RU203427U1 - RESPIRATORY MASK WITH A STAND-ALONE IRRADIATOR - Google Patents

Abstract

The proposed utility model combines the functions of autonomy and efficiency of disinfection of inhaled and exhaled air by a person wearing a respirator mask equipped with this Device. This is achieved due to a special air duct built into the respirator mask. The air duct is at least three-sectioned. A small-sized source of ultraviolet radiation, powered by a battery, is installed to the optical window of the middle section, and the outer sections do not allow ultraviolet radiation to go beyond the air duct.

Description

The proposed utility model combines the functions of autonomy and efficiency of disinfection of inhaled and exhaled air by a person wearing a respirator mask equipped with this Device.

The problem of infection of the human respiratory system as a result of the ingestion of infectious agents (bacteria, fungi, viruses) is extremely important, especially during epidemics of diseases such as influenza, ARVI, etc.

The easiest way to avoid infection is to prevent the possibility of live infectious agents entering the human respiratory system.

Basically, infectious agents move through the air, being on the surface of dust particles or in small drops of water or saliva.

The disinfecting effect of the ultraviolet (UV) range of the optical spectrum of radiation is widely known and used in practice (for example, Guideline Р3.5.1904-04 of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on the use of ultraviolet bactericidal radiation).

A device in the form of a respiratory mask is known, into which an ultraviolet emitter is built (US Patent No. 5165395 dated November 24, 1992).

The disadvantages of the above device are:

- use of a germicidal lamp as a UV source (high alternating voltage supply, evacuated glass body with mercury vapor) in the immediate vicinity of the human body.

- the constructive location of the radiation source inside the duct, firstly, creates shadow zones that are "accumulators" of live infectious agents (for example, in the area of attaching the source base inside the duct and places of electrical cable entries), secondly, it complicates the cleaning and disinfection of the duct, and source due to the need to dismantle the source, thirdly, it creates difficulties when replacing a burned-out source inside the duct (disinfection of the entire inner part of the duct is necessary), fourthly, it makes breathing difficult due to the overlap of part of the air duct section by the source.

The proposed utility model of a Respiratory Mask with an Autonomous Irradiator (RMAO) is devoid of these drawbacks and combines the functions of a wide and long-term use by the entire population in ordinary places of residence (offices, transport, medical facilities, etc.).

A special air duct (2, Fig. 1) is built into the respiratory mask protecting the nose and mouth of a person (1, Fig. 1), through which all the air inhaled and exhaled by a person passes through. The air duct is at least three-sectional, in the form of pipes of different diameters connected to each other.

The extreme (inlet and outlet) sections are designed to protect the person wearing the mask and others from the harmful effects of UV radiation.

The middle section (3, Fig. 2) is a section through which the air is disinfected as a result of the bactericidal effect on infectious agents of UV radiation from an external, externally fixed UV irradiator (4, Fig. 2) through the optically transparent part of this section (13, Fig. 2).

The UV irradiator is an optically transparent housing with a miniature UV light source - a UV light-emitting diode, which is included in the electrical circuit, and is structurally located in the housing, which also contains an optical shaping system. The optical axis of UV radiation is directed into the middle section through an optically transparent window in it so that the air inhaled and exhaled through the air duct is irradiated by direct and repeatedly reflected UV rays passing through it during its passage through this section.

The results achieved by the implementation of this utility model are an increase in autonomy and efficiency of use.

The effectiveness of the use of RMAO within the population is a complex parameter that includes:

1) receiving an infectious agent of a higher dose of UV radiation, due to

a) a higher specific radiation power,

b) longer exposure,

2) the impossibility of preserving live infectious agents in some places inside the air duct to prevent their reproduction and secondary infection (the absence of shadow zones and zones inaccessible for disinfection),

3) the safety of the device from the point of view of the possibility of using the widest layers of the population (in conditions of epidemics).

The autonomy of the RMAO is a parameter that includes

1) the battery life of the device without the need to recharge it from a stationary current source,

2) in the event of a sudden failure (burnout) of one UV source, the possibility of its quick and safe replacement or preservation of the device's performance.

3) the possibility of autonomous operation of RMAO without connecting additional units with cables.

Improving the efficiency of RMAO is achieved through:

- Presence in the middle section of an internal coating with a high reflectivity for UV radiation. Superposition (overlapping in space) of direct and multiple reflected beams results in an increase in the radiation power density within the section.

- The shaping optical system allows a narrower beam of light to be collected, thus increasing the radiation power density in the middle section.

- Absence inside the middle section of the irradiator - avoids the formation of shadow zones and is guaranteed to irradiate the entire volume of the middle section.

- Possibility of simple and quick cleaning and disinfection of the inner surface of the air duct with chemical agents without removing and disinfecting the irradiator.

- Cleaning and disinfection of the irradiator and electrical circuit elements is not required.

- Possibility of quick replacement of the emitter or electrical circuit elements in the event of their failure without the risk of contamination (there is no contact with the medium inside the duct).

- The use of LEDs allows for widespread use in the population of these masks (light weight, low DC input voltage, solid state design without hazardous substances).

To increase efficiency, the middle part of the air duct can be irradiated by several UV irradiators, with different ranges of the UV radiation spectrum (for a more effective effect against different infectious agents).

The irradiators can operate in both continuous and pulsed modes. Pulse mode (available specifically for LEDs) allows you to increase the radiation power (in a pulse).

The presence of a current stabilizer allows maintaining a constant power in the irradiated area, when the source is powered by a battery, which gradually discharges during operation.

An electrostatic filter (in the form of pairs of electrodes separated by an air gap) can be installed in the air duct to increase the efficiency of the device, namely, to electrostatically trap electrically charged solid dust particles and moisture droplets contained in the inhaled and exhaled air. Electrostatic filters can be installed both in the middle section and in other sections of the duct. The voltage on the electrodes is maintained by connecting them to the opposite terminals of the battery through a voltage generating unit.

Charged dust particles, on which infectious agents may be located, flying in the flow of inhaled / exhaled air near the electrostatic filter electrodes, will adhere to the surface of the electrodes, thereby increasing their residence time in the middle section and, accordingly, the radiation dose for the transmitted infectious agents ...

To further increase efficiency, by increasing the UV power emitted in the chamber, it is proposed to move the irradiator outside the mask (by placing it together with the elements of the electrical circuit in a wearable unit) and supply radiation from a more powerful (respectively, heavier) irradiator through an optical fiber, or from a group of several feeds - through flexible optical fibers. In this case, all the elements of the circuit, except for the body of the irradiator and the forming optical system, are taken out of the mask and placed in a portable unit (or units) that are attached to the clothing or body of the person wearing this mask.

Increasing the autonomy of RMAO is achieved by:

- When using more than one irradiator, even if one of them fails, RMAO will remain operational at the expense of other irradiators,

- The use of LEDs can significantly increase the duration of the autonomous operation of the mask irradiator and the duration of wearing (lower current consumption from the battery, compared to the lamp, low-voltage and lighter battery and all DC circuits).

- It is possible to install all components of the electrical circuit, including a small battery, directly into the mask, i.e. the mask will not be connected to other units by any cables.

The length and cross-sectional area of the middle section are selected based on a predetermined statistically maximum rate of air intake by a person during inhalation, so that the dose of UV radiation received by pathogenic biological objects when passing through this section is guaranteed to exceed the minimum required bactericidal dose.

The outermost (10 and 11, Fig. 2) sections of the duct are made with an inner coating that absorbs UV radiation.

Additional protection is the shape of the inlet and outlet nozzles, which, due to the large length and curvature of the axis (if the air duct is made of flexible nozzles, with the possibility of repeating the contours of the face), can significantly lengthen the course of UV rays and the number of their interactions (with absorption) with the inner coating of the walls so that the outputs are completely free of UV radiation.

Fabric anti-dust and anti-drip filters are built into the outer sections of the air duct. These pre-filters keep out large dust particles and droplets of water and saliva, increasing the efficiency of the device.

The entire duct is usually durable and must be disinfected periodically. The end sections, however, can be removable and can be disposed of.

Also, the entire air duct can be made of inexpensive materials and be a short-term device and must be disposed of (after disconnecting the irradiator from it).

The electrical circuit includes a series-connected UV source (9, Fig. 2), a Battery (5, Fig. 2), a Current Stabilizer (6, Fig. 2), a Pulse Generator (12, Fig. 2), a Switch (7 , Fig. 2) and the Radiation power indicator (8, Fig. 2).

It can be carried out in a single housing with a UV irradiator, or it can consist of spaced units connected by electric cables.

In the second variant of placement, you can use an additional external battery with increased capacity, which is in the pocket of your clothes or is attached to it, connecting to the rest of the circuit through a cable and a detachable connector.

The air duct can be made both on the basis of a permanent connection with a mask, and it can have a detachable connection with a mask. The connection of the air duct and the irradiator is detachable.

Claims (5)

1. A device in the form of a face mask for respiratory protection of a person, containing an air valve in the form of an air duct, which is divided in length into at least three sections, characterized in that the outer sections of the air duct have an inner coating with a high absorption coefficient of ultraviolet radiation, and the middle section of the air duct has an inner coating with a high reflectance of ultraviolet radiation, and at least one part of the wall of the middle section of the air duct is optically transparent, and at least one irradiator, which is an optically transparent housing with a at least one LED source of the ultraviolet spectrum of radiation with a shaping optical system, electrically connected to the battery through a current stabilizer, a pulse generator, a switch and a power indicator, is installed outside this section so that the radiation passes inside the middle section through its optics transparent part. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one section of the air duct is equipped with an electrostatic filter in the form of metal electrodes of two polarities, electrically connected to an autonomous power source through a voltage control unit and a switch. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the extreme section of the duct is additionally equipped with anti-dust and anti-drip fabric filters. 4. The device according to claim. 1, characterized in that the air duct is flexible with the ability to take the shape of a face. 5. The device according to claim 1. characterized in that the battery, current stabilizer, switch, power indicator are removed outside the face mask and connected to the source through an electric cable and a detachable electrical connection, and the radiation source is placed outside the face mask, and ultraviolet radiation is supplied to the feed through an optical fiber and a detachable optical connection.

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