PERSONAL PROTECTION SYSTEM

• US 20060213523A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: VanDerWoude, Brian J., Tague, Christopher M., Huyser, Richard F., Henniges, Bruce D., Stratton, Dennis A., Proulx, Marshall K., Sclafani, Adam C., Boyle, Daniel G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/863
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0025 by means of forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/11 Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres eye-masks A61F9/04 ; hoods affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents A62B17/04
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1153 with a hood
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/286 with forced flow, e.g. by a fan
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/045 with fans for delivering air for breathing mounted in or on the helmet

Abstract

A personal protection system is mountable to a user for distributing air to the user includes a shell providing structure. A fan module is supported by the shell for generating a flow of air. Cushioning is provided between the fan module and the shell to reduce vibrations and noise. The fan module includes a fan with blades having an airfoil shape for added noise reduction. An air flow channel is in fluid communication with the fan module for routing the flow of air. A pair of nozzle tips are in fluid communication with the air flow channel and are rotatably adjustable to allow directional adjustment of the flow of air toward a neck of the user. The personal protection system also includes a face shield with multiple removable layers which are sterilized as a unit using gamma radiation.

Claims

1. A personal protection unit (20) comprising:

a support structure (28) for suspending a hood (144) over the head (24) of an individual;

a fan module (46) attached to the support structure (28), the fan module (46) receiving air and discharging air;

a duct (98) connected to the support structure (28) and having an opening positioned to receive the air discharged from the fan module (46), the duct (98) shaped to have a rear air exit (92);

the duct (98) is arranged relative to the fan module (46) so that only a fraction of the air discharged from the fan module (46) enters the duct (98); and

the duct (98) extends from the support structure (28) and the rear air exit (92) is positioned so that air is discharged from the rear air exit (92) directly onto the neck of the individual.

2. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 1, wherein the support structure (28) is a helmet (22) designed to be worn on the head (24) of the individual.

3. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 2, wherein:

the fan module (42) includes a housing (50) in which a fan (46) is seated and the housing (50) has an air outlet (76) from which the air is discharged and the fan module (42) is mounted to the helmet (22) so that air is discharged from the air outlet (76) away from the head of the individual; and

the duct (98) is mounted to the helmet (22) to divert air downwardly from the housing (50) to the neck of the individual.

4. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 1 wherein:

the duct (98) is in the form of a conduit-defining nozzle (100) the rear air exit (92) being at the end of the nozzle (100) distal from the fan module (42); and

the duct (98) is connected to the support structure (28) so as to extend at least partially over the head (24) so that, when air is discharged from the fan module (46), the air flows in the nozzle (100), at least partially over the head (24) of the individual, prior to discharge from the rear air exit (92).

5. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 1 wherein an adjustably positionable tip (102) is fitted to the end of the duct (98) distal to the fan module (46) and the adjustably positionable tip (102) defines the rear air exit (92).

6. The personal protection unit of claim 1 wherein the duct (98) comprises two spaced apart, conduit-defining discharge members (106), each discharge member (106) having a rear air exit (92).

7. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 5 wherein the adjustably positionable tip (102) is rotatably adjustable for allowing directional adjustment of air.

8. A personal protection unit (20) comprising:

a support structure (28) for suspending a hood (144) over the head (24) of an individual;

a fan (46) for circulating air;

a motor (48) attached to the support structure (28), the motor (48) connected to the fan (46) for actuating the fan (46); and

an elastomeric, vibration dampening member holds the motor (48) to the support structure (28).

9. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 8, wherein the support structure (28) is a helmet (22) designed to be worn on the head (24) of the individual.

10. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 8, wherein:

the motor (48) is attached to a rigid motor mount (60); and

the elastomeric member includes at least one motor mount cushion (62) holding the rigid motor mount (60) to the support structure (28).

11. The personal protection unit of claim 10, wherein the motor mount cushion (62) is compression secured to the support structure (28).

12. The personal protection unit (20) of claim 10, wherein the rigid motor mount (60) is compression secured to the motor mount cushion (62).

13. The personal protection unit (20) of claims 8, wherein the elastomeric member is a motor mount (60) that is secured to the support structure (26) and to which the motor (48) is secured.

14. The personal protection unit of claim 13, wherein the motor mount (60) is compression secured to the support structure (26).

15. A personal protection assembly (20) comprising:

a hood (144) formed of flexible sterilizable material, a portion of which is filter material, and shaped to be worn over the head (24);

a transparent face shield (146) attached to the hood (144);

a support structure (28) for suspending the hood (144) over the head (24);

a fan (46) attached to the support structure for circulating air through the hood;

a plurality of individually removable layers (150) of sterile transparent material are disposed over the face shield (146).

16. The personal protection assembly of claim 15 wherein each removable layer (150) of transparent material has a tab (152) that allows a user to remove the layer.

17. A method of assembling a sterilized hood assembly having a transparent face shield (146), the method including the steps of:

providing a hood (144) formed from sterilizable flexible material, a portion of the material being filter material;

attaching a transparent face shield assembly to the hood, the shield assembly including a face shield (146);

sterilizing the hood and face shield assembly using a sterilization process that does not adversely affect the filter material;

the transparent shield assembly further includes a plurality of removable transparent layers (150) disposed over the face shield (146).

18. The method of assembling the sterilizable hood assembly of claim 17, wherein, prior to the step of attaching the transparent shield assembly to the hood (144);

the plurality of transparent layers (150) are applied to the face shield to form the transparent shield assembly; and

the transparent shield assembly is subjected to a sterilization process separate from the sterilization process used to sterilize the hood (144) and shield assembly.

19. The method of assembling the sterilizable hood assembly of claim 17, wherein an EtO sterilization process is used to sterilize the hood and shield assembly.

20. The method of assembling the sterilizable hood assembly of claim 17, wherein in the step of sterilizing the transparent shield assembly, a gamma sterilization process is used.