This application relates to a closed-circuit combined unit respirator system. More specifically, the application relates to an enriched air, multi-use closed-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (CC-SCBA) for on-demand transition between powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) and closed-circuit rebreather.
Solutions are needed to incorporate powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) technologies into closed-circuit, self-contained breathing apparatus (CC-SCBA) systems while reducing the size, weight, power, and logistical requirements over existing CC-SCBA technologies. CC-SCBAs and PAPRs are utilized in a variety of military, first response, industrial, pharmaceutical, and other applications for respiratory protection when highest levels of contamination are present, suspected, and/or the environments encountered may be oxygen deficient.
The current CC-SCBAs that are in-use are oxygen rebreathers. The oxygen rebreather is the simplest kind of rebreathing system and improvements to the present rebreathing systems are needed.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a system providing PAPR and closed-circuit SCBA capabilities in one combined unit. This device will be able to be rapidly deployed in a variety of missions, providing an increase in capability and a decrease in logistical burden. Embodiments of the present disclosure represent a significant advantage over current PAPRs, SCBAs and CC-SCBAs and will expand the capabilities and versatility of the current and future military force.
The objective of the present disclosure is to provide an enriched air, multi-use device that allows the user to transition between PAPR and closed-circuit rebreather “at-will”. The significant operational flexibility brought about by the modest improvement in size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) enables extended time on target and a more efficient breathing experience for the operator. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a CC-SCBA with PAPR that can minimize logistical burden while at the same time providing a measurable increase in capability and maintaining the same broad mission applicability.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for closed-circuit combined respiration, includes, when operating in a closed-circuit mode, a carbon dioxide scrubbing canister configured to receive exhaled gas and scrub carbon dioxide from the exhaled gas when in a closed-circuit mode; a breathing bag configured for receiving the scrubbed gas; an oxygen bottle, valve and regulator configured for infusing the exhaled gas or scrubbed gas with oxygen resulting in enriched gas; a cooler comprising a plurality of heatsink fins for cooling the enriched gas; and a breathing hose configured for transmitting the enriched gas for inhalation. In some embodiments, the system includes a diluent bottle, valve and regulator for infusing the exhaled gas, the scrubbed gas or the enriched gas with diluent.
In some embodiments, when operating in a PAPR mode, the system includes a tube configured for receiving exhaled gas and bypassing the canister; an over-pressure valve (OPV) configured for expelling exhaled gas to interior of case, thereby creating positive pressure; a PAPR for intake and filtering of external air while a barrel valve is open, thereby allowing the external air to flow into the breathing bag; and wherein the cooler is configured to receive the PAPR air from the breathing bag and transmit the PAPR air to the breathing hose for inhalation.
In some embodiments, when operating in a closed-circuit mode, the system includes a PAPR cooling tube configured for transmitting PAPR air to the cooler for cooling the heatsink fins. In some such embodiments, a carbon dioxide bottle and controller configured for infusing the PAPR air with carbon dioxide for cooling the heatsink fins.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for closed-circuit combined respiration, comprises a case for housing a breathing bag; when operating in a closed-circuit mode: a carbon dioxide scrubbing canister configured to receive exhaled gas and scrub carbon dioxide from the exhaled gas when in a closed-circuit mode; wherein the breathing bag is configured for receiving the scrubbed gas; an oxygen bottle, oxygen bottle valve and oxygen bottle regulator configured for infusing the exhaled gas or scrubbed gas with oxygen resulting in enriched gas; a cooler comprising a plurality of heatsink fins for cooling the enriched gas; a breathing hose configured for transmitting the enriched gas for inhalation; and when operating in a PAPR mode: a tube configured for receiving exhaled gas and bypassing the canister; an over-pressure valve (OPV) configured for expelling exhaled gas to an interior of the case, thereby creating positive pressure within the case; a PAPR for intake and filtering of external air while a barrel valve is open, thereby allowing the external air to flow into the breathing bag; and wherein the cooler is configured to receive the PAPR air from the breathing bag and transmit the PAPR air to the breathing hose for inhalation.
In some embodiments, the system also includes a diluent bottle, valve and regulator for infusing the exhaled gas, the scrubbed gas or the enriched gas with diluent.
In some embodiments, the system also includes, when operating in a closed-circuit mode, a PAPR cooling tube configured for transmitting PAPR air to the cooler for cooling the heatsink fins.
In some such embodiments, the system also includes a carbon dioxide bottle and controller configured for infusing the PAPR air with carbon dioxide for cooling the heatsink fins.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Indeed, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Referring now to the drawings and the listing of machine components set out below, the present disclosure according to a preferred embodiment is described in further detail.
The oxygen rebreather forms the starting point for creation of embodiments of the present disclosure described in this application. Namely, embodiments provide an efficiently designed closed-circuit combined unit respirator system (CCCURS). An oxygen rebreather consists of basic components—scrubber, breathing bag, demand regulator, breathing hoses, and a cylinder of pure oxygen as the supply gas to replace oxygen consumed by the wearer. Some types of oxygen rebreathers add oxygen into the breathing loop in an on-demand basis, enabling the longest duration by saving the available oxygen until it is required by the operator's metabolism. Other types of rebreathers utilize a combination of constant flow and on-demand regulators to maintain positive pressure inside of the breathing loop.
Drawbacks of the oxygen rebreather include pulmonary oxygen toxicity, high inhalation breathing temperatures and humidity, facepiece fogging, time-consuming procedures for packing of the carbon dioxide absorbent, and the logistic support for the making of and refreezing of water into ice that is used for cooling in the breathing loop.
After approximately twelve (12) hours, high partial pressure Oxygen (PPO2) exposure leads to lung passageway congestion, pulmonary edema, and atelectasis caused by damage to the linings of the bronchi and alveoli. The formation of fluid in the lungs causes a feeling of shortness of breath combined with a burning of the throat and chest, as well as very painful breathing. The reason for this effect in the lungs but not in other tissues is that the air spaces of the lungs are directly exposed to the high O2 pressure caused by multiple days of 100% oxygen rebreather operations.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a closed-circuit, enriched-air rebreather with an attached powered air purification system. The modular design allows one (1) hour, two (2) hour, three (3) hour and four (4) hour closed-circuit configurations. Each configuration has a corresponding scrubber canister and bottle size, reducing unit weight and matching it to mission duration. Combining PAPR and CC-SCBA technology allows the operator to extend his time on target by multiple orders of magnitude. Other design features result in reduced size, weight, power and logistical requirements over existing CC-SCBAs as summarized herein.
Incorporating a PAPR into the closed-circuit apparatus, the operating radius is exponentially larger than prior machines. Using the PAPR during dress-out and decontamination (1 hour each), there are six (6) hours of remaining battery life and up to four (4) hours of re-breather still to use.
Pack weight is an important component to movement during a close quarter operation. Carrying a breathing system that weighs twenty-five point five (25.5) lbs for thirty (30) minutes of breathing time is the equivalent of carrying one pound for one point one-seven (1.17) minutes of breathing air. With a weight of less than twenty-seven (27) lbs in certain embodiments, the four (4) hours of closed-circuit breathing, the embodiments disclosed herein provide almost nine (9) minutes (testing indicates 8.88 minutes) for every pound of equipment weight, providing for a more efficient breathing experience for the operator.
Operator endurance is significantly impacted by use of embodiments of the present disclosure having an inhalation gas cooling system. The operator's breathing gas is cooled by re-purposing the existing PAPR air flow over heat exchangers—reducing both heat and moisture.
Researchers discovered high exhalation pressures will create build-up of CO2 in the body. Embodiments of the present disclosure have unique breathing pathways to reduce exhalation to below two-hundred (200) mm H2O and greater than zero (0) mm H2O peak inhalation pressure, keeping positive pressure in the operator's breathing loop and reducing CO2 build-up in the body.
However, the operation is not over until the gear has been decontaminated—embodiments of the present disclosure are configured to ease the burden of decontamination by repurposing the filtered PAPR gas into the case—creating a positive case pressure.
Keeping the O2 partial pressure range between (0.195) and (0.235) greatly reduces the risk of pulmonary O2 toxicity. Keeping the O2 percentage to twenty-three point five percent (23.5%) gives the operator freedom to switch between PAPR and rebreather at-will.
Incorporation of a powered fan or blower mode into the respirator system enables the CC-SCBA capacity to remain as high as possible until the time period just prior to entry into the “hot zone” or target area. Use of PAPR mode during dress out and mission traverse will also reduce the impact of thermal and other physiological burdens during total mission performance.
Closed-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (CC-SCBA) and powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) are essential personal protective equipment (PPE) items used by a variety of military, first response, industrial, pharmaceutical, and other personnel for respiratory protection when contamination is present, suspected, and/or the environments encountered may be oxygen deficient.
Current CC-SCBA technologies are used in a variety of mission sets, but often bring a heavy burden to the user from the thermal and physiological effects of wearing heavy protective equipment while encapsulated within high level protection garments. Additionally, the user's reporting unit faces substantial logistical burden to support use of CC-SCBA equipment due to ice cooling required in the breathing loop, on-hand supply for multiple systems required during one mission, and utilization of system consumables such as carbon dioxide sorbents and oxygen cylinders.
In nearly all man-mounted applications of CC-SCBA, carbon dioxide is removed from the closed breathing loop through use of sorbent materials that, while efficient in CO2 removal, tend to be highly exothermic in nature (causing high temperature air to be inhaled) which lends itself to human exhaustion during use. Additionally, use of the closed loop system makes it necessary to begin to utilize the consumable sorbent immediately upon facepiece or mask donning by virtue of the user breathing. As such, critical system consumables are being utilized while the subject is still continuing to dress out in the remainder of protective equipment, conduct all pre-mission checks, traverse areas from the command post to the target area, and while returning from the “hot zone” to the decontamination line.
The duration of these activities leads to shortening total mission duration as a function of oxygen and carbon dioxide scrubbing capability. Incorporation of a powered fan or blower mode into the respirator system enables the CC-SCBA capacity to remain as high as possible until the time period just prior to entry into the “hot zone” or target area. Use of PAPR mode during dress out and mission traverse will also reduce the impact of thermal and other physiological burdens during total mission performance.
The current CC-SCBAs that are in-use are oxygen rebreathers. The oxygen rebreather is the simplest kind of rebreathing system and forms the starting point for investigation of a more efficiently designed closed-circuit combined unit respirator system (CC-CURS) as described herein. An oxygen rebreather consists of basic components—scrubber, breathing bag, demand regulator, breathing hoses, and a cylinder of pure oxygen as the supply gas to replace oxygen consumed by the wearer. Some types of oxygen rebreathers add oxygen into the breathing loop in an on-demand basis, enabling the longest duration by saving the available oxygen until it is required by the operator's metabolism. Other types of rebreathers utilize a combination of constant flow and demand regulators to maintain positive pressure inside of the breathing loop.
Incorporating a PAPR into the closed-circuit apparatus, the operating radius is exponentially larger. Using the PAPR during dress-out and decontamination (1 hour each), there are 6 hours of remaining battery life and up to 4 hours of re-breather still to use.
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On the lower left-hand corner of the case 102, a PAPR inlet 324 is configured to couple with the PAPR 104 (shown in other figures). A barrel valve 326 is coupled with the PAPR inlet 324 and regulates PAPR gas flow into the case 102. A cooler 328 includes a number of fins or other heat transfer structure in order to facilitate cooling of gas after carbon dioxide scrubbing has occurred. In some configurations, gas from the PAPR is routed through a PAPR inlet tube 330 to the cooler 328 and over its fins to dissipate heat.
An oxygen bottle 106 is coupled to the system 100 by the oxygen bottle valve 332. An oxygen bottle regulator 334 controls flow of oxygen from the oxygen bottle 106 into the system 100. A sensor suite 336 is in the upper left-hand corner of the case 102. The sensor suite 336 housing houses a check valve and senses a number of parameters of the gas flowing from the system 100 into the mask 112.
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Also, over-pressured exhaled gas bypasses the canisters through the OPV tube as illustrated by arrow 804. At the lower end of the OPV tube, the over pressurized valve (OPV) enables gas to expel into the interior of the case, thereby creating a positive pressure in the case. The positive pressure within the system provides for ease in cleaning the system because it remains clean.
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As used herein, the term “processing device” generally includes circuitry used for implementing the communication and/or logic functions of a particular system. For example, a processing device may include a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and other support circuits and/or combinations of the foregoing. Control and signal processing functions of the system are allocated between these processing devices according to their respective capabilities. The processing device may include functionality to operate one or more software programs based on computer-readable instructions thereof, which may be stored in a memory device.
The processing device 1514 is operatively coupled to the communication device 1512 and the memory device 1516. The processing device 1514 may use the communication device 1512 to communicate with the handheld device 1502, the heads-up display 1300 and in some cases other devices external to the system. As such, the communication device 1512 generally comprises a modem, server, wireless communication circuitry or other device for communicating with other external devices. The handheld device 1502 may include, for example, a handheld input/output device such as, for example, a Shearwater Petrel 2 Fischer handheld device. The handheld device may be or include other similar devices whether or not the devices are mentioned within this specification.
The memory device 1516 may include computer-readable instructions 1518 stored in the memory device 1516, which in one embodiment includes the computer-readable instructions 1518 of a CCCURS application 1517 (e.g., instructions for controlling bottle regulators, valves, sensor suite, PAPR and other components of the system in accordance with this disclosure) for execution by the processing device 1514. In some embodiments, the memory device 1516 includes a datastore 1519 for storing data related to the system 100, including but not limited to data created and/or used by CCCURS application 1517.
The handheld device 1502 has a processing device 1544 that is operatively coupled to the communication device 1542 and the memory device 1546. The processing device 1544 may use the communication device 1542 to communicate with the system 100, the heads-up display 1300 and in some cases other devices external to the handheld device 1502. As such, the communication device 1542 generally comprises a modem, server, wireless communication circuitry or other device for communicating with other external devices. The handheld device 1542 also includes a display (not shown) and input/output components (not shown) such as a keyboard, buttons, touchscreen, or other input/output components. The handheld device 1502 may be, for example, a handheld input/output device such as, for example, a Shearwater Petrel 2 Fischer handheld device. The handheld device may be or include other similar devices whether or not the devices are mentioned within this specification.
The memory device 1546 may include computer-readable instructions 1548 stored in the memory device 1546, which in one embodiment includes the computer-readable instructions 1548 of a CCCURS application 1547 (e.g., switching among modes of operation of the system 100, and, in some cases, instructions for controlling bottle regulators, valves, sensor suite, PAPR and other components of the system in accordance with this disclosure) for execution by the processing device 1544. In some embodiments, the memory device 1546 includes a datastore 1548 for storing data related to the handheld device 1502 and/or the system 100, including but not limited to data created and/or used by the CCCURS application 1547. In some embodiments, the CCCURS application 1517 and the CCCURS application 1547 are the same and in some embodiments they are different.
As described herein, a closed-circuit combined unit respirator system has been described with reference to specific embodiments and examples. Various details of the present disclosure may be changed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and best mode for practicing the present disclosure are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, the present disclosure being defined by the claims.
It is understood that the systems and devices described herein illustrate one embodiment of the present disclosure. It is further understood that one or more of the systems, devices, or the like can be combined or separated in other embodiments and still function in the same or similar way as the embodiments described herein.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of, and not restrictive on, the broad present disclosure, and that this present disclosure not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations, modifications, and combinations of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described in this application.
This application is a national stage entry from and claims the benefit of International Patent Application No. PCT/US21/64440, filed Dec. 20, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/128,098, filed Dec. 19, 2020, the entireties of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US21/64440 | 12/20/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63128098 | Dec 2020 | US |