SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A RESPIRATOR

• US 20140278320A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaoli, Chen, Henry, Bai, Hao, Derby, Paul, Thiruvengada, Hari, Sarkissian, Vicken, Zhang, Yajun-Edwin
• Application Number:
  US13/839,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278320A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/11
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/02 Masks gas-masks for animals A62B18/06; masks for welders A61F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 5/00 ICT specially adapted for modelling or simulations in systems biology, e.g. gene-regulatory networks, protein interaction networks or metabolic networks

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods may relate to a system for predicting a respirator fit by comparing a respirator model in a deformed state to a specific facial model. In an illustrative example, an internal measurement may be calculated between an inside part of the respirator model and the facial model. The internal measurement may be compared against a predetermined threshold to determine a fit of the respirator model, for example. In various implementations, the internal measurement may be a distance and/or a volume between the respirator and facial model. In some implementations, a 3D representation of the respirator model may be displayed upon a 3D representation of the facial model. In some implementations, a color-coded facial display may characterize areas of comfort and discomfort with respect to the respirator model. For example, areas of comfort and discomfort may be objectively determined in view of an applied pressure by the respirator.

Claims

1. A method of predictively fitting a respirator to a specific user, the method comprising:

retrieving respirator shape data representative of a shape of a selected respirator;

capturing facial shape data representative of a facial shape of a selected facial area;

overlaying said respirator shape data upon said facial shape data;

determining an internal dimension between an internal surface of said respirator and a portion of said facial area behind said respirator; and

generating a fit recommendation for display to a user based upon said internal dimension between said respirator and said facial area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether said internal dimension exceeds a minimum threshold, wherein said fit recommendation is based on said minimum threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said internal dimension comprises a distance between said respirator and said facial area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said internal dimension comprises an internal volume between said respirator and said facial area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of computing an internal shape of said respirator based upon an external shape of said respirator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of overlaying said respirator upon said facial area in a deformed state of said respirator.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of overlaying said respirator upon said facial area in a non-deformed state of said respirator.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of generating a color-coded display of said facial area indicative of a fit of said respirator on said facial area.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of storing a plurality of point cloud data sets each representative of a shape and size of a specific respirator in a respirator database.

10. A method of predictively fitting a respirator to a specific user, the method comprising:

retrieving respirator shape data representative of a shape of a selected respirator;

capturing facial shape data representative of a facial shape of a facial area of a user, wherein said facial shape data is captured with and without said respirator being worn;

determining a contact line of said respirator on said facial area for location of a portion of said facial area behind said respirator;

determining an internal dimension between an internal surface of said respirator and said portion of said facial area behind said respirator; and

generating a fit recommendation for display to a user based upon said internal dimension between said respirator and said facial area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of determining whether said internal dimension exceeds a minimum threshold, wherein said fit recommendation is based on said minimum threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said internal dimension comprises a distance between said respirator and said facial area.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said internal dimension comprises an internal volume between said respirator and said facial area.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of computing an internal shape of said respirator based upon an external shape of said respirator.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of modifying said respirator shape data to a deformed state.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of overlaying said respirator upon said facial area in a non-deformed state of said respirator.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of generating a color-coded display of said facial area indicative of a fit of said respirator on said facial area.

18. A system for predictively fitting a respirator to a specific user, the system comprising:

a processor module for defining facial shape data corresponding to a facial shape of a facial area and respirator shape data corresponding to a respirator shape and size;

means for determining an internal dimension between said respirator and said facial area; and

a recommendation module for display to a user based upon said internal dimension.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said processing module computes an internal shape of said respirator based upon an external shape of said respirator.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said display module comprises a color-coded facial area display.