WO2021224121A1

WO2021224121A1 - Breathing mask

Info

Publication number: WO2021224121A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/061368
Authority: WO
Inventors: Herwig Fischer
Original assignee: Innovative Dragon Ltd.; KAUPE, Georg; Sinfomed Gesellschaft Für Präventions-, Diagnose- Und Rehasysteme Mbh
Priority date: 2020-05-06
Filing date: 2021-04-30
Publication date: 2021-11-11
Also published as: DE112021002668A5

Abstract

The invention relates to a breathing mask having a mask body, which is connected to an air duct for conducting respiratory air. In order to sustainably stop infection by means of droplets and to improve breathing and thus to improve handling of a breathing mask during intended use, according to the invention the air duct a) has at least one UV light source, which is arranged such that inflowing and/or outflowing respiratory air is irradiated with UV light within the air duct and/or b) has at least one ionisation source, which is arranged such that inflowing and/or outflowing respiratory air is ionised within the air duct.

Description

Respirator

The invention relates to a respiratory protection mask with a mask body which is connected to an air duct for guiding the breathing air.

It is not uncommon for infection by viruses or bacteria to take place via the air. When breathing out, coughing or sneezing, aerosols with infectious droplets or microparticles are expelled by an infected person, which are inhaled and ingested by other people, whereby the infection is transmitted. Such an infection process can currently be observed in the global corona pandemic. Respiratory masks of the type mentioned at the beginning are known to curb the occurrence of infection, the air ducting of such masks having filters which are intended to restrict the release of infectious material into the environment and / or the absorption of infectious material from the environment. However, respiratory masks with filters have the following disadvantages in particular:

- The exchange of air while breathing is made more difficult by the flow resistance of the filter, so that the breathing person is stressed.

- The filtering does not separate the viruses / bacteria, only the particles.

- The stronger the filtering, the greater the flow resistances and thus also the proportions of unfiltered secondary air, since the masks are never completely tight.

- The particles absorbed in the filter are returned to the air in the counterflow when you exhale and thereby pollute the environment.

Thus, respiratory masks with filters are not only suitable to a limited extent to contain the infection process, but they are also difficult to handle at the same time. In addition to respiratory masks of the type described, disinfection systems are known which allow surfaces, objects, liquids and air to be disinfected by means of UV light sources. However, UV radiation of the frequency and intensity required for disinfection is hazardous to human health, which is why the human skin must be prevented from being irradiated with UV light from such disinfection systems. In the context of circulating air systems, shielded air chambers with an air inlet and an air outlet are known, so that air sucked in within the chamber can be disinfected by means of UV light. Such circulating air systems are also only suitable to a limited extent to contain the infection process in the long term, because, especially in rooms with many people, for example in the supermarket, in open-plan offices or in classrooms, it cannot be ensured that the air expelled by an infected person gets directly into the circulating air system without the air was previously inhaled by other people in the immediate vicinity and the infection was thus transmitted.

It is therefore the object of the invention to propose a respirator with which an infection process by droplet infection can be contained in the long term. The aim is also to improve breathing and thus the handling of the protective mask during its intended use.

This object is achieved by the breathing mask according to claim 1. According to the invention it is provided that the air duct a) has at least one UV light source which is arranged such that inflowing and / or outflowing breathing air is irradiated with UV light within the air duct and / or b) has at least one ionization source which is arranged in this way is that inflowing and / or outflowing breathing air is ionized within the air duct.

Pathogens that are released by an infected person when they exhale, cough or sneeze, are passed through by means of the respiratory protection mask according to the invention UV radiation and / or neutralized by exposure to ionized air, a so-called plasma, so that no other people in the immediate vicinity can become infected. Furthermore, pathogens from the ambient air are neutralized before they are inhaled by the user inside the respiratory protection mask. In this respect, the breathing mask according to the invention also protects against the unwanted ingestion of germs, phages, spores and fungi. Because the respirator according to the invention is designed without a filter, the air does not have to be pressed or sucked through a close-meshed filter element when inhaling or exhaling, so that there is low resistance to breathing and a high level of comfort for the user.

In general and also in the context of the present invention, UV radiation refers to electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of approx. 100 nm to 380 nm, with UV-A radiation (315 nm to 380 nm), UV-B radiation ( 280 nm to 315 nm) and UV-C radiation (100 nm to 280 nm) can be differentiated. The UV light source of the respiratory protection mask according to the invention for the emission of UV radiation is preferably an LED or an LED film, which is mounted over a large area within the air duct, or a UV cold cathode lamp. If a cold cathode lamp, in particular a cold cathode tube, is used as the UV light source, this has a suitable device for protecting against mercury leaking due to damage.

The alternatively used ionization source preferably has an operating voltage of less than 2.85 kV, which prevents ozone formation within the air duct. In particular, an operating voltage of the ionization source of 1.5 kV to 2.85 kV is provided.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are given below and in the subclaims.

So that all pathogens are neutralized within the air flow, sufficient UV radiation and / or sufficient exposure is required to ensure ionized air within the air duct. To this end, the dwell time of a volume unit of breathing air within the air duct and / or the intensity of the UV radiation or the ionization of the air can be adjusted, with a dwell time of at least 0.1 s, preferably at least 0.4 s, being sufficient as a rule.

Various preferred embodiments are provided to increase the dwell time and therefore the irradiation time and / or the exposure time with ionized air of a volume unit of inhaled and / or exhaled air. According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that the at least one air duct is designed as a tube, the tube preferably having a diameter of 10 mm to 40 mm and / or preferably a length of 8 mm to 300 mm. During normal breathing, a tube dimensioned in this way is sufficient so that a volume unit of exhaled and / or inhaled air spends sufficient time inside the tube so that pathogens contained therein are completely neutralized.

To increase the dwell time of the air within the air duct, it is provided according to an advantageous development of the invention that the air duct follows a flow labyrinth, in particular a flow labyrinth with a meandering air duct.

Alternatively, the air duct, in particular the tube, is designed as a spiral ring duct and is connected to the respirator. This increases the air flow, so that the length of time the air remains inside the air flow and thus the duration of treatment of the air with UV radiation or the ionization increases, which results in an efficient neutralization of any pathogens.

To further increase the duration of treatment, an advantageous development of the invention provides that the at least one air duct opens into a chamber with an additional volume. The dwell time of the air within the air duct can be increased within the scope of a preferred development of the invention in that the air duct has elements for generating a turbulent flow within the air duct. The elements for generating the turbulent air flow are preferably guide plates and / or vortex generators and / or impellers and / or supply air ducts and / or exhaust air ducts and / or valves. As an alternative and / or in addition, the air duct can also consist of several concentrically arranged tubes which are each fastened to the neighboring tube by means of spokes, which increases the surface area of the air duct. The increase in surface area and the arrangement of the spokes lead to a turbulent flow of the breathing air, which increases the length of time the air remains within the air duct. Bypass diversions with or without valves are preferably also provided, which can also generate turbulence within the air duct. Due to the turbulent air flow, the breathing air is also permanently shifted within the air duct, which significantly increases the probability that infectious material is sufficiently irradiated by UV radiation or acted upon by ionized air and thus neutralized.

In the context of an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is also provided that the geometry of the air duct causes a temporary enrichment of the breathing air in certain areas of the air duct, the UV light sources being directed to these areas in order to increase the efficiency of the respirator.

In addition to lengthening the path followed by a volume unit of inhaled and / or exhaled air within the air duct, the efficiency of applying UV light to the volume unit can also be increased. For this purpose, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the air duct has a reflective inner coating and / or devices for light refraction and / or devices for light diffraction and / or optical lenses and / or reflectors and / or filters and / or optical Has polarization and / or coherence elements and / or dispersion layers. There are also microcrystalline surfaces and additional light guide surfaces for extending the optical path. Protected broadband aluminum mirror material is particularly suitable as a reflective inner coating, which enables the UV light to be reflected with a high degree of efficiency and little power loss. Due to a reflective inner coating, the UV radiation on the inside of the air duct is not absorbed, but reflected, so that the UV light emitted by the light source penetrates the air duct several times, which significantly increases the efficiency of the elimination by UV rays.

In addition to the above-described scattering of the UV radiation and the associated homogenization of the UV radiation of the breathing air within the air duct, the UV radiation can also be bundled to form one or more narrow, ie narrow, UV light curtains with a comparatively very high one To create intensity.

It has already been pointed out that the UV light source can also emit UV-A radiation instead of the UV-C radiation which is preferred due to its efficiency. In the context of an advantageous further development of the invention, titanium dioxide is enriched within the air duct or deposited on a suitable carrier, which causes the effective inactivation of viruses and germs by photocatalysis. The preferred embodiment described has the background that UV-C radiation, in particular at a wavelength of 254 nm, has an optimal degree of effectiveness in neutralizing viruses in relation to the light output emitted. However, UV-C radiation shows a comparatively poor degree of efficiency when converting electrical energy into UV-C radiation, i.e. lumens per watt, which is why the energy requirement is comparatively high. In contrast, the generation of UV-A radiation is comparatively less energy-intensive, but the degree of effectiveness in neutralizing viruses is lower, which is why photocatalysis by the enriched or deposited titanium dioxide is used to increase the degree of effectiveness. In order to avoid accidental exposure of people to UV radiation, in particular the person wearing the respirator, an advantageous development of the invention provides that the air duct at the end on the mask side and / or at the end remote from the mask has an optical closure means, that blocks the escape of UV radiation from the air duct. Such an optical closure means can be designed, for example, as air baffles, sieves or an arcuate guide for the air duct. The flow resistance of the air duct is not significantly influenced by this, which is why easy and low-resistance breathing is possible regardless of the optical closure means.

To prevent pendulum breathing, in which the exhaled volume, which has not yet left the air duct during exhalation, is inhaled again, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that a first air duct is used to introduce the breathing air and a second to discharge the breathing air Air duct is provided, the air ducts preferably having oppositely oriented valves which allow air to flow in only one direction. In this way, inhalation always takes place through one air duct and exhalation always takes place through the other air duct, so that any pendulum breathing is effectively prevented.

An accumulator is preferably provided for supplying power to the electrical consumers of the respiratory protection mask, in particular the UV light source and / or the ionization source. The accumulator can be arranged directly on the respirator or can be connected to the respirator via a cable guide, so that the comparatively heavy accumulator can also be carried in a backpack, in a jacket pocket or the like, which significantly increases the wearing comfort of a respirator. To charge the battery, in addition to conventional cable connections to a local power grid, microgenerators are also provided, which generate electrical energy as part of a recuperation and are fed into the Feed in rechargeable accumulator. Such a microgenerator can be connected, for example, to an impeller which, within the scope of an advantageous development of the invention, is arranged within at least one air duct. The breathing air generates a rotary movement of the impeller both when breathing out and when breathing in, which in turn generates a current flow by means of the mentioned microgenerator. This can significantly increase the service life of a respirator.

So that the user of a respiratory mask according to the invention is informed that the power supply of the UV light source and / or the ionization source is interrupted and / or the capacity of the power supply falls below a limit value, a warning device is provided in the context of an advantageous development of the invention, which is shown in emits an optical and / or acoustic warning signal in such a case. This can prevent the respiratory mask from being used even though the disinfecting effect of the UV light source within the air duct is interrupted due to capacity.

In the context of the present invention, different preferred configurations are provided in order to save energy and thereby increase the useful life of a respiratory mask before a new accumulator is used or the old accumulator has to be charged. In a first embodiment of the invention, it is provided in this context that the emission of UV light by the UV light source and / or the ionization of the breathing air by the ionization source is coupled to the momentary presence of a breath-related air flow within the air duct. For this purpose, a sensor is preferably arranged within the air duct, which measures the flow velocity. Alternatively and / or in addition, a temperature sensor is provided which measures the temperature in particular of the exhaled breathing air and can thereby determine whether or not there is a breathing-related air flow. If the mask is removed, for example, the light emission and / or the ionization is automatically interrupted so that the UV light source and the ionization source do not consume unnecessary energy. In addition, it is preferably provided that the intensity of the UV light and / or the ionization of the breathing air is coupled to the air flow speed within the air duct. This means that the intensity of the UV light and / or the ionization is increased when the air flow velocity within the air duct increases and that the intensity of the UV light and / or the ionisation of the breathing air decreases when the air flow velocity within the air duct decreases. As a result, the required minimum of UV light can always be emitted and / or the required minimum of ionization can be set, which also advantageously increases the useful life of the protective mask. In this context, peak values of the air flow speed can also be taken into account, in particular when coughing or sneezing, in which a particularly high intensity of the UV light is generated in these cases.

To improve the wearing comfort of a respirator according to the invention, an advantageous development of the invention provides that the respirator is designed to be elastic and / or has movable structures with attached surface covers. This is to be understood as a kind of skeleton that is covered with an elastic or stretch-folded surface material. Furthermore, at least one membrane is preferably provided for sound transmission, so that speech-based communication is possible without hindrance, even if a respirator is worn permanently. In the mouth area, the respiratory protection mask is preferably made transparent in order to make facial expressions in particular recognizable, which has a positive effect on the correspondence with such a mask.

To attach a respirator, provision is preferably made for the air duct to have connecting means, preferably connecting means in the form of a Velcro strap, which allow the respiratory mask to be detachably attached to the head of a user. If the connecting means are arranged on the air duct, in particular in the form of a Velcro strip, the air ducts are also used when the respiratory mask is used as intended Stationarily arranged on the side of the head of a user and therefore do not hinder the user's freedom of movement.

Specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained below with reference to the figures. Show it:

1a, b, c (partially sectioned) side views of a respirator,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a respiratory mask and

Fig. 3 is a side view of a respiratory mask in the worn state.

According to a specific embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 a, a breathing mask 1 has a mask body 2 which is connected to an air duct 3 for guiding the breathing air. The air duct 3 has at least one UV light source 4, which is arranged such that breathing air flowing in and / or outflowing is irradiated with UV light within the air duct 3. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 a, the UV light source 4 is designed as a multi-piece LED 41 which allows UV irradiation of the air within the air duct 3. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the air duct 3 is designed as a flow labyrinth 31 with a meandering air duct. This expands the path of the breathing air through the air duct 3, so that the duration of exposure of the breathing air to UV radiation is increased. To further enlarge the path that a test volume of breathing air must follow within the air duct 3, elements 5 for generating a turbulent air flow are arranged, the elements 5 in the illustrated embodiment being baffles 51 which are arranged at different distances on the side walls of the air duct 3 . Furthermore, the respiratory protection mask 1 according to FIG. 1 a has a reflective inner coating 6, so that the UV light emitted by the flat LEDs 41 is reflected, which likewise increases the duration of the exposure of the breathing air to UV radiation. So that UV radiation does not penetrate to the outside at the mask-side and / or at the end facing away from the mask, there is an optical closure means 7 in the form of air baffles 71 arranged one above the other and overlapping in the direction of flow provided which allow the introduction / discharge of air without resistance, but which form an optical barrier so that UV radiation cannot unintentionally escape from the air duct 3.

To power electrical consumers, the protective mask 1 has a rechargeable battery 8, which can be connected to the protective mask 1 in a wired manner in the exemplary embodiment shown. To charge the battery 8, the battery 8 can either be exchanged or connected to an external power source (not shown). In the context of a specific embodiment of the invention, which is shown by way of example in FIG. 1b, the respiratory protection mask 1 has an impeller 9 which is arranged within the air duct 3 in such a way that it is rotated by the breathing air and electricity by means of a generator (not shown) to recharge the battery 8 can generate. This embodiment of the invention is preferably provided for a respirator with two air ducts 3, 3, an air duct 3 being designed for the exhaled air and an air duct 3 for the inhaled air, for which the air ducts 3, 3 ‘have corresponding valves 13. As a result, the impeller 9 is always rotated in a constant direction, which simplifies the generation of a charging current for the accumulator 8.

FIG. 1c shows an exemplary embodiment which is essentially identical to FIG. 1a, the respiratory protection mask 1 having an ionization source 16 instead of the UV light source, which is arranged in the air duct 3, 3 'for ionizing the breathing air.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the emission of UV light by the UV light source 4 and / or the ionization of the air within the air duct is coupled to the momentary presence of a breath-related air flow within the air duct 3. For this purpose, corresponding sensors 10 are formed within the air duct 3, which sensors are connected to a microcontroller 11 and notify it of the instantaneous speed of the air flow within the air duct 3. Depending on this measured variable the intensity of the UV light source 4 and / or the ionization can be adjusted by means of the microcontroller 11.

In order to improve the communication possibilities by means of such a respiratory protection mask 1, at least one membrane 12 is formed, in particular in the mouth area, which enables the sound to be propagated to the outside without interference. Such a membrane 12 can also be designed to be transparent, so that facial expressions can be recognized through the protective mask 1.

FIG. 2 shows, as part of a top view, a specific embodiment of the respiratory protection mask 1 according to the invention with a mask part 2 on which an air duct 3, 3 'is arranged on the left and right sides. The left air duct 3 is designed to guide breathing air from the mask part 2 to the outside, while the right air duct 3 is designed to introduce the breathing air from the environment into the interior of the mask part 2. For this purpose, both air ducts 3, 3 'have corresponding valves 13. The inside of the air ducts 3 are connected to a connecting means 14 in the form of a Velcro strip 141, which can be closed behind the head when worn, so that the air ducts 3, 3' to the side of the head facing backwards. When used as intended, the air ducts 3 therefore do not interfere and do not restrict freedom of movement, which is why the breathing mask 1 according to the invention is extremely comfortable to wear.

FIG. 3 shows the silhouette of a head 15 with a respiratory protection mask 1 properly attached to it. Reference symbol

1 respirator

2 mask bodies

3, 3 ‘air duct

31 Flow labyrinth

4 UV light source

41 LED

5 element (to generate a turbulent air flow)

51 baffle

6 reflective inner coating

7 Optical closure means

71 air baffle

8 accumulator

9 impellers

10 Sensor for measuring the speed of breath

11 microcontroller

12 membrane

13 valve

14 Lanyards

141 Velcro fastener

15 head

16 ionization source

Claims

Expectations

1. Respiratory protection mask (1) with a mask body (2) which is connected to an air duct (3, 3 ') for guiding the breathing air, characterized in that the air duct (3, 3') a) at least one UV light source ( 4) which is arranged in such a way that inflowing and / or outflowing breathing air is irradiated with UV light within the air duct (3, 3 ') and / or b) has at least one ionization source (16) which is arranged in such a way that inflowing and / or outflowing breathing air is ionized within the air duct.

2. Respirator according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one air duct (3, 3 ') is designed as a tube, the tube preferably having a diameter of 10 mm to 40 mm and / or preferably a length of 80 mm to 300 mm having.

3. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the air duct (3, 3 ‘) follows a flow labyrinth (31), in particular a flow labyrinth with a meandering air duct.

4. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one air duct (3) opens into a chamber with an additional volume.

5. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the air duct (3, 3 ‘) has elements (5) for generating a turbulent air flow within the air duct (3, 3‘).

6. Respirator according to claim 5, characterized in that the elements (5) for generating the turbulent air flow are guide plates (51) and / or vortex generators and / or impellers (9) and / or supply air ducts and / or exhaust air ducts and / or valves.

7. Respirator according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the air duct (3, 3 ') has a reflective inner coating (6) and / or devices for refraction and / or devices for light diffraction and / or optical lenses and / or reflectors and / or filters and / or optical polarization and / or coherence elements and / or dispersion layers.

8. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the air duct (3, 3 ') at the mask-side end and / or at the end facing away from the mask has an optical closure means (7) that allows UV radiation to escape from the air duct blocked.

9. Respirator according to claim 8, characterized in that there is optical closure means (7) air baffles (71), screens or an arcuate guide of the air duct (3, 3 ‘).

10. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a first air duct (3, 3 ') is provided for introducing the breathing air and a second air duct (3', 3) is provided for discharging the breathing air, the air ducts (3 , 3 ') preferably have valves (13) which only allow air to flow in one direction.

11. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the respiratory protection mask (1) has an accumulator (8) for supplying power to the electrical loads, in particular the UV light source (4) and / or the ionization source (16).

12. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that at least one air duct (3, 3 ') is at least one Impeller (9) is arranged, which is designed to generate electricity for charging the accumulator (8) by means of a generator.

13. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by a warning device, in particular an optical and / or acoustic warning device which emits a warning signal, provided that the power supply, in particular the power supply of the UV light source (4) and / or the ionization source ( 16), is interrupted and / or the capacity of the power supply falls below a limit value.

14. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the emission of UV light by the UV light source (4) and / or the ionization of the air within the air duct (3, 3 ') to the momentary presence of a breath-related air flow within the air duct (3, 3 ') is coupled.

15. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the intensity of the UV light is coupled to the air flow speed within the air duct (3, 3 ‘).

16. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the respiratory protection mask (1) is designed to be elastic and / or has movable structures with attached surface covers.

17. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized by a membrane (12) for sound transmission.

18. Respiratory protection mask according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the air duct (3, 3 ') has connecting means (14), preferably connecting means in the form of a Velcro strap (141), which detachably attach the breathing mask (1) to the head allow a user.