided for fixedly securing the profile-reinforced portion at the connecting rim. The clamping ring has a slot for holding the profile-reinforced portion. The clamping ring is shaped to match the connecting rim of the flange-like collar and has a connecting surface for connecting the clamping ring to the collar at the connecting rim.

Abstract: A heat and moisture exchanger including a gas-permeable element, preferably a fibrous media, adapted to be warmed and to trap moisture from a patient's breath during exhalation and to be cooled and to release the trapped moisture for return to the patient during inspiration to effectively conserve the humidity and body heat of the patient's respiratory tract, wherein the media comprises a hydrophilic nylon polymer. The gas-permeable element can be formed entirely of monocomponent fibers of the hydrophilic nylon polymer or, preferably, fibers comprising at least a sheath of the hydrophilic nylon polymer can be bonded at their points of contact by a bonding agent, such as a polyester.

Abstract: An apparatus having a face mask removably attachable to a firefighting hood is provided. The face mask used in cooperation with a breathing apparatus such as a self-contained breathing assembly or a respirator. The face mask has a rim supporting a seal member that operatively sealingly engages the user's face providing a breathing chamber between the user's face and the face mask that is sealed off from the external environment. The firefighting hood has a compliant material enclosing the wearer's head and a support frame surrounding a front opening in the firefighting hood exposing the wearer's face. The firefighting hood matingly engages the face mask such that a perimeter portion of the firefighting hood around the front opening is nested behind the rim of the face mask so as to prevent gaps between the firefighting hood and the face mask.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying breathable gas wherein the apparatus includes a main housing, a sub-housing having a gas flow path between a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a power source within the main housing and an impeller within the sub-housing in fluid communication between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. The impeller is adapted to releasably engage the motive power source external the gas flow path and the sub-housing is releasably connectable to said main housing. Also disclosed is a method of cleaning, sterilising or disinfecting the gas flow path of the breathable gas supply apparatus. The method includes removing the sub-housing from the main housing, cleaning, sterilising, disinfecting or replacing the sub-housing and connecting the sub-housing to the main housing.

Abstract: A filter support that includes two or more first support ribs on a first side of the filter support is disclosed. The first support ribs are generally aligned along a longitudinal axis. The filter support also includes two or more second support ribs on a second side of the filter support, where the filter support's second side is opposite from the first side. The second support ribs are also generally aligned along the longitudinal first axis. At least one of the first support ribs is laterally offset from each of the second support ribs along a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The filter support provides support to opposing sides of a filter bag or opposing individual filter elements. Also disclosed are a filter assembly including a filter and a filter support, along with a helmet-mounted powered air purifying respirator in which the filter assembly is located within the helmet crown.

Abstract: The present invention provides a portable protective system for protecting a wearer, and for protecting the environment about the wearer. The protective system includes a face shield coupled with a head cradle for supporting the face shield on the wearer's head. The face shield and a wearer's face substantially define a breathing zone charged by a battery-powered blower carried on the head cradle. An bag-like inlet filter element encompasses the blower to provided filtered air to the breathing zone, and an outlet filter element is operably associated with the face shield.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an emergency hood to be worn by a person in an environment where there is fire or contamination. The hood closes off the head of the person to the ambient and has an elastic, gas-impermeable ruff extending down to the neck and shoulder region of the wearer. The hood has an interior space for accommodating the head of the wearer and is made of a fire resistant gas-impermeable material and has a transparent visor in the region of the eyes or face of the person and the visor likewise is made of fire resistant, gas-impermeable material. An oxygen supply unit supplies oxygen to the hood for use by the person and a water and carbon dioxide absorbing flexible areal absorber unit is mounted in the interior space.

Abstract: The emergency flight safety device for flight crew members (3) of an aircraft in an emergency situation comprises a full-face mask (1) and a display (31) which is integrated into the full face mask (1), displays flight data and ensures that the crew (3) has access to essential information even in the case when smoke largely blurs the view in the aircraft cabin. The emergency flight safety device further comprises an oxygen and air supply apparatus (14-18) for supplying oxygen and air to the interior of the mask (1). The oxygen and air supply apparatus (14-18) is equipped with means for the purification of polluted cabin air in order to prevent the crew member (3) from being intoxicated by poisonous smoke.

Abstract: The present invention provides a portable protective system for protecting a wearer, and for protecting the environment about the wearer. The protective system includes a face shield coupled with a head cradle for supporting the face shield on the wearer's head. The face shield and a wearer's face substantially define a breathing zone charged by a battery-powered blower carried on the head cradle. An bag-like inlet filter element encompasses the blower to provided filtered air to the breathing zone, and an outlet filter element is operably associated with the face shield.

Abstract: An emergency breathing device including a hood having use and storage configurations, which when compactly wrapped proximate to an oxygen control device for storage is recoverable for use. In use configuration, the hood is capable of being worn upon a user's head, which substantially surrounds the user's head. Hood surface beneath the user's head includes an opening lined with elastic material, which forms a seal about the user's neck at the opening when the hood is donned. An oxygen control device connected to a hood includes a valve body, an actuator, and an oxygen bottle. The valve body provides airflow communication with the interior of the hood, and the oxygen control device is connected to a plumbed breathable oxygen supply through a plumbed source disconnect means removably connected to the valve body. When connected, the oxygen control device permits airflow from the plumbed breathable oxygen supply and valve body to the interior of the hood.

Abstract: An environmental protection system for rendering biological/chemical agents harmless has a source of radiation such as an ultraviolet light source, which is configured to irradiate a reactive surface, such as one formed of titanium dioxide. The reactive surface has an oxidation potential sufficient to cooperate with the source of radiation so as to render harmless biological/chemical agents in contact with the reactive surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a filter assembly (124) which includes a filter element (128) and a memory device (402). The memory device (402) allows for a record of the filter element's usage to be available at all times even if the filter assembly (124) is moved from one filtering system to another one. In another embodiment of the invention, the filter assembly (124) interacts with a filtering device such as air unit (130) which periodically updates the memory device (402) while the air unit (130) is operational. The air unit (130) also periodically checks to see if the filter assembly (124) has reached the end of its useful life. If so, the air unit provides an audible and/or visual alarm.

Abstract: An advanced chemical-biological mask for protecting a wearer from chemical and biological environmental contaminants. The mask provides improvements for the wearer in the areas of weight/bulk, fit/comfort, optical compatibility, breathing resistance, communication, and protection. The mask includes a facepiece, eye lens, filter means, inlet and outlet valves, and a nosecup all of which may be molded or integrally bonded to the facepiece which also has a face seal adapted to engage a person's face and form seal therewith. The mask also has a suspension flange which is connected to the facepiece adjacent the seal. An elastic suspension system includes a crown portion for suspending the mask on a person's head and pulling the seal downwardly and into contact with the person's face. The separate nosecup has integral channels to direct the flow of incoming gas along a path adjacent the lens to prevent fogging of the lens.