WO2021214682A1 - Appareil respiratoire d'équipement de protection personnelle comprenant une pièce faciale qui comporte un capteur physiologique - Google Patents

Appareil respiratoire d'équipement de protection personnelle comprenant une pièce faciale qui comporte un capteur physiologique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021214682A1
WO2021214682A1 PCT/IB2021/053288 IB2021053288W WO2021214682A1 WO 2021214682 A1 WO2021214682 A1 WO 2021214682A1 IB 2021053288 W IB2021053288 W IB 2021053288W WO 2021214682 A1 WO2021214682 A1 WO 2021214682A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
user
molded body
respirator
ppe
data
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2021/053288
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
William Bedingham
Caroline M. Ylitalo
Assumpta A.G. Bennaars-Eiden
Richard C. Webb
Daniel B. TAYLOR
Andrew W. LONG
Henning T. Urban
Britton G. Billingsley
Duane D. Fansler
Original Assignee
3M Innovative Properties Company
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Publication date
Application filed by 3M Innovative Properties Company filed Critical 3M Innovative Properties Company
Publication of WO2021214682A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021214682A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M16/00—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes
    • A61M16/06—Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
    • A61M16/0605—Means for improving the adaptation of the mask to the patient
    • A61M16/0616—Means for improving the adaptation of the mask to the patient with face sealing means comprising a flap or membrane projecting inwards, such that sealing increases with increasing inhalation gas pressure
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/145—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue
    • A61B5/1455—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
    • A61B5/14551—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters for measuring blood gases
    • A61B5/14552—Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/68—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
    • A61B5/6801—Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
    • A61B5/6802—Sensor mounted on worn items
    • A61B5/6803—Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/72—Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes
    • A61B5/7235—Details of waveform analysis
    • A61B5/7264—Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems
    • A61B5/7267—Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems involving training the classification device
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/72—Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes
    • A61B5/7271—Specific aspects of physiological measurement analysis
    • A61B5/7282—Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/74—Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient ; user input means
    • A61B5/746—Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
    • A62B18/00—Breathing masks or helmets, e.g. affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes or incorporating a pump or compressor for reducing the inhalation effort
    • A62B18/02—Masks
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
    • A62B18/00—Breathing masks or helmets, e.g. affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes or incorporating a pump or compressor for reducing the inhalation effort
    • A62B18/08—Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
    • A62B9/00—Component parts for respiratory or breathing apparatus
    • A62B9/006—Indicators or warning devices, e.g. of low pressure, contamination
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
    • G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
    • G08B21/04—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons
    • G08B21/0407—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons based on behaviour analysis
    • G08B21/043—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons based on behaviour analysis detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
    • G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
    • G08B21/04—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons
    • G08B21/0438—Sensor means for detecting
    • G08B21/0453—Sensor means for detecting worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B2562/00—Details of sensors; Constructional details of sensor housings or probes; Accessories for sensors
    • A61B2562/02—Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
    • A61B2562/0233—Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/02—Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
    • A61B5/0205—Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
    • A61B5/02055—Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/02—Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
    • A61B5/021—Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
    • A61M2205/33—Controlling, regulating or measuring
    • A61M2205/3306—Optical measuring means
    • A61M2205/3313—Optical measuring means used specific wavelengths
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
    • A61M2205/35—Communication
    • A61M2205/3546—Range
    • A61M2205/3553—Range remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
    • A61M2205/35—Communication
    • A61M2205/3576—Communication with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
    • A61M2205/3584—Communication with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver using modem, internet or bluetooth
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
    • A61M2205/35—Communication
    • A61M2205/3576—Communication with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
    • A61M2205/3592—Communication with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2230/00—Measuring parameters of the user
    • A61M2230/20—Blood composition characteristics
    • A61M2230/205—Blood composition characteristics partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)

Definitions

  • PPE PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
  • the present disclosure relates to personal protective equipment (PPE) and respirator devices.
  • PPE personal protective equipment
  • PPE personal protective equipment
  • PPE respirator devices come in many different styles and designs. Examples include a negative pressure respirator, a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR), a filtering face piece respirator (FFR) a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that includes a respirator, and many other types.
  • PPE respirator devices may comprise an integrated part of other safety equipment.
  • respirator devices may also be used within SCBA equipment, welding masks, flight helmets, underwater breathing devices, firefighter helmets or masks, and/or a wide variety of other devices or equipment.
  • this disclosure describes a personal protection equipment (PPE) respirator device that includes facepiece having an integrated physiological sensor configured to sense data of the user.
  • the physiological sensor is arranged inside the facepiece of the PPE respirator device in a manner that promotes comfort to the user without interfering with a seal of the facepiece against the skin of the user.
  • the physiological sensor may be positioned inside a sealable space of the PPE respirator device.
  • the sealable space may be used for delivery of breathable gas (e.g., air) to the user, while still being an effective sensor location for sensing physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen saturation levels.
  • the physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space of a molded body of the facepiece of the PPE respirator device in a location where the molded body directly contacts the user’s skin, such as over the nose of the user.
  • the sensor may comprise an optical sensor that uses optical signals passing through the molded body to collect physiological data that can be used to measure physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen saturation levels.
  • the molded body of the PPE device may be formed of flexible material that is optically transparent in wavelengths used by the optical sensor and that conforms to the user’s facial features so as to provide a seal adequate for delivering breathable gas (.e.g., air) from the respirator to the user.
  • the PPE respirator device may be particularly useful used in a “connected” work environment where the PPE respirator device delivers sensed data to one or more computing devices in order to help monitor worker safety and generate one or more alerts when problems are detected.
  • a PPE respirator device comprises a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user, the molded body configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user.
  • a physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • a system comprises a PPE respirator device and at least one computing device.
  • the PPE respirator device includes a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user, the molded body configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user.
  • the PPE respirator device includes a physiological sensor positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • the at least one computing device is configured to receive the sensed data sensed by the physiological sensor and to determine at least one physiological parameter of the user based on the sensed data.
  • a method may comprise sensing physiological data of a user of a PPE respirator device.
  • the PPE respirator device may comprise a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user.
  • the molded body may be configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user, and a physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • Sensing the physiological data may comprise sensing based on the optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system that includes a negative pressure re-usable respirator and a personal protection equipment management system, in accordance with various techniques of this disclosure.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating, in detail, an operating perspective of the personal protection equipment management system shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example negative pressure re-usable respirator, in accordance with various techniques of this disclosure.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a molded body portion of a facepiece of a PPE respirator device consistent with an example of this disclosure.
  • FIG. 5 is a depiction of a molded body portion of a facepiece of a PPE respirator device positioned over the face of a user.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a molded body portion of a facepiece of a PPE respirator device consistent with another example of this disclosure.
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary PPE respirator device of this disclosure being worn by a user.
  • FIG. 8 and 9 are block diagrams illustrating two examples of a PPE respirator device in communication with a computing device.
  • FIG. 10 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a portion of an example PPE respirator device.
  • FIG. 11 and 12 are flow diagrams consistent with techniques of this disclosure. [0019] It is to be understood that the embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The figures are not necessarily to scale. Like numbers used in the figures refer to like components. However, it will be understood that the use of a number to refer to a component in a given figure is not intended to limit the component in another figure labeled with the same number.
  • PPE personal protection equipment
  • the PPE respirator device may comprise a medical respirator device such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device or oxygen mask commonly used in hospital and care settings.
  • CPAP continuous positive airway pressure
  • a PPE respirator device includes one or more physiological sensors positioned within a facepiece in order to measure physiological parameters such as the blood oxygen level of a user while the user is wearing the PPE respirator device without interfering with delivery of air to the user.
  • a PPE respirator device may comprise a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user.
  • the molded body defines a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user.
  • the physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body without directly contacting the user, and the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • the physiological sensor is arranged to promote comfort to the user, while still being effective for sensing physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • the physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space formed by the molded body of the PPE respirator device and at an inner surface of the molded body opposite from an outer surface the molded body directly contacts the user’s skin, such as over the nose of the user.
  • the sensor may comprise an optical sensor that uses optical signals to collect physiological data that can be used to measure physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • the molded body of the PPE device may be formed of material that is optically transparent in wavelengths used by the optical sensor.
  • the sealable space may be formed by the molded body when placed over the user’s nose and mouth, and the sealable space may define an interior location that is sealed from the external environment, which provides a very good location for sensor placement of a physiological sensor because the sealable space often includes unused space and because the sensor itself is environmentally protected inside the sealable space. Furthermore, placement of a physiological sensor inside of the sealable space of the molded body of a PPE device may also be more comfortable to a user than conventional skin placement of the sensor. In addition, placement of a physiological sensor inside of the sealable space of molded body can help to mitigate problems associated with user perspiration or environmental contamination that may otherwise degrade the sensing performance of the physiological sensor.
  • the physiological sensor is affixed to the inside surface of the molded body, within the sealable space at a location corresponding to the nose of a user, which may provide better physiological sensing than other body locations.
  • the physiological sensor is also electrically coupled to a circuit that, like the physiological sensor, is positioned inside the sealable space formed by the molded body of the respirator facepiece and in a manner that does not interfere with the seal between the molded body and the user. This can help provide environmental protection for the circuit and provide a useful and ergonomic design.
  • the circuit may include wireless communication capabilities so that sensor data collected by the physiological sensor can be sent to one or more external computing devices, such as a computing device associated with the user wearing the PPE device, or a computing device associated with other users that monitor the user wearing the PPE device.
  • the computing device may process sensed data to determine whether the sensed data indicates any physiological issues with the user, such as low blood oxygen saturation levels.
  • Other desirable features for implementing the PPE device are also described herein, including a desirable bonding material that can be used to bond the physiological sensor to the molded body at a desired location and in a way that promotes comfort and flexibility of the molded body.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system 2 in which negative pressure respirators 13 include sensors positioned within a facepiece.
  • the sensors may include a physiological sensor configured to measure physiological parameters, such as the blood oxygen level of a user, while the user is wearing the PPE respirator device and without interfering with delivery of air to the user, according to techniques described in this disclosure.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirators 13A-13N are shown merely for illustrative purposes and may generally represent any type of PPE respirator device.
  • negative pressure re-usable respirators 13A-13N include one or more sensors to detect conditions of the respective negative pressure re-usable respirators 13. More specifically, one or more of respirators 13 may include a physiological sensor that is positioned inside a molded body of a facepiece of the respirator (e.g., along or within an inner surface of the molded body that is opposite from an outer surface of the mold body that contacts the skin of the user). The physiological sensor may be configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body. In addition, respirators 13 may also include other sensors for detecting other parameters associated with the worker or the working conditions.
  • One or more computing devices utilize the sensor data from the sensors of the negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 to detect or predict safety events associated with negative pressure re-usable respirators 13.
  • safety events may refer to physiological conditions of the user, such as low blood oxygen saturation.
  • sensors may also be used to identify other safety events, such as saturation or loading of a contaminant capture device of a negative pressure re-usable respirator (e.g., blockage of a particulate filter), exhaustion of a contaminant capture device (e.g., break though of a chemical cartridge), incompatibility between the hazards a contaminant capture device is configured to protect against and hazards within a work environment, insufficient seal between the respirator and the worker’s face, among others.
  • the one or more computing devices such as PPEMS 6, monitor data provided by the physiological sensors within the facepieces of PPEs 13, along with other sensed data, to detect and/or predict safety events and alert workers of such safety events.
  • PPEMS 6 monitor usage of contaminant capture devices 23A-23N of negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 and determine whether the contaminant capture device (e.g., a particulate fdter) is due for replacement. As another example, PPEMS 6 may determine whether the air within a sealable space defined by (e.g., formed between) a worker’s face and a respective negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 is sealed from air within the work environment (e.g., air exterior to the respirator). In some instances, PPEMS 6 determines whether the contaminant capture device utilized by a particular worker is working properly with a useful filter to protect the worker from hazards within the work environment.
  • a sealable space defined by (e.g., formed between) a worker’s face and a respective negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 is sealed from air within the work environment (e.g., air exterior to the respirator). In some instances, PPEMS 6 determines whether the contaminant capture device utilized by a particular worker is
  • PPEMS 6 may determine and monitor physiological parameters of the user, such as heart rate, core body temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation levels, or other physiological parameters, in order to promote user safety.
  • system 2 represents a computing environment in which computing device(s) within a plurality of physical environments 8A, 8B (collectively, environments 8) electronically communicate with PPEMS 6 via one or more computer networks 4.
  • Each of physical environment 8 represents a physical environment, such as a work environment, in which one or more individuals, such as workers 10, utilize personal protective equipment 13 while engaging in tasks or activities within the respective environment.
  • Example environments 8 include construction sites, mining sites, manufacturing sites, among others.
  • environment 8 A is shown as generally as having workers 10, while environment 8B is shown in expanded form to provide a more detailed example.
  • a plurality of workers 10A-10N are shown as utilizing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as negative pressure re-usable respirators 13.
  • PPE personal protective equipment
  • negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 include any re-usable respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is less than the ambient air pressure (e.g., the pressure of the air outside the respirator) during inhalation.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 include a facepiece (e.g., a full facepiece, or a half facepiece) configured to cover at least a worker’s nose and mouth.
  • a facepiece e.g., a full facepiece, or a half facepiece
  • a half facepiece may cover a worker’s nose and mouth and a full facepiece may cover a worker’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 may fully or partially (e.g., 75%) cover a worker’s head. Negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 may include a head harness (e.g., an elastic strap) that secures negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 to the back of the worker’s head.
  • a head harness e.g., an elastic strap
  • negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 are configured to receive contaminant capture devices 23A-23N (collectively, contaminant capture devices 23).
  • Contaminant capture devices 23 are configured to remove contaminants from air as air is drawn through the contaminant capture device (e.g., when a worker wearing a reusable respirator inhales).
  • Contaminant capture devices 23 include particulate filters, chemical cartridges, or combination particulate filters/chemical cartridges.
  • particulate filters are configured to protect a worker from particulates (e.g., dust, mists, fumes, smoke, mold, bacteria, or other undesirable particulates).
  • Particulate filters capture particulates through impaction, interception, and/or diffusion.
  • Chemical cartridges are configured to protect a worker from gases or vapors.
  • Chemical cartridges may include sorbent materials (e.g., activated carbon) that react with a gas or vapor to capture the gas or vapor and remove the gas or vapor from air breathed by a worker.
  • sorbent materials e.g., activated carbon
  • chemical cartridges may capture organic vapors, acid gasses, ammonia, methylamine, formaldehyde, mercury vapor, chlorine gas, among others.
  • Contaminant capture devices 23 may be removable.
  • a worker may remove a contaminant capture device from a negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 (e.g., upon the contaminant capture device reaching the end of its expected lifespan) and install a different (e.g., unused, new) contaminant capture device to the respirator.
  • the particulate filters or chemical cartridges have a limited service life.
  • gases or vapors may pass through the chemical cartridge to the worker (which is called “breakthrough”).
  • breakthrough the filter becomes harder to pull air through, thus making the worker inhale deeper to breathe.
  • each of negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 include, in some examples, embedded sensors or monitoring devices and processing electronics configured to capture data in real-time as a user (e.g., worker) engages in activities while utilizing (e.g., wearing) the respirator.
  • one or more of respirators 13 comprises a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a corresponding worker 10.
  • the molded body defines a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of worker 10 for delivering air to the user.
  • the physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body without directly contacting worker 10, and the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body. In this way, the physiological sensor is arranged to promote comfort to the user, while still being effective for sensing physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • the physiological sensor is positioned inside the sealable space formed by the molded body of the PPE respirator device and at in inner surface of the molded body opposite from a surface the molded body directly contacts the skin, such as over the nose of worker 10.
  • the sensor may comprise an optical sensor that uses optical signals to collect physiological data that can be used to measure physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • the molded body of the respirator for each of PPE devices 13 may be formed of material that is optically transparent in wavelengths used by the optical sensor.
  • negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 may also include a number of additional sensors for sensing operational characteristics of the respirators 13.
  • each of respirators 13 may include an air pressure sensor configured to detect the air pressure in the cavity formed between the respirator and the worker’s face, which detect the air pressure within the cavity as the worker 10 breathes (e.g., inhales and exhales).
  • the air pressure sensors detect the air pressure within the sealed space (also referred to as a cavity, or respirator cavity) formed by a face of the worker and the negative pressure reusable respirator.
  • each of negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 may include one or more output devices for outputting data that is indicative of operation of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 and/or generating and outputting communications to the respective worker 10.
  • negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 may include one or more devices to generate audible feedback (e.g., one or more speakers), visual feedback (e.g., one or more displays, light emitting diodes (LEDs) or the like), or tactile feedback (e.g., a device that vibrates or provides other haptic feedback). More specific details on a physiological sensor that is positioned inside the sealable space of the facepiece of respirators 13 is provided in greater detail below.
  • Each of negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 is configured to communicate data, such as sensed motions, events and conditions, via wireless communications, such as via 802.11 WiFi® protocols, Bluetooth® protocol or the like. Negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 may, for example, communicate directly with a wireless access point 19. As another example, each worker 10 may be equipped with a respective one of wearable communication hubs 14A-14M that enable and facilitate communication between negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 and PPEMS 6.
  • negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 as well as other PPEs (such as fall protection equipment, hearing protection, hardhats, or other equipment) for the respective worker 10 may communicate with a respective communication hub 14 via Bluetooth or other short-range protocol, and the communication hubs may communicate with PPEMs 6 via wireless communications processed by wireless access points 19.
  • hubs 14 may be implemented as stand-alone devices deployed within environment 8B. In some examples, hubs 14 may be articles of PPE.
  • each of environments 8 include computing facilities (e.g., a local area network) by which sensing stations 21, beacons 17, and/or negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 are able to communicate with PPEMS 6.
  • environments 8 may be configured with wireless technology, such as 802.11 wireless networks, 802.15 ZigBee networks, and the like.
  • environment 8B includes a local network 7 that provides a packet-based transport medium for communicating with PPEMS 6 via network 4.
  • Environment 8B may include wireless access point 19 to provide support for wireless communications.
  • environment 8B may include a plurality of wireless access points 19 that may be geographically distributed throughout the environment to provide support for wireless communications throughout the work environment.
  • each worker 10 may be equipped with a respective one of wearable communication hubs 14A-14N that enable and facilitate wireless communication between PPEMS 6 and sensing stations 21, beacons 17, and/or negative pressure re-usable respirators 13.
  • sensing stations 21, beacons 17, and/or negative pressure re usable respirators 13 may communicate with a respective communication hub 14 via wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth® or other short-range protocol), and the communication hubs may communicate with PPEMS 6 via wireless communications processed by wireless access point 19.
  • hubs 14 may be implemented as stand-alone devices deployed within environment 8B.
  • each of hubs 14 is programmable via PPEMS 6 so that local alert rules may be installed and executed without requiring a connection to the cloud.
  • each of hubs 14 provides a relay of streams of data from sensing stations 21, beacons 17, and/or negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, and provides a local computing environment for localized alerting based on streams of events in the event communication with PPEMS 6 is lost.
  • an environment such as environment 8B
  • beacons 17A- 17B may be GPS-enabled such that a controller within the respective beacon may be able to precisely determine the position of the respective beacon.
  • a given negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 or communication hub 14 worn by a worker 10 is configured to determine the location of the worker within environment 8B.
  • event data reported to PPEMS 6 may be stamped with positional data to aid analysis, reporting and analytics performed by PPEMS 6.
  • an environment such as environment 8B, may also include one or more wireless-enabled sensing stations, such as sensing stations 21 A, 2 IB.
  • Each sensing station 21 includes one or more sensors and a controller configured to output data indicative of sensed environmental conditions.
  • sensing stations 21 may be positioned within respective geographic regions of environment 8B or otherwise interact with beacons 17 to determine respective positions and include such positional data when reporting environmental data to PPEMS 6.
  • PPEMS 6 may be configured to correlate the sensed environmental conditions with the particular regions and, therefore, may utilize the captured environmental data when processing event data received from negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, or sensing stations 21.
  • PPEMS 6 may utilize the environmental data to aid generating alerts or other instructions for negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 and for performing predictive analytics, such as determining any correlations between certain environmental conditions (e.g., heat, humidity, visibility) with abnormal worker behavior or increased safety events.
  • PPEMS 6 may utilize current environmental conditions to aid prediction and avoidance of imminent safety events.
  • Example environmental conditions that may be sensed by sensing stations 21 include but are not limited to temperature, humidity, presence of gas, pressure, visibility, wind, or other Safety events may refer to heat related illness or injury, cardiac related illness or injury, respiratory related illness or injury, or eye or hearing related injury or illness.
  • Worker problems may be identified based on physiological changes in the worker such as low blood oxygen level saturation, heart rate, respiratory rate, which may be tracked by a physiological sensor as described herein.
  • an environment such as environment 8B, may also include one or more safety stations 15 distributed throughout the environment.
  • Safety stations 15 may allow one of workers 10 to check out negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 and/or other safety equipment, verify that safety equipment is appropriate for a particular one of environments 8, and/or exchange data.
  • Safety stations 15 may enable workers 10 to send and receive data from sensing stations 21, and/or beacons 17.
  • safety stations 15 may transmit alert rules, software updates, or firmware updates to negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 or other equipment, such as sensing stations 21, and/or beacons 17.
  • Safety stations 15 may also receive data cached on negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, hubs 14, sensing stations 21, beacons 17, and/or other safety equipment.
  • sensing stations 21, beacons 17, negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, and/or data hubs 14 may typically transmit data via network 4 in real time or near real time, such equipment may not have connectivity to network 4 in some instances, situations, or conditions.
  • sensing stations 21, beacons 17, negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, and/or data hubs 14 may store data locally and transmit the data to safety stations 15 upon regaining connectivity to network 4.
  • Safety stations 15 may then obtain the data from sensing stations 21, beacons 17, negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, and/or data hubs 14.
  • each of environments 8 may include computing facilities that provide an operating environment for end-user computing devices 16 for interacting with PPEMS 6 via network 4.
  • each of environments 8 typically includes one or more safety managers responsible for overseeing safety compliance within the environment.
  • each user 20 interacts with computing devices 16 to access PPEMS 6.
  • Each of environments 8 may include systems.
  • remote users may use computing devices 18 to interact with PPEMS 6 via network 4.
  • the end-user computing devices 16 may be laptops, desktop computers, mobile devices such as tablets or so-called smart phones and the like.
  • Users 20, 24 interact with PPEMS 6 to control and actively manage many aspects of safely equipment utilized by workers 10, such as accessing and viewing usage records, analytics and reporting.
  • users 20, 24 may review physiological data acquired and stored by PPEMS 6, where the data may include data specifying physiological metrics associated with a user, such as blood oxygenation levels, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, baselines, trends, or changes in such physiological metrics.
  • Other sensed data that may be acquired and stored by PPEMS 6 may include such things as starting and ending times over a time duration (e.g., a day, a week, or another periodic time interval), data collected during particular events, such as pulling a respirator away from the worker’s face (e.g., such that the cavity formed by the worker’s face and the respirator is not sealed, which may expose the worker to breathing hazards, without necessarily removing the respirator from the worker 10), removal of a negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 from a worker 10, changes to operating parameters of a negative pressure re-usable respirator 13, status changes to components of negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 (e.g., a low battery event), motion of workers 10, detected impacts to negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 or hubs 14, sensed data acquired from the user, environment data, and the like.
  • a time duration e.g., a day, a week, or another periodic time interval
  • data collected during particular events such as pulling a respirator away
  • PPEMS 6 provides an integrated suite of personal safety protection equipment management tools and implements various techniques of this disclosure. That is, PPEMS 6 provides an integrated, end-to-end system for managing personal protection equipment, e.g., respirators, used by workers 10 within one or more physical environments 8. The techniques of this disclosure may be realized within various parts of system 2.
  • PPEMS 6 may integrate an event processing platform configured to process thousand or even millions of concurrent streams of events from digitally enabled devices, such as sensing stations 21, beacons 17, negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, and/or data hubs 14.
  • An underlying analytics engine of PPEMS 6 may apply models to the inbound streams to compute assertions, such as identified anomalies or predicted occurrences of safety events based on conditions or behavior patterns of workers 10.
  • PPEMS 6 may provide real-time alerting and reporting to notify workers 10 and/or users 20, 24 of any predicted events, anomalies, trends, and the like based on sensed physiological data and/or additional data.
  • the analytics engine of PPEMS 6 may, in some examples, apply analytics to identify relationships or correlations between sensed worker data, environmental conditions, geographic regions and other factors and analyze the impact on safety events.
  • PPEMS 6 may determine, based on the data acquired across populations of workers 10, which particular activities, possibly within certain geographic region, lead to, or are predicted to lead to, unusually high occurrences of safety events. [0047] In this way, PPEMS 6 tightly integrates comprehensive tools for managing personal protective equipment with an underlying analytics engine and communication system to provide data acquisition, monitoring, activity logging, reporting, behavior analytics and alert generation.
  • PPEMS 6 provides a communication system for operation and utilization by and between the various elements of system 2.
  • PPEMS 6 may present a web-based interface via a web server (e.g., an HTTP server) or client-side applications may be deployed for devices of computing devices 16, 18 used by users 20, 24, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, or the like.
  • PPEMS 6 may provide a database query engine for directly querying PPEMS 6 to view acquired safety data, compliance data and any results of the analytic engine, e.g., by the way of dashboards, alert notifications, reports and the like.
  • dashboards may provide various insights regarding system 2, such as baseline (“normal”) operation across worker populations, identifications of any anomalous workers engaging in abnormal activities that may potentially expose the worker to risks, identifications of any geographic regions within environments 8 for which unusually anomalous (e.g., high) safety events have been or are predicted to occur, identifications of any of environments 8 exhibiting anomalous occurrences of safety events relative to other environments, and the like.
  • PPEMS 6 may simplify workflows for individuals charged with monitoring and ensure safety compliance for an entity or environment. That is, PPEMS 6 may enable active safety management and allow an organization to take preventative or correction actions with respect to certain regions within environments 8, particular pieces of safety equipment or individual workers 10, define and may further allow the entity to implement workflow procedures that are data-driven by an underlying analytical engine.
  • the underlying analytical engine of PPEMS 6 may be configured to compute and present customer-defined metrics for worker populations within a given environment 8 or across multiple environments for an organization as a whole.
  • PPEMS 6 may be configured to acquire data and provide aggregated performance metrics and predicted behavior analytics across a worker population (e.g., across workers 10 of either or both of environments 8 A, 8B).
  • users 20, 24 may set benchmarks for occurrence of any safety incidences, and PPEMS 6 may track actual performance metrics relative to the benchmarks for individuals or defined worker populations.
  • PPEMS 6 may further trigger an alert if certain combinations of physiological conditions are present, e.g., to accelerate examination of the worker for safety concerns or rescue, or to service safety equipment, such as one of negative pressure re-usable respirators 13.
  • PPEMS 6 may identify individual negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 or workers 10 for which the metrics do not meet the benchmarks and prompt the users to intervene and/or perform procedures to improve the metrics relative to the benchmarks, thereby ensuring compliance and actively managing safety for workers 10.
  • each contaminant capture device 23 includes a communication unit that is configured to transmit information indicative of the respective contaminant capture device 23 to a computing system.
  • the communication device may include an RFID tag configured to output identification information (e.g., a unique identifier, a type of contaminant capture device, etc.) for the respective contaminant capture device 23.
  • identification information e.g., a unique identifier, a type of contaminant capture device, etc.
  • PPEMS 6 determines whether contaminant capture device 23 A is configured to protect worker 10A from hazards within the work environment 8B based on the identification information.
  • PPEMS 6 may determine the types of contaminants that contaminant capture device 23A is configured to protect against based on a type of the contaminant capture device 23A and compare such types of contaminants to types of contaminants within the work environment 8B.
  • the PPEMS 6 alerts worker 10A when the contaminant capture device 23 A is not configured to protect workers from contaminants within the work environment 8B, which may enable a worker to utilize the correct contaminant capture device for the hazards within the environment, thereby potentially increasing worker safety.
  • the techniques of this disclosure may enable a computing system to more accurately or timely determine when any of workers 10 are distress, when physiological data indicates problems with the user’s air, or when the user may otherwise need assistance.
  • Worker distress may be identified based on one or many sensed conditions described herein.
  • Physiological parameters of the worker in particular, may be very useful in early detection of worker distress.
  • physiological parameters may also be used to identify situations where filter replacement is needed in the respirator device.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram providing an operating perspective of PPEMS 6 when hosted as cloud-based for processing physiological data sensed from sensors embedded within respirator facepieces used by workers 10 in accordance with techniques described herein.
  • the components of PPEMS 6 are arranged according to multiple logical layers that implement the techniques of the disclosure. Each layer may be implemented by one or more modules comprised of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.
  • safety equipment 62 include personal protective equipment (PPE) 13, beacons 17, and sensing stations 21.
  • PPE 13 may generally represent a plurality of PPEs in a particular setting or settings.
  • Safety equipment 62, HUBs 14, safety stations 15, as well as computing devices 60 operate as clients 63 that communicate with PPEMS 6 via interface layer 64.
  • PPE 13 is illustrated as being a negative pressure re-usable respirator, the illustration is only one example and PPE 13 may generally refer to type of PPE respirator device that includes a physiological sensor as described herein.
  • Computing devices 60 typically execute client software applications, such as desktop applications, mobile applications, and web applications.
  • Computing devices 60 may represent any of computing devices 16, 18 of FIG. 1. Examples of computing devices 60 may include, but are not limited to a portable or mobile computing device (e.g., smartphone, wearable computing device, tablet), laptop computers, desktop computers, smart television platforms, and servers, to name only a few examples.
  • a portable or mobile computing device e.g., smartphone, wearable computing device, tablet
  • laptop computers e.g., desktop computers, smart television platforms, and servers, to name only a few examples.
  • Client applications executing on computing devices 60 may communicate with PPEMS 6 to send and receive data that is retrieved, stored, generated, and/or otherwise processed by services 68.
  • the client applications may request and edit safety event data including analytical data stored at and/or managed by PPEMS 6.
  • client applications may request and display aggregate safety event data that summarizes or otherwise aggregates numerous individual instances of safety events and corresponding data obtained from safety equipment 62 and/or generated by PPEMS 6.
  • the client applications may interact with PPEMS 6 to query for analytics data about past and predicted safety events, behavior trends of workers 10, to name only a few examples.
  • the client applications may output for display data received from PPEMS 6 to visualize such data for users of clients 63.
  • PPEMS 6 may provide data to the client applications, which the client applications output for display in user interfaces.
  • Client applications executing on computing devices 60 may be implemented for different platforms but include similar or the same functionality.
  • a client application may be a desktop application compiled to run on a desktop operating system or a mobile application compiled to run on a mobile operating system.
  • a client application may be a web application such as a web browser that displays web pages received from PPEMS 6.
  • PPEMS 6 may receive requests from the web application (e.g., the web browser), process the requests, and send one or more responses back to the web application. In this way, the collection of web pages, the client-side processing web application, and the server-side processing performed by PPEMS 6 collectively provides the functionality to perform techniques of this disclosure.
  • client applications may use various services of PPEMS 6 in accordance with techniques of this disclosure, and the applications may operate within various different computing environment (e.g., embedded circuitry or processor of a PPE, a desktop operating system, mobile operating system, or web browser, to name only a few examples).
  • various different computing environment e.g., embedded circuitry or processor of a PPE, a desktop operating system, mobile operating system, or web browser, to name only a few examples.
  • PPEMS 6 includes an interface layer 64 that represents a set of application programming interfaces (API) or protocol interface presented and supported by PPEMS 6.
  • Interface layer 64 initially receives messages from any of clients 63 for further processing at PPEMS 6.
  • Interface layer 64 may therefore provide one or more interfaces that are available to client applications executing on clients 63.
  • the interfaces may be application programming interfaces (APIs) that are accessible over a network.
  • Interface layer 64 may be implemented with one or more web servers. The one or more web servers may receive incoming requests, process and/or forward data from the requests to services 68, and provide one or more responses, based on data received from services 68, to the client application that initially sent the request.
  • the one or more web servers that implement interface layer 64 may include a runtime environment to deploy program logic that provides the one or more interfaces. As further described below, each service may provide a group of one or more interfaces that are accessible via interface layer 64.
  • interface layer 64 may provide Representational State Transfer (RESTful) interfaces that use HTTP methods to interact with services and manipulate resources of PPEMS 6.
  • services 68 may generate JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) messages that interface layer 64 sends back to the respective client application that submitted the initial request.
  • interface layer 64 provides web services using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to process requests from client applications.
  • SOAP Simple Object Access Protocol
  • interface layer 64 may use Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) to process requests from clients 63.
  • RPC Remote Procedure Calls
  • PPEMS 6 also includes an application layer 66 that represents a collection of services for implementing much of the underlying operations of PPEMS 6.
  • Application layer 66 receives data included in requests received from client applications (such as applications running on any one of clients 63) and further processes the data according to one or more of services 68 invoked by the requests.
  • Application layer 66 may be implemented as one or more discrete software services executing on one or more application servers, e.g., physical or virtual machines. That is, the application servers provide runtime environments for execution of services 68.
  • the functionality interface layer 64 as described above and the functionality of application layer 66 may be implemented at the same server.
  • Application layer 66 may include one or more separate software services 68, e.g., processes that communicate, e.g., via a logical service bus 70 as one example.
  • Service bus 70 generally represents logical interconnections or set of interfaces that allows different services to send messages to other services, such as by a publish/subscription communication model.
  • each of services 68 may subscribe to specific types of messages based on criteria set for the respective service. When a service publishes a message of a particular type on service bus 70, other services that subscribe to messages of that type will receive the message. In this way, each of services 68 may communicate data to one another. As another example, services 68 may communicate in point-to-point fashion using sockets or other communication mechanisms.
  • Data layer 72 of PPEMS 6 represents a data repository that provides persistence for data in PPEMS 6 using one or more data repositories 74.
  • a data repository generally, may be any data structure or software that stores and/or manages data. Examples of data repositories include but are not limited to relational databases, multi-dimensional databases, maps, and hash tables, to name only a few examples.
  • Data layer 72 may be implemented using Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) software to manage data in data repositories 74.
  • the RDBMS software may manage one or more data repositories 74, which may be accessed using Structured Query Language (SQL). Data in the one or more databases may be stored, retrieved, and modified using the RDBMS software.
  • data layer 72 may be implemented using an Object Database Management System (ODBMS), Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) database or other suitable data management system.
  • ODBMS Object Database Management System
  • OLAP Online Analytical Processing
  • each of services 68A-68G (collectively, services 68) is implemented in a modular form within PPEMS 6. Although shown as separate modules for each service, in some examples the functionality of two or more services may be combined into a single module or component.
  • Each of services 68 may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software.
  • services 68 may be implemented as standalone devices, separate virtual machines or containers, processes, threads or software instructions generally for execution on one or more physical processors.
  • one or more of services 68 may each provide one or more interfaces that are exposed through interface layer 64. Accordingly, client applications of computing devices 60 may call one or more interfaces of one or more of services 68 to perform techniques of this disclosure.
  • services 68 may include an event processing platform including an event endpoint frontend 68A, event selector 68B, event processor 68C, high priority (HP) event processor 68D, notification service 68E, and analytics service 68F.
  • event processing platform including an event endpoint frontend 68A, event selector 68B, event processor 68C, high priority (HP) event processor 68D, notification service 68E, and analytics service 68F.
  • HP high priority
  • Event endpoint frontend 68A operates as a frontend interface for exchanging communications with hubs 14, safety stations 15, and safety equipment 62.
  • event endpoint frontend 68A operates as a frontline interface to safety equipment deployed within environments 8 and utilized by workers 10.
  • event endpoint frontend 68A may be implemented as a plurality of tasks or jobs spawned to receive individual inbound communications of event streams 69 that include data sensed and captured by the safety equipment 62.
  • event streams 69 may include sensor data, such as PPE sensor data from one or more negative pressure re-usable respirators 13, PPE physiological sensor data from one or more sensors within re-usable respirators 13, and environmental data from one or more sensing stations 21.
  • event endpoint frontend 68A may spawn tasks to quickly enqueue an inbound communication, referred to as an event, and close the communication session, thereby providing high-speed processing and scalability.
  • Each incoming communication may, for example, carry data recently captured data representing sensed conditions, motions, temperatures, actions or other data, generally referred to as events.
  • Communications exchanged between the event endpoint frontend 68 A and safety equipment 62 and/or hubs 14 may be real-time or pseudo real-time depending on communication delays and continuity.
  • Event selector 68B operates on the stream of events 69 received from safety equipment 62 and/or hubs 14 via frontend 68A and determines, based on rules or classifications, priorities associated with the incoming events. For example, safety rules may indicate that incidents of incorrect equipment for a given environment, incorrect usage of PPEs, or lack of sensor data associated with a worker’s vital signs are to be treated as high priority events. Based on the priorities, event selector 68B enqueues the events for subsequent processing by event processor 68C or high priority (HP) event processor 68D. Additional computational resources and objects may be dedicated to HP event processor 68D so as to ensure responsiveness to critical events, such as incorrect usage of PPEs, lack of vital signs, or other critical events.
  • HP high priority
  • HP event processor 68D may immediately invoke notification service 68E to generate alerts, instructions, warnings or other similar messages to be output to safety equipment 62, hubs 14, or devices used by users 20, 24. Events not classified as high priority are consumed and processed by event processor 68C.
  • event processor 68C or high priority (HP) event processor 68D operate on the incoming streams of events to update event data 74A within data repositories 74.
  • event data 74A may include all or a subset of data generated by safety equipment 62.
  • event data 74A may include entire streams of data obtained from negative pressure re-usable respirator 13, sensing stations 21, etc.
  • event data 74A may include a subset of such data, e.g., associated with a particular time period.
  • Event processors 68C, 68D may create, read, update, and delete event data stored in event data 74A.
  • Event data for may be stored in a respective database record as a structure that includes name/value pairs of data, such as data tables specified in row / column format. For instance, a name (e.g., column) may be “workerlD” and a value may be an employee identification number.
  • An event record may include data such as, but not limited to: worker identification, acquisition timestamp(s) and sensor data.
  • event stream 69 for one or more sensors described herein associated with a given worker e.g., worker 10A
  • ⁇ which conveys sensed data of a blood oxygen saturation of 95 percent, a body temp of 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit, a heart rate of 70 beats per minute, and a respiratory rate of 20 breaths per minute, for the captured sensing event.
  • event stream 69 include category identifiers (e.g., “eventTime”, “workerlD”, “RespiratorType”, “ContaminantCaptureDeviceType”, and “BloodOxygenSaturation”, “HeartRate” , “BodyTemp” and “RespiratoryRate”), as well as corresponding values for each category.
  • category identifiers e.g., “eventTime”, “workerlD”, “RespiratorType”, “ContaminantCaptureDeviceType”, and “BloodOxygenSaturation”, “HeartRate” , “BodyTemp” and “RespiratoryRate”
  • EventStream may also include sensed physiological data or calculated physiological conditions of the worker. These or other formats may be used to communicate a wide range of sensed physiological data.
  • analytics service 68F is configured to perform in depth processing of the incoming stream of events to perform real-time analytics.
  • stream analytic service 68F may be configured to detect anomalies, transform incoming event data values, trigger alerts upon detecting safety concerns based on conditions or worker behaviors.
  • stream analytic service 68F may generate output for communicating to safety equipment 62, safety stations 15, hubs 14, or computing devices 60.
  • Record management and reporting service (RMRS) 68G processes and responds to messages and queries received from computing devices 60 via interface layer 64.
  • record management and reporting service 68G may receive requests from client computing devices for event data related to individual workers, populations or sample sets of workers, geographic regions of environments 8 or environments 8 as a whole, individual or groups (e.g., types) of safety equipment 62.
  • record management and reporting service 68G accesses event information based on the request.
  • record management and reporting service 68G constructs an output response to the client application that initially requested the information.
  • the data may be included in a document, such as an HTML document, or the data may be encoded in a JSON format or presented by a dashboard application executing on the requesting client computing device.
  • a document such as an HTML document
  • the data may be encoded in a JSON format or presented by a dashboard application executing on the requesting client computing device.
  • dashboard application executing on the requesting client computing device.
  • record management and reporting service 68G may receive requests to find, analyze, and correlate PPE event information.
  • record management and reporting service 68G may receive a query request from a client application for event data 74A over a historical time frame, such as a user can view PPE event information over a period of time and/or a computing device can analyze the PPE event information over the period of time.
  • analytics service 68F applies one or more of models 74B to event data 74A representing streams of sensor data from safety equipment 62 to determine whether a worker is in distress, tired, ill, or otherwise in need of assistance.
  • the sensor data received from safety equipment 62 includes physiological sensor data generated by one or more physiological sensors associated with a worker 10, which may be very effective in detecting health concerns with the worker due to the work environment.
  • the one or more rules are stored in models 74B. Although other technologies can be used, in some examples, the one or more rules are generated using machine learning. In other words, in one example implementation, analytics service 68F utilizes machine learning when operating on event streams 69 so as to perform real-time analytics. That is, analytics service 68F may include executable code generated by application of machine learning. The executable code may take the form of software instructions or rule sets and is generally referred to as a model that can subsequently be applied to event streams 69.
  • the rules may include rules that are based on sensed physiological data of the user or measured physiological conditions of the user that are calculated based on the sensed physiological data.
  • Example machine learning techniques that may be employed to generate models 74B can include various learning styles, such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and semi-supervised learning.
  • Example types of algorithms include Bayesian algorithms, Clustering algorithms, decision-tree algorithms, regularization algorithms, regression algorithms, instance-based algorithms, artificial neural network algorithms, deep learning algorithms, dimensionality reduction algorithms and the like.
  • Various examples of specific algorithms include Bayesian Linear Regression, Boosted Decision Tree Regression, and Neural Network Regression, Back Propagation Neural Networks, the Apriori algorithm, K-Means Clustering, k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ), Self-Organizing Map (SOM), Locally Weighted Learning (LWL), Ridge Regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Elastic Net, and Least-Angle Regression (LARS), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Principal Component Regression (PCR).
  • K-Means Clustering k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ), Self-Organizing Map (SOM), Locally Weighted Learning (LWL), Ridge Regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Elastic Net, and Least-Angle Regression (LARS), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Principal Component Regression (PCR).
  • K-Means Clustering
  • Analytics service 68L generates and/or stores, in some example, separate models for individual workers, a population of workers, a particular environment, a type of respirator, a type of contaminant capture device, or combinations thereof.
  • Analytics service 68L may update the models based on sensor data generated by physiological sensors, PPE sensors or environmental sensors. Lor example, analytics service 68L may update the models for individual workers, a population of workers, a particular environment, a type of respirator, a type of contaminant capture device, or combinations thereof based on data received from safety equipment 62.
  • analytics service 68L applies models 74B to event data 74Ato determine whether sensed data from sensors associated with one or more negative pressure re-usable respirators 13 satisfies safety criteria set forth in one or more safety rules associated with a worker.
  • analytics service 68L determines whether physiological data from sensors within negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A by worker 10A satisfies a safety and/or usage rule based at least in part on worker data 74C, models 74B, event data 74A (e.g., sensor data), or a combination therein.
  • notification service 68E outputs a notification in response to determining that a safety rule is not satisfied (e.g., physiological data of a worker 10 does not satisfy a safety rule, or an article of PPE or component of an article of PPE does not satisfy a safety rule).
  • notification service 68E may output the notification to at least one of clients 63 (e.g., one or more of computing devices 60, hubs 14, safety stations 15, or a combination therein).
  • the notification indicates whether sensed physiological parameters of a worker satisfies the one or more rules, e.g., to identify when a filter may need replacement or to identify a worker safety event.
  • the notification may indicate which worker of workers 10 is associated with the event (e.g., worker safety concern or the need to replace a filter), a location of the worker, a location at which a replacement filter is located, or other worker identification data.
  • notification service 68E outputs a notification in response to determine that physiological parameters of the worker indicate a potential problem.
  • notification service 68E may output the notification to at least one of clients 63 (e.g., one or more of computing devices 60, hubs 14, safety stations 15, or a combination therein).
  • the notification indicates that physiological parameters of the worker may indicate a potential problem, such as low blood oxygen saturation levels.
  • the notification may indicate which worker of workers 10 is associated with the potential problem, a location of the worker, or other identification data.
  • FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example negative pressure re-usable respirator, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A is one example of a PPE respirator device consistent with this disclosure, although this disclosure more generally applies to a wide variety of PPE respirator devices.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A is configured to receive (e.g., be physically coupled to) one or more contamination capture devices 23A, such as a particulate filter, a chemical cartridge, or both.
  • contamination capture devices 23A such as a particulate filter, a chemical cartridge, or both.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A is configured to physically couple to computing device 300.
  • Negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A includes a facepiece (e.g., a full facepiece, or a half facepiece) 301 configured to cover at least a worker’s nose and mouth.
  • computing device 300 is located with facepiece 301. It should be understood that the architecture and arrangement of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 A and computing device 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 is shown for exemplary purposes only. In other examples, negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A and computing device 300 may be configured in a variety of other ways having additional, fewer, or alternative components than those shown in FIG. 3.
  • negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A may include one or more physiological sensor(s) 315 that is positioned to measure physiological parameters such as the blood oxygen saturation level of a user while the user is wearing the PPE respirator device. More specifically, the physiological sensor 315 of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A may be positioned inside the sealable space of a molded body of the facepiece associated with negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A along an inner surface of the sealable space that is opposite of an outer surface of the molded body that is configured to contact and seal with the skin of the user.
  • the physiological sensor 315 may be configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body and utilize a flexible circuit construction, thereby providing a technical solution that does not require direct contact with the skin of workers 10 and does not interfere with any seal that is formed between the flexible mold bodies of respirators 13 and workers 10. In this way, the physiological sensor 315 is arranged to promote comfort to the user, while still being effective for sensing physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • FIG. 3 is an example of a PPE respirator device that includes an associated computing device 300, which may provide local processing capabilities for processing sensed data, such as sensed physiological data.
  • contamination capture device 23A includes a memory device and a communication device, such as RFID tag (e.g., passive RFID tag) 350.
  • RFID tag 350 stores information corresponding to contaminant capture device 23A (e.g., information identifying a type of the contaminant capture device 23A) and outputs the information corresponding to contaminant capture device 23 A in response to receiving a signal from another communication device (e.g., an RFID reader).
  • RFID tag 350 stores information corresponding to contaminant capture device 23A (e.g., information identifying a type of the contaminant capture device 23A) and outputs the information corresponding to contaminant capture device 23 A in response to receiving a signal from another communication device (e.g., an RFID reader).
  • Computing device 300 may be configured to physically couple to negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A.
  • computing device 300 may be disposed between facepiece 301 of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A and a face of worker 10A.
  • computing device 300 may be physically coupled to an inner wall of the respirator cavity.
  • Computing device 300 may be integral with negative pressure re usable respirator 13A or physically separable from negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A.
  • computing device 300 is physically separate from negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A and communicatively coupled to negative pressure re usable respirator 13A.
  • computing device 300 may be a smartphone carried by worker 10A or a data hub worn by worker 10A.
  • Computing device 300 includes one or more processors 302, one or more storage devices 304, one or more communication units 306, one or more sensors 308, one or more output units 318, sensor data 320, models 322, worker data 324, and equipment data 326.
  • Processors 302, in one example, are configured to implement functionality and/or process instructions for execution within computing device 300.
  • processors 302 may be capable of processing instructions stored by storage device 304.
  • Processors 302 may include, for example, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate array (FPGAs), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuitry.
  • DSPs digital signal processors
  • ASICs application specific integrated circuits
  • FPGAs field-programmable gate array
  • Storage device 304 may include a computer-readable storage medium or computer- readable storage device.
  • storage device 304 may include one or more of a short-term memory or a long-term memory.
  • Storage device 304 may include, for example, random access memories (RAM), dynamic random access memories (DRAM), static random access memories (SRAM), magnetic hard discs, optical discs, flash memories, or forms of electrically programmable memories (EPROM) or electrically erasable and programmable memories (EEPROM).
  • RAM random access memories
  • DRAM dynamic random access memories
  • SRAM static random access memories
  • EPROM electrically programmable memories
  • EEPROM electrically erasable and programmable memories
  • storage device 304 may store an operating system or other application that controls the operation of components of computing device 300.
  • the operating system may facilitate the communication of data from electronic sensors 308 to communication unit 306.
  • storage device 304 is used to store program instructions for execution by processors 302.
  • Storage device 304 may also be configured to store information within computing device 300 during operation.
  • Computing device 300 may use one or more communication units 306 to communicate with external devices via one or more wired or wireless connections.
  • Communication units 306 may include various mixers, filters, amplifiers and other components designed for signal modulation, as well as one or more antennas and/or other components designed for transmitting and receiving data.
  • Communication units 306 may send and receive data to other computing devices using any one or more suitable data communication techniques. Examples of such communication techniques may include TCP/IP, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G, LTE, to name only a few examples.
  • communication units 306 may operate in accordance with the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLU) protocol.
  • communication units 306 may include a short-range communication unit, such as an RFID reader.
  • computing device 300 includes a plurality of sensors 308 that generate sensor data indicative of operational characteristics of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 A, contaminant capture devices 23 A, and/or an environment in which negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A is used.
  • Sensors 308 may include an accelerometer, a magnetometer, an altimeter, an environmental sensor, among other examples.
  • environment sensors may include one or more sensors configured to measure temperature, humidity, particulate content, gas or vapor concentration levels, or any variety of other characteristics of environments in which negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A are used.
  • one or more of sensors 308 may be disposed between facepiece 301 of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A and a face of worker 10A.
  • one of sensors 308 e.g., an air pressure sensor
  • sensors 308 include one or more air pressure sensors 310 configured to measure air pressure within a cavity formed or defined by a face of worker 10A and negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 A.
  • air pressure sensors 310 detect the air pressure of the air located in the sealable space between the face of worker 10A and facepiece 301 as the worker inhales and exhales.
  • sensors 308 include one or more physiological sensor(s) 315 positioned to measure physiological parameters, such as the blood oxygen saturation level, of a user while the user is wearing negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A.
  • the physiological sensor 315 of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A may be positioned inside the sealable space of a molded body of the facepiece associated with negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A, and the physiological sensor 315 may be configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body. In this way, the physiological sensor 315 is arranged to promote comfort to the user, while still being effective for sensing physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • Computing device 300 includes one or more output units 318 configured to output data that is indicative of operation of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 A.
  • output unit 318 output data from the one or more sensors 308 of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A.
  • output unit 318 may generate one or more messages containing real-time or near real-time data from one or more sensors 308 of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A for transmission to another device via communication unit 306.
  • output unit 318 are configured to transmit the sensor data in real-time or near-real time to another processing device (e.g., a processing device of HUB 14 or PPEMS 6) via communication unit 306.
  • another processing device e.g., a processing device of HUB 14 or PPEMS 6
  • communication unit 306 may not be able to communicate with such devices, e.g., due to an environment in which negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A is located and/or network outages.
  • output unit 318 may cache usage data to storage device 304. That is, output unit 318 (or the sensors themselves) may send usage data to storage device 304, e.g., as sensor data 320, which may allow the usage data to be uploaded to another device upon a network connection becoming available.
  • output unit 318 is configured to generate an audible, visual, tactile, or other output that is perceptible by a user of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13 A.
  • Examples of output are audio, visual, or tactile output.
  • output units 318 include one more user interface devices including, as examples, a variety of lights, displays, haptic feedback generators, speakers or the like.
  • Output units 318 may interpret received alert data and generate an output (e.g., an audible, visual, or tactile output) to notify a worker using negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A of an alert condition (e.g., that the likelihood of a safety event is relatively high, that the environment is dangerous, that negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A is malfunctioning, that one or more components of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A need to be repaired or replaced, or to alert for another reason).
  • an output e.g., an audible, visual, or tactile output
  • processors 302 utilize sensor data (e.g., data from pressure sensors 310, environmental sensors 312, and/or infrared sensors 314 of computing device 300, data from sensing stations 21 of FIG. 1, or other sensors such as physiological sensor 315) in a variety of ways.
  • processors 302 are configured to perform all or a portion of the functionality of PPEMS 6 described in FIGS.
  • processors 302 are described as performing the functionality in FIG. 3, in some examples, other devices (e.g., PPEMS 6, hubs 14, other devices, or a combination therein) perform functionality described with reference to processors 302.
  • computing device 300 includes sensor data 320, models 322, worker data 324, and equipment data 326.
  • Sensor data 320 includes data regarding operation of negative pressure re-usable respirator 13A, physiological conditions of worker 10A, characteristics of environment 8B, or a combination thereof.
  • sensor data 320 may include data from PPE sensors, physiological sensors, and/or environmental sensors.
  • Models 322 include historical data (e.g., historical sensor data) and models, such as models 74B described with reference to FIG. 2.
  • Worker data 324 may include worker profdes, such as worker data 74C described with reference to FIG. 2.
  • Equipment data 326 may include model numbers or specific information to identify the type of equipment (e.g., the type or type of respirators) being used. In some cases, equipment data 326 may include information to identify whether or not a physiological sensor is included with a given respirator device used by a given worker.
  • processors 302 applies models 322 to data captured by sensors 310 to detect any anomaly or unsafe condition as to the health and safety of worker 10A based on physiological data and/or other captured data.
  • models 322 may be trained based on historical data (e.g., historical physiological sensor data of a given user). For example, models 322 may be trained on historical physiological sensor data associated with worker 10A during normal working conditions, which may establish a baseline for that worker. Feedback from worker 10A indicating worker 10A is having difficulty breathing, or feedback from physiological sensors indicating changes or deviations from the established baseline for that worker may indicate problems.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a molded body 410 portion of a facepiece of a PPE respirator device.
  • FIG. 5 is a depiction of molded body 410 positioned over the face of a user 420.
  • molded body 410 is designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user 420 so as to define a sealable space 412 formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user.
  • a physiological sensor 415 is positioned inside the sealable space 412 of molded body 410, and the physiological sensor 415 is configured to sense data of the user 420 via optical signals that pass through molded body 410.
  • physiological sensor 415 is positioned inside of molded body 410 within sealable space 412such as within or along an inner surface of the molded body opposite from an outer surface that is configured to seal with a user’s skin.
  • Molded body 410 may be formed with a folded lip region that defines a physical seal with the face of user 420 and physiological sensor 415 may be positioned inside the folded lip region so that physiological sensor 415 is positioned over the nose of user 420 when molded body 410 is properly positioned on user 420, such as shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, physiological sensor 415 may be entirely within sealed space 412. Other locations for physiological sensor 415 could also be used, depending on the respirator equipment.
  • Other useful sensing locations may include a user’s forehead, face, ear, or any sensing sight that is highly vascular with little or no muscle tissue, as muscle movement can cause disturbances in the optical signal path.
  • more than one physiological sensor may be used on a respirator device, in order to provide sensing redundancy.
  • Multiple physiological sensors may be highly advantageous in a noisy environment (e.g. sensors on either side of the nose, or other locations).
  • a smart controller would identify the most credible sensor(s), and possibly use an algorithm to parse sensor data of multiple sensors to determine physiological parameters with better accuracy that can be achieved with one sensor.
  • physiological sensor 415 is configured to emit and receive optical signals that pass through molded body 410 in order to detect physiological data of user 420.
  • the optical signals may define wavelengths in a visible spectrum and molded body 410 (or at least the portion of molded body 410 where physiological sensor 415 is attached) is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Molded body 410 may be formed of silicone or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
  • the silicone may comprise Shin Etsu grade KEG 2000-70 (70A shore durometer), which may exhibit substantially no light absorption in the visible, red and IR region, indicating that this material allows the transmission and return of sensor light.
  • the optical signals may operate in wavelengths between 475 nanometers and 1000 nanometers, and molded body 410 may be substantially transparent in these wavelengths such that sensor 415 may be fully embedded within the molded body so as not to make direct contact with the skin of user 420, thereby providing sensing functions without interfering with a seal formed between molded body 410 and the skin of the user.
  • a bonding material may be used to attach the physiological sensor 415 to the molded body 410, and the bonding material may be selected to have flexibility that is as flexible or more flexible than molded body 410, which can help to ensure a secure bond over time and with use.
  • physiological sensor 415 may optionally contain additional components, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a pressure sensor in addition to a PPG (photo plethymography) sensor. These other sensors may be arranged or integrated with physiological sensor 415 or may be arranged in other locations of a PPE respirator device.
  • additional components such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a pressure sensor in addition to a PPG (photo plethymography) sensor.
  • PPG photo plethymography
  • physiological sensor 415 is arranged to within a pocket internal to molded body 410 or along an inner surface of the mold body so as to not interfere with the seal between an outer surface of mold body 410 and the skin of user 420, thereby promoting comfort to user 420 while still being effective for sensing physiological parameters of the user, such as blood oxygen levels.
  • physiological sensor 415 is positioned inside the sealable space 412 of molded body 410 of the PPE respirator device in a location where the molded body directly contacts the user’s skin, such as over the nose of user 420.
  • the molded body portion of the respirator may comprise a subset of molded body 410 shown FIG. 4, e.g., defining a molded gasket portion that defines a seal around the users face and defines a good location for placement of a physiological sensor.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a molded body 610 portion of a facepiece of a PPE respirator device, which is very similar to molded body 410 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
  • a physiological sensor 615 is positioned inside the sealable space 612 of molded body 610, and the physiological sensor 615 is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through molded body 610.
  • a circuit 618 is also positioned inside the sealable space 612 of molded body 610, and physiological sensor 615 is electrically coupled to circuit 618. Because of the presence of unused space within sealable space 612, sealable space 612 is a very useful location for a circuit 618 that is designed to operate with physiological sensor 615.
  • Circuit 618 may comprise a computing device as described herein for processing sensor data, in which case circuit 618 may determine physiological information about the user (such as blood oxygen saturation levels, heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, core body temperature, respiratory rate, or other physiological information) based on sensed data from physiological sensor 615.
  • circuit 618 may comprise a wireless module that communicates with an external computing device to deliver the sensed data to the computing device for processing to determine the physiological information about the user based on the sensed data. In other cases, however, circuit 618 may not be needed.
  • physiological sensor 415 may comprise an integrated sensor, microprocessor, and wireless radio, which measures physiological parameters and computes higher level physiological information locally and then wirelessly transmits the higher level physiological information about the user to other devices.
  • physiological sensor 615 is positioned inside sealable space 612 of molded body 610 at a first location that corresponds to a location over the nose of the user
  • circuit 618 is positioned inside sealable space 612 of molded body 610 at a second location that corresponds to a location proximate the mouth of the user when the PPE respirator device is worn.
  • Physiological sensor 615 and circuit 618 may be connected via a flexible connector 619 inside sealable space 612 of molded body 610.
  • a bonding material may be used to attach the physiological sensor 615 and the circuit 618 (and possibly the flexible connector 619) to the molded body 610, and the bonding material may be selected to have flexibility that is as flexible or more flexible than molded body 610, which can help to ensure a secure bond over time and with use.
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary PPE respirator device 702 worn by a user 720.
  • PPE respirator device 702 is shown as a full face negative pressure reusable respirator system, although the techniques and devices of this disclosure can apply to a wide variety of respirator devices.
  • PPE respirator device 702 includes a facepiece comprising a molded body 710 that is designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of user 720 so as to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user.
  • a physiological sensor 715 is positioned inside the sealable space of molded body 710, and the physiological sensor 715 is configured to sense data of the user 720 via optical signals that pass through molded body 710.
  • physiological sensor 715 is positioned inside of molded body 710 within the sealable space defined by molded body 710 and the face of user 720.
  • Physiological sensor 715 may emit and receive optical signals that pass through molded body 710 in order to detect physiological data of user 720.
  • FIG. 8 and 9 are block diagrams illustrating a PPE respirator device and a computing device.
  • FIG. 8 shows an example where PPE respirator device 802 includes a physiological sensor 815 and a local computing device 840 configured to process sensor data from physiological sensor 815.
  • FIG. 9 shows an alternative example where PPE respirator device 902 includes a physiological sensor 915 electrically coupled to a wireless communication module 925 to communicate with an external computing device 940 configured to process sensor data from physiological sensor 915.
  • physiological sensor 915 may itself include wireless communication module 925 as part of an integrated design.
  • Computing device 840 may refer to any computing device that is integrated with a PPE respirator device 802, whereas computing device 940 may refer to any external computing device that is separate from PPE respirator device 902.
  • FIGS. 1 - 3 describe many such computing devices, and other computing devices may also be used.
  • PPE respirator devices 802 and 902 are two examples of respirator devices described herein, which include a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user, the molded body configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user.
  • a physiological sensor 815 or 915 is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor 815 or 915 is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • At least one computing device 840 or 940 is configured to receive the sensed data sensed by the physiological sensor 815 or 915 and to determine at least one physiological parameter of the user based on the sensed data.
  • the at least one physiological parameter of the user may comprise a blood oxygen level of the user.
  • the computing device 840 or 940 is associated with the user and is configured to generate an alert to the user in response to the blood oxygen level being below a threshold.
  • computing device 940 of FIG. 9 is associated with another user that remotely monitors the user of PPE respirator device 902, wherein computing device 940 is configured to generate an alert to the another user based on the sensed data indicating blood oxygen level being below a threshold.
  • the computing device 840 or 940 may be configured to store the sensed data for oxygen level documentation of the user wearing the PPE respirator device 815 or 915.
  • computing device 840 or 940 could also compute trends in the stored 02 levels and take steps such as predicting safe limits of contaminant exposure, provide warnings and corrective procedures to the user or the user’s supervisor, monitor improvement in sensed physiological conditions, and so forth.
  • physiological sensor 815 and 915 may be used to monitor other physiological parameters, such as heart rate and respiration rate.
  • Heart rate in addition to blood oxygen saturation levels may be especially valuable parameter to monitor stressful conditions.
  • Heart rate trends, spikes, and irregularities are all very useful metrics that computing devices 840 or 940 can monitor based on sensed parameters by physiological sensors 815 and 915.
  • PPE respirator device comprises one or more of a full-face respirator device, a half-face respirator device, a negative pressure reusable respirator system, a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR), a fdtering face piece respirator (FFR) including a molded body that is sometimes called a gasket, a respirator that forms part of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and/or a respirator that forms part of a safety helmet or mask, such as a welding mask.
  • PAPR powered air purifying respirator
  • FFR fdtering face piece respirator
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • circuit 618 may correspond to computing device 840 of FIG. 8. In other cases, circuit 618 of FIG. 6 may correspond to wireless communication module 925 of FIG. 9.
  • computing device 840 or 940 is associated with the user of PPE respirator device 815 or 915, and in these cases, computing device 840 or 940 may be communicatively connected to one or more remote devices via a network.
  • Physiological sensor 815 or 915 may collect physiological data including but not limited to blood oxygen level data, heart rate data, user temperature data, blood pressure data, core body temperature, respiratory rate, or other physiological data.
  • computing device 840 or 940 may be configured to determine a blood oxygen saturation level of the user based on the sensed data.
  • additional remote devices (such as any of those shown in FIGS. 1 - 3) may receive blood oxygen level information of the user from computing device 840 or 940, and this information may be used for remote safety monitoring of the user.
  • FIG. 10 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a portion of an example PPE respirator device 1001.
  • the PPE respirator device 1001 includes a facepiece having a molded body 1010 designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user 1020, the molded body 1010 defining a sealable space 1012 formed around the nose and the mouth of user 1020 for delivering air to user 1020.
  • a physiological sensor 1015 is positioned along an inner surface 1005 of molded body 1010 that is inside sealable space 1012 and opposite an outer surface 1006 of molded body 1010 that contacts the user’s skin to provide a seal with user 1020.
  • Physiological sensor 1015 is configured to sense physiological data of user 1020 via optical signals 1024 that pass through the molded body 1010.
  • Optical signals 1024 may define wavelengths in a visible spectrum, and molded body 1010 is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals, particularly in the area where physiological sensor 1015 is attached.
  • optical signals 1024 may define wavelengths between 475 nanometers and 1000 nanometers, and molded body 1020 may be transparent in such wavelengths at least in the area of molded body 1010 where physiological sensor 1015 is attached.
  • Optical signals 1024 may define wavelengths of operation (such as between 400 and 1000 nanometers), and molded body 1010 may be transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals, particularly in the area where physiological sensor 1015 is attached. In addition, it may be desirable for molded body 1010 to be optically opaque in other wavelengths, in order to provide user protection from some or all wavelengths of light outside of the wavelengths of optical signals 1024. In some cases, optical signals 1024 may be selected to be in a wavelength that is not harmful to the user, so that molded body 1010 may be opaque in harmful wavelengths, such as wavelengths corresponding to harmful ultraviolet light.
  • both molded body 1010 and the physiological sensor 1015 may be selected to allow for light transmission of optical signals through body 1010, while still promoting light shielding by molded body in wavelengths outside of those used by the physiological sensor 1015.
  • a bonding material 1022 may be used to bond physiological sensor 1015 to the inner surface 1005 of molded body 1010, and the bonding material may have flexibility characteristics that match or exceed (i.e., is more flexible) than molded body 1010. This can help to ensure that a secure attachment of physiological sensor 1015 remains intact during use of PPE respirator device 1001.
  • Bonding material 1022 may comprise a silicone polymer, and in some examples, the bonding material 1022 may have light characteristics that match those of molded body, e.g., being transparent to wavelengths of light used by physiological sensor 1025.
  • Bonding material 1022 for example, may comprise an open cell polyurethane foam with density of 0.1 lb ./cubic feet with 0.3 psi compression at 25%. Suitable resilient polyurethane bonding material is commercially available from McMaster-Carr in foam sheets or strips that may be formed to size and applied over physiological sensor 1015 to secure physiological sensor 1015 to inner surface 1005 of molded body 1010.
  • Physiological sensor 1015 may be implemented using a MAXIM MAX30105 Integrated Optical Module or other physiological sensing module.
  • the MAX30105 is a small surface mount package (5.6x3.3x1.5mm) that integrates 3 LEDS (Red, IR, Green), a photodetector, and the associated analog and digital front-end electronics” (AFE).
  • This module was used to fabricate a pulse oximetry sensor (i.e. SP02) that was placed in the nasal bridge seal of a 3M 6200 respirator (commercially available from 3M Corporation) to demonstrate a working prototype.
  • SP02 pulse oximetry sensor
  • the nose, forehead, earlobe, and finger are standard sites for measuring SP02 in adult patients.
  • the nose is an excellent site to evaluate SP02 of a worker wearing a respiration mask.
  • the nose is highly vascular and maintains good blood flow (perfusion) under adverse conditions.
  • the opaque polymers used in traditional 3M brand respirator masks e.g. gray, black
  • an ARM M4 microprocessor was used (e.g., as a computing device) to interface with the MAX30105 and compute the biological values.
  • the size of this SP02 sensor assembly could be markedly reduced for “wearable” applications.
  • a Fluke ProSim8 Patient Simulator was used to evaluate the performance of the prototype sensor module, and the results/performance were very good.
  • FIG. 11 and 12 are flow diagrams consistent with techniques of this disclosure.
  • a PPE respirator device such as one of those describe herein, senses physiological data of a user via optical signals that pass through a molded body of the PPE respirator device facepiece (1101).
  • a computing device (either part of the PPE respirator device or external to the PPE respirator device) measures a blood oxygen saturation level of the user based on the sensed physiological data (1102). If blood oxygen level saturation is below a threshold (yes branch of 1103), then one or more computing devices generate one or more alerts (1104).
  • generating one or more alerts (1104) may comprise generating an alert to the user of the PPE respirator device.
  • generating one or more alerts (1104) may comprise generating an alert to a remote user at a remote location relative to the user of the PPE respirator device.
  • the remote user may be a supervisor or other safety monitor of the user of PPE respirator device.
  • Various different alerts may be generated, depending on what is sensed and depending on the work environment. For example, sensed data may indicate worker distress, or alternatively, it may indicate a need to change a filter on the PPE respirator device.
  • a computing device that processes sensed data may communicate with other devices over a network, such as by communicating blood oxygen saturation levels of the user.
  • a method may include communicating sensed physiological data to a local computing device, measuring the blood oxygen level of the user at the local computing device based on the sensed physiological data, communicating blood oxygen level information from the local computing device to one or more remote computing devices, generating a local alert at the local computing device in response to the sensed blood oxygen level data indicating a blood oxygen level of the user being below a threshold, and generating a remote alert at the one or more remote computing devices in response the blood oxygen level of the user being below the threshold.
  • FIG. 12 is another flow diagram consistent with this disclosure.
  • a sensor system measures blood oxygenation levels (1201).
  • the sensor system may comprise a physiological sensor integrated with a PPE respirator device as describe herein.
  • the sensor system may include a computing device that receives the sensed data from the physiological sensor and measures the blood oxygenation levels.
  • FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate two examples of the sensor system.
  • the sensor system may be configured or calibrated for a user, such as by performing fit testing, baseline measurements, and by monitoring for variations. After such configuring or calibration, the system may store baseline values (1202) and deviation limits (1203), which may be used in the analysis of sensed data.
  • the deviation limits (1203) may establish one or more threshold levels of blood oxygenation for a given user, heart rate, core body temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure, or other physiological measures below which may indicate problems. In some cases, deviation limits may be defined by percentage drops in blood oxygenation levels, or percentage rises in blood pressure, core body temperature, respiratory rate, or heart rate. In some examples, the deviation limits may be defined based on the derivative of the physiological measure, i.e.
  • the deviation limits may be defined based on the second derivative of the physiological measure, i.e. the acceleration of change of the blood oxygenation or the acceleration of change of another physiological parameter.
  • using the derivative or the second derivative of the physiological parameter for deviation limits or thresholds may be especially useful in identifying whether the user or worker is in serious trouble.
  • a computing device of the sensor system determines whether blood oxygenation levels (or other physiological parameters) are below the baseline and one or more limits established for that user (1204). If so (yes branch of
  • the computing device may prompt one or more users (such as supervisors) to determine whether the worker is in distress (1205). If so (yes branch of a defined threshold (e.g., below the baseline and a limit ‘yes branch of 1204’). If so (yes branch of
  • the system and the users may activate a rescue plan for the worker in distress (1206).
  • preventative measures can be initiated for the user, such as removing of the worker from the hot environment, providing hydration, and providing cooling measures.
  • actions may be taken to remedy the low oxygenation levels that were measured for that worker.
  • steps may include sending an alter to the worker to instruct the worker to reduce his or her work rate (1207).
  • reduction of the work rate does not remedy the situation and blood oxygenation levels of the worker remain below the baseline and limit defined for that worker (yes branch of 1208), then the system may send another alert to the worker to change out the filter or filter cartridge of the PPE respirator device (1209).
  • FIG. 12 is merely one specific example of connected workflow associated with monitoring workers in a connected environment. Alerts could be defined for many other reasons based on the monitoring of physiological data of the worker, as well as other conditions. Also, while FIG. 12 generally focuses on blood oxygenation levels, other physiological parameters could be tested, such as heart rate and blood pressure. For these parameters, problems may be identified, e.g., when heart rate and/or blood pressure rises above one or more thresholds or limits above an established baseline. [0122]
  • the sensor system of this invention can measure the blood oxygen level of the worker. In further examples, measurements can be used as a dynamic service life predictor for respirator filter and cartridge.
  • the sensor system of this disclosure may measure blood oxygen saturation levels and the measured data can be reported wirelessly to a sensor hub (such as a smart phone) or to the cloud.
  • Safety rules can be applied in order to provide the minimum acceptable oxygen saturation level of a specific worker, and an alarm can be generated if the safety rules are violated.
  • An oxygen blood gas saturation below 94% is indicative of a hypoxic environment (approx. 60mmHg 02 arterial concentration) and can cause both mental and physical impairment. Anything under 85% indicates severe hypoxia requiring immediate attention. This is extremely important for workers in hazardous environment. The lack of oxygen is not a strong drive to breathe or increase ventilation and the can lead to prolonged exposure and increased risk (NOTE: C02 and resultant blood pH primarily controls non-voluntary breathing). Both exercise and restrictive ventilation are known to reduce oxygen saturation.
  • the worker maybe exerting extra effort during work, which may result in reduced blood oxygen level.
  • the sensor system may send an alert to worker to reduce his work load and/or to rest, which may result in blood oxygen levels returning to normal values (which are pre-determined from baseline reading).
  • the decrease in blood oxygen level maybe due to an adverse health event and require immediate rescue of the worker.
  • the sensor system described herein can also be incorporated inside respirators worn by patients such as CPAP respirators and oxygen masks to monitor the physiological state of patients in healthcare settings.
  • Example applications include patients that are critically ill such as those in the intensive care unit (ICU), and patients with medical conditions that require respiratory protection such as severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
  • ICU intensive care unit
  • COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder
  • the subject of this disclosure provides for accurate, non- invasive method to monitor core body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, while protecting the patient from external hazards.
  • Example 1 A personal protection equipment (PPE) respirator device comprising: a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user, the molded body configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user; and a physiological sensor positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • PPE personal protection equipment
  • Example 2 The PPE respirator device of example 1, wherein the PPE respirator device comprises one or more of: a full-face respirator device; a half-face respirator device; a negative pressure reusable respirator system; a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR); a filtering face piece respirator (FFR); a respirator that forms part of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); a respirator that forms part of a safety helmet or mask; and/or a medical respirator device.
  • PAPR powered air purifying respirator
  • FFR filtering face piece respirator
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • Example 3 The PPE respirator device of any combination examples 1 - 2, wherein the optical signals define wavelengths in a visible spectrum and the molded body is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Example 4 The PPE respirator device of any combination of examples 1 - 3, wherein the optical signals define wavelengths between 475 nanometers and 1000 nanometers, and wherein the molded body is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Example 5 The PPE respirator device of any combination of examples 1 - 4, further comprising a bonding material that bonds the physiological sensor to an inner surface of the molded body opposite an outer surface of the molded body that is configured to form a seal with the user.
  • Example 6 The PPE respirator device of any combination of examples 1 - 5, wherein the bonding material comprises a resilient polyurethane bonding material that is as flexible or more flexible than the molded body.
  • Example 7 The PPE respirator device of any combination of examples 1 - 6, wherein the physiological sensor is positioned inside of the sealable space of the molded body at a location that is over the nose of the user.
  • Example 8 The PPE respirator device of any combination of examples 1 - 7, further comprising a circuit positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is electrically coupled to the circuit.
  • Example 9 The PPE respirator device of any combination of examples 1 - 8, wherein the physiological sensor is positioned inside sealable space of the molded body at a first location that is over the nose of the user, the circuit is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body at a second location that is proximate the mouth of the user, and the physiological sensor and the circuit are connected by a flexible connector inside sealable space of the molded body.
  • Example 10 The PPE device of any combination of examples 1 - 9, wherein the circuit includes a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates the sensed data of the physiological sensor from the PPE device to one or more external devices, wherein the one or more external devices determine blood oxygen levels of the user based on the sensed data.
  • the circuit includes a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates the sensed data of the physiological sensor from the PPE device to one or more external devices, wherein the one or more external devices determine blood oxygen levels of the user based on the sensed data.
  • Example 11 - A system comprising: a personal protection equipment (PPE) respirator device comprising: a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user, the molded body configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user, a physiological sensor positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body, and at least one computing device configured to receive the sensed data sensed by the physiological sensor and to determine at least one physiological parameter of the user based on the sensed data.
  • PPE personal protection equipment
  • Example 12 The system of example 11, wherein the at least one physiological parameter of the user is a blood oxygen level of the user.
  • Example 13 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 12, wherein the at least one computing device is associated with the user and is configured to generate an alert to the user in response to the blood oxygen level being below a threshold.
  • Example 14 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 13, wherein the at least one computing device is associated with another user that remotely monitors the user of the PPE respirator device, wherein the computing device is configured to generate an alert to the another user based on the sensed data indicating blood oxygen level being below a threshold.
  • Example 15 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 14, wherein the computing device is configured to store the sensed data for oxygen level documentation of the user wearing the PPE respirator device.
  • Example 16 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 16, wherein the PPE respirator device comprises one or more of: a full-face respirator device; a half-face respirator device; a negative pressure reusable respirator system; a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR); a filtering face piece respirator (FFR); a respirator that forms part of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); a respirator that forms part of a safety helmet or mask; and/or a medical respirator device.
  • PAPR powered air purifying respirator
  • FFR filtering face piece respirator
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • Example 17 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 16, wherein the optical signals define wavelengths in a visible spectrum and the molded body is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Example 18 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 17, wherein the optical signals define wavelengths between 475 nanometers and 1000 nanometers, and wherein the molded body is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Example 19 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 18, wherein the PPE respirator device further comprises a bonding material that bonds the physiological sensor to an inner surface of the molded body opposite an outer surface of the molded body that is configured to form a seal with the user.
  • Example 20 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 19, wherein the bonding material comprises a resilient polyurethane bonding material that is as flexible or more flexible than the molded body.
  • Example 21 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 20, wherein the physiological sensor is positioned inside of the sealable space of the molded body at a location that is over the nose of the user.
  • Example 22 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 21, wherein the PPE respirator device further includes a circuit positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is electrically coupled to the circuit and wherein the circuit communicates the sensed data to the computing device.
  • Example 23 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 22, wherein the physiological sensor is positioned inside sealable space of the molded body at a first location that is over the nose of the user, the circuit is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body at a second location that is proximate the mouth of the user, and the physiological sensor and the circuit are connected by a flexible connector inside sealable space of the molded body.
  • Example 24 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 23, wherein the circuit includes a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates the sensed data of the physiological sensor from the PPE respirator device to the computing device.
  • Example 25 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 24, wherein the computing device is associated with the user and is communicatively connected to one or more remote devices via a network.
  • Example 26 The system of any combination of examples 11 - 25, wherein the at least one physiological parameter of the user is a blood oxygen level of the user, and wherein the one or more remote devices receive blood oxygen level information of the user from the computing device.
  • Example 27 - A method comprising: sensing physiological data of a user of a personal protective equipment (PPE) respirator device, wherein the PPE respirator device comprises: a facepiece having a molded body designed to fit over a nose and a mouth of a user, the molded body configured to define a sealable space formed around the nose and the mouth of the user for delivering air to the user; and a physiological sensor positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to sense data of the user via optical signals that pass through the molded body, wherein sensing the physiological data comprises sensing based on the optical signals that pass through the molded body.
  • PPE personal protective equipment
  • Example 28 The method of example 27, further comprising measuring a blood oxygen level of the user based on the sensed physiological data.
  • Example 29 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 28, further comprising: generating an alert in response to the blood oxygen level of the user being below a threshold.
  • Example 30 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 29, wherein generating the alert comprises generating the alert to the user.
  • Example 31 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 30, wherein generating the alert comprises generating the alert to a remote user at a remote location relative to the user of the PPE respirator device.
  • Example 32 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 31, further comprising: communicating the sensed physiological data to a local computing device; measuring the blood oxygen level of the user at the local computing device based on the sensed physiological data; communicating blood oxygen level information from the local computing device to one or more remote computing devices; generating a local alert at the local computing device in response to the sensed blood oxygen level data indicating a blood oxygen level of the user being below a threshold; and generating a remote alert at the one or more remote computing devices in response to the blood oxygen level of the user being below the threshold.
  • Example 33 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 32, wherein the PPE respirator device comprises one or more of: a full-face respirator device; a half-face respirator device; a negative pressure reusable respirator system; a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR); a filtering face piece respirator (FFR); a respirator that forms part of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); a respirator that forms part of a safety helmet or mask; and/or a medical respirator device.
  • PAPR powered air purifying respirator
  • FFR filtering face piece respirator
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus
  • Example 34 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 33, wherein the optical signals define wavelengths in a visible spectrum and the molded body is transparent at the wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Example 35 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 34, wherein the optical signals define wavelengths between 475 nanometers and 1000 nanometers, and wherein the molded body is transparent at wavelengths of the optical signals.
  • Example 36 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 35, wherein the PPE respirator device further comprises a bonding material that bonds the physiological sensor to an inner surface of the molded body opposite an outer surface of the molded body that is configured to form a seal with the user.
  • Example 37 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 36, wherein the bonding material comprises a resilient polyurethane bonding material that is as flexible or more flexible than the molded body.
  • Example 38 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 37, wherein the physiological sensor is positioned inside of the sealable space of the molded body at a location that is over the nose of the user.
  • Example 39 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 38, wherein the PPE respirator device further includes a circuit positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body, wherein the physiological sensor is electrically coupled to the circuit and wherein the circuit communicates the sensed data to a computing device.
  • Example 40 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 39, wherein the physiological sensor is positioned inside sealable space of the molded body at a first location that is over the nose of the user, the circuit is positioned inside the sealable space of the molded body at a second location that is proximate the mouth of the user, and the physiological sensor and the circuit are connected by a flexible connector inside sealable space of the molded body.
  • Example 41 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 40, wherein the circuit includes a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates the sensed data from the PPE respirator device to the computing device.
  • Example 42 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 41, wherein the computing device is associated with the user and is communicatively connected to one or more remote devices via a network.
  • Example 43 The method of any combination of examples 27 - 42, wherein the one or more remote devices receive physiological information of the user from the computing device.
  • spatially related terms including but not limited to, “proximate,” “distal,” “lower,” “upper,” “beneath,” “below,” “above,” and “on top,” if used herein, are utilized for ease of description to describe spatial relationships of an element(s) to another.
  • Such spatially related terms encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the particular orientations depicted in the figures and described herein. For example, if an object depicted in the figures is turned over or flipped over, portions previously described as below or beneath other elements would then be above or on top of those other elements.
  • an element, component, or layer for example when an element, component, or layer for example is described as forming a “coincident interface” with, or being “on,” “connected to,” “coupled with,” “stacked on” or “in contact with” another element, component, or layer, it can be directly on, directly connected to, directly coupled with, directly stacked on, in direct contact with, or intervening elements, components or layers may be on, connected, coupled or in contact with the particular element, component, or layer, for example.
  • an element, component, or layer for example is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” “directly coupled with,” or “directly in contact with” another element, there are no intervening elements, components or layers for example.
  • the techniques of this disclosure may be implemented in a wide variety of computer devices, such as servers, laptop computers, desktop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, hand-held computers, smart phones, and the like. Any components, modules or units have been described to emphasize functional aspects and do not necessarily require realization by different hardware units.
  • the techniques described herein may also be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. Any features described as modules, units or components may be implemented together in an integrated logic device or separately as discrete but interoperable logic devices. In some cases, various features may be implemented as an integrated circuit device, such as an integrated circuit chip or chipset.
  • modules have been described throughout this description, many of which perform unique functions, all the functions of all of the modules may be combined into a single module, or even split into further additional modules.
  • the modules described herein are only exemplary and have been described as such for better ease of understanding.
  • the techniques may be realized at least in part by a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed in a processor, performs one or more of the methods described above.
  • the computer-readable medium may comprise a tangible computer-readable storage medium and may form part of a computer program product, which may include packaging materials.
  • the computer- readable storage medium may comprise random access memory (RAM) such as synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), non volatile random access memory (NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), FLASH memory, magnetic or optical data storage media, and the like.
  • RAM random access memory
  • SDRAM synchronous dynamic random access memory
  • ROM read-only memory
  • NVRAM non volatile random access memory
  • EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
  • FLASH memory magnetic or optical data storage media, and the like.
  • the computer-readable storage medium may also comprise a non-volatile storage device, such as a hard-disk, magnetic tape, a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disk, holographic data storage media, or other non-volatile storage device.
  • a non-volatile storage device such as a hard-disk, magnetic tape, a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disk, holographic data storage media, or other non-volatile storage device.
  • the term “processor,” as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structure or any other structure suitable for implementation of the techniques described herein.
  • the functionality described herein may be provided within dedicated software modules or hardware modules configured for performing the techniques of this disclosure. Even if implemented in software, the techniques may use hardware such as a processor to execute the software, and a memory to store the software. In any such cases, the computers described herein may define a specific machine that is capable of executing the specific functions described herein. Also, the techniques could be

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Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil respiratoire d'équipement de protection personnelle (EPP) pouvant comprendre une pièce faciale comportant un corps moulé conçu pour s'adapter sur un nez et une bouche d'un utilisateur, le corps moulé étant conçu pour délimiter un espace pouvant être fermé hermétiquement formé autour du nez et de la bouche de l'utilisateur afin de distribuer de l'air à l'utilisateur. De plus, l'appareil respiratoire d'EPP peut en outre comprendre un capteur physiologique positionné à l'intérieur de l'espace pouvant être fermé hermétiquement du corps moulé, le capteur physiologique étant configuré pour détecter des données de l'utilisateur par l'intermédiaire de signaux optiques qui passent à travers le corps moulé.
PCT/IB2021/053288 2020-04-24 2021-04-21 Appareil respiratoire d'équipement de protection personnelle comprenant une pièce faciale qui comporte un capteur physiologique WO2021214682A1 (fr)

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WO2022234513A1 (fr) * 2021-05-06 2022-11-10 3M Innovative Properties Company Masque respiratoire doté d'un système de surveillance physiologique

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US5857460A (en) * 1996-03-14 1999-01-12 Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. Gas-sensing mask
US6199550B1 (en) * 1998-08-14 2001-03-13 Bioasyst, L.L.C. Integrated physiologic sensor system
US6995665B2 (en) * 2002-05-17 2006-02-07 Fireeye Development Incorporated System and method for identifying, monitoring and evaluating equipment, environmental and physiological conditions
US8281787B2 (en) * 1999-12-16 2012-10-09 Compumedics Limited Bio-mask with integral sensors

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US5857460A (en) * 1996-03-14 1999-01-12 Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. Gas-sensing mask
US6199550B1 (en) * 1998-08-14 2001-03-13 Bioasyst, L.L.C. Integrated physiologic sensor system
US8281787B2 (en) * 1999-12-16 2012-10-09 Compumedics Limited Bio-mask with integral sensors
US6995665B2 (en) * 2002-05-17 2006-02-07 Fireeye Development Incorporated System and method for identifying, monitoring and evaluating equipment, environmental and physiological conditions

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WO2022234513A1 (fr) * 2021-05-06 2022-11-10 3M Innovative Properties Company Masque respiratoire doté d'un système de surveillance physiologique

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