Respirator selection program
First Claim
1. A method of selecting a respirator comprising the steps, performed by a data processing system, of:
- a) executing program code in the data processing system in order to determine a health effect of a first chemical;
b) executing program code in the data processing system in order to determine a health effect of a second chemical; and
, c) executing program code in the data processing system in order to select a respirator based upon the health effects of the first and second chemicals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A respirator selection program contains a database and a non-standards based engine. The database includes at least a chemicals database, a health effects database, a standards database, and a respirator database. The chemicals database contains data on chemicals which may require the use of respirators. The chemicals database also contains pointers to the health effects database. The health effects database contains health effects resulting from exposure to the chemicals in the chemical database. The non-standards based engine, when executed, performs the steps of (a) accepting first and second chemicals which are entered by a user, (b) accepting corresponding first and second exposure amounts which are entered by the user, and (c) selecting a respirator based upon the chemicals database, the health effects database, the standards database, the respirator database, the first and second chemicals which are entered by the user, and the first and second exposure amounts which are entered by the user.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of selecting a respirator comprising the steps, performed by a data processing system, of:
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a) executing program code in the data processing system in order to determine a health effect of a first chemical;
b) executing program code in the data processing system in order to determine a health effect of a second chemical; and
,c) executing program code in the data processing system in order to select a respirator based upon the health effects of the first and second chemicals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
summing the first and second hazard indices if the health effects of the first and second chemicals are the same, thereby producing a combined hazard index; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the combined hazard index.
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4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices comprises the following steps:
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selecting a higher of the first and second hazard indices if the health effects of the first and second chemicals are not the same, thereby producing a highest hazard index; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the highest hazard index.
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5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the first hazard index comprises the step of determining a first hazard ratio based upon a ratio of an exposure amount for the first chemical and an exposure limit for the first chemical, and wherein the step of determining the second hazard index comprises the step of determining a second hazard ratio based upon a ratio of an exposure amount for the second chemical and an exposure limit for the second chemical.
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6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices comprises the following steps:
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summing the first and second hazard ratios if the health effects of the first and second chemicals are the same, thereby producing a combined hazard ratio; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the combined hazard ratio.
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7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the combined hazard ratio comprises the step of selecting no respirator if the combined hazard ratio is less than a predetermined value.
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8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices comprises the following steps:
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selecting a higher of the first and second hazard ratios if the health effects of the first and second chemicals are not the same, thereby producing a highest hazard ratio; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the highest hazard ratio.
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9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the highest hazard ratio comprises the step of selecting no respirator if the highest hazard ratio is less than a predetermined value.
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10. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices comprises the step of selecting a facepiece and a filter based upon the first and second hazard ratios.
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11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of selecting a facepiece and a filter based upon the first and second hazard ratios comprises the step of selecting the respirator based upon the facepiece and filter.
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12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the facepiece and filter comprises the step of selecting the respirator based upon the facepiece, the filter, and a gas and/or vapor.
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13. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of executing program code in the data processing system in order to determine a health effect of a third chemical and in order to determine a third hazard index related to the third chemical, and wherein step c) comprises the following steps:
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summing the first and second hazard indices if the health effects of the first and second chemicals are the same, thereby producing a combined hazard index; and
,selecting a higher of the combined hazard index and the third hazard index if the health effects of the first and second chemicals are different from the health effect of the third chemical, thereby producing a highest combined hazard index; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the highest combined hazard index.
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- 14. A computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code contains a chemicals database, a standards database, and a respirator database, wherein the chemicals database contains data on chemicals which may require the use of respirators, wherein the standards database contains data on respirator selection related to the chemicals contained in the chemicals database, and wherein the program code further contains a non-standards based engine which, when executed, performs the steps of (i) accepting a chemical which is entered by a user, (ii) accepting an exposure amount which is entered by the user, and (iii) selecting a respirator based upon the chemicals database, the standards database, the respirator database, the chemical which is entered by the user, and the exposure amount which is entered by the user.
- 20. A computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code contains a chemicals database, a health effects database, a standards database, and a respirator database, wherein the chemicals database contains data on chemicals which may require the use of respirators, wherein the chemicals database contains pointers to the health effects database, wherein the health effects database contains health effects resulting from exposure to the chemicals in the chemical database, and wherein the program code further contains a non-standards based engine which, when executed, performs the steps of (a) accepting first and second chemicals which are entered by a user, and (b) selecting a respirator based upon the chemicals database, the health effects database, the standards database, the respirator database, and the first and second chemicals which are entered by the user.
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38. An article of manufacture comprising:
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a computer readable storage medium; and
,program code stored on the computer readable storage medium, wherein the program code contains a database and a non-standards based engine, wherein the non-standards based engine, when executed, performs the steps of (a) accepting first and second chemicals which are entered by a user, (b) accepting first and second exposure amounts which correspond to the first and second chemicals and which are entered by the user, and (c) selecting a respirator based upon the database, the first and second chemicals which are entered by the user, and the first and second exposure amounts which are entered by the user. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
determining a first hazard index related to the first chemical and the first exposure amount;
determining a second hazard index related to the second chemical and the second exposure amount; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices and the database.
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40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 39 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices and the database comprises the following steps:
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summing the first and second hazard indices, thereby producing a combined hazard index; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the combined hazard index and the database.
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41. The computer readable storage medium of claim 39 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the first and second hazard indices and the database comprises the following steps:
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selecting a higher of the first and second hazard indices, thereby producing a highest hazard index; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the highest hazard index and the database.
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42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 39 wherein the step of determining the first hazard index comprises the step of determining a first hazard ratio based upon a ratio of the first exposure amount corresponding to the first chemical which is entered by the user and an exposure limit for the first chemical which is stored in the database, and wherein the step of determining the second hazard index comprises the step of determining a second hazard ratio based upon a ratio of the second exposure amount for the second chemical which is entered by the user and an exposure limit for the second chemical which is stored in the database.
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43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 42 wherein the step of selecting the respirator comprises the following steps:
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summing the first and second hazard ratios, thereby producing a combined hazard ratio; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the combined hazard ratio and the database.
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44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 43 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the combined hazard ratio and the database comprises the step of:
selecting no respirator if the combined hazard ratio is less than a predetermined value.
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45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 42 wherein the step of selecting the respirator comprises the following steps:
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selecting a higher of the first and second hazard ratios, thereby producing a highest hazard ratio; and
,selecting the respirator based upon the highest hazard ratio and the database.
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46. The computer readable storage medium of claim 45 wherein the step of selecting the respirator based upon the highest hazard ratio and the database comprises the step of:
selecting no respirator if the highest hazard ratio is less than a predetermined value.
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47. The computer readable storage medium of claim 39 further comprising the steps of:
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accepting a third chemical which is input by a user;
determining a third hazard index related to the first chemical and the first exposure amount;
summing the first and second hazard indices, thereby producing a combined hazard index;
selecting a higher of the combined hazard index and the third hazard index, thereby producing a highest combined hazard index; and
,selecting a respirator based upon the database and the highest combined hazard index.
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48. A computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code includes a database containing data on chemicals and respirators, and wherein the program code further includes a non-standards based engine which, when executed, performs the steps of (a) accepting first and second chemicals which are entered by a user, and (b) selecting a respirator based upon the database and the first and second chemicals which are entered by the user.
Specification