Patent Application
20240008568
This invention relates to personal protective equipment for individuals who wish to guard against infectious agents.
Infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, can cause disease in living organisms. In humans, infectious agents, can cause disease that may lead to severe illness and detrimental to a person's health. In rare instances, infectious agents can not only cause disease in individuals, but may also cause catastrophic interruptions in global commerce and everyday human interactions.
The Covid-19 global pandemic has caused a radical shift in the way individuals interact with each other and with their environment. Covid-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which may lead to respiratory infection. It is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets by coughing, sneezing or talking. Droplets enter the body through mucus membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
To prevent infection, individuals have been required to wear face coverings, such as face masks or face shields, while in public. Face coverings act as a physical barrier preventing droplets from entering a person's mucus membranes. Face coverings have been proven effective in preventing the spread of droplets, however prolonged use of face coverings causes fatigue for the user. After several hours of use, users generally complain of difficulty breathing or discomfort where the covering touches the face and/or head. As a results, users may wear face coverings in a manner that is more comfortable, but less effective.
In addition, not all face coverings provide adequate levels of protection to begin with. In particular, health care workers, people who interact with large numbers of individuals, or people who are at a high risk of infection must wear face coverings with very high levels of protection in order to avoid infection. For example, traditional face masks cover only the nose and mouth. They do not protect or cover the eye region, which is a very common route for transmission of viruses in droplet form. Open shields, which are the most comfortable, provide very little protection, while closed masks become very uncomfortable after prolonged use.
While face shields cover and protect the eyes from the virus, the open face shield design provides no protection on the sides or bottom of the shield, thereby allowing droplets containing the virus to reach the user's mucus membranes. Closed face shields are uncomfortable and may require the use of forced air or a respirator to provide sufficient oxygen for the user to breathe comfortably.
As a result, users must choose between comfort or protection from potential infection.
The present invention solves this problem.
The present invention protects the user from infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. It also protects the user from contaminants in the air, such as those caused by pollution, including dust or chemical impurities. The present invention discloses a device that provides superior protection and comfort for use for prolonged periods of time. This invention is particularly suited for health care workers, individuals who interact with many people, or individuals who are at a high risk of infection.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a face shield is disclosed that creates a full seal around the user's face, thereby protecting the user's otherwise exposed mucus membranes from droplets that may contain infectious agents.
The seal is composed of a breathable pillow, which allows air to pass through, but does not allow infectious agents to enter the user's breathing space.
The face shield may also comprise a band-less strap that wraps around a user's head at the user's hairline. The lowered strap creates a more comfortable fit for the user so that the user may wear the face shield for prolonged periods of time without experiencing any discomfort. In addition, the face shield strap does not interfere with hair styles or headwear, such as hats, hoods or other head coverings.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the pillow is composed of memory foam or a breathable, porous material that is covered by a soft, non-irritating cloth which in preferred embodiments is chiffon, cotton or silk. The foam may also be anti-bacterial, keeping it sanitary. It may also be hand-washed, machine washed, autoclaved, or ionized to maintain sanitization. In some embodiments, portions of the face shield or the entire face shield may be washable or composed of a material that may be easily disinfected, such as food contact safe rubber.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the face shield can be separated into two halves, a top half and a bottom half. The user may choose to wear only one half of the face shield at a time, or the user may choose to attach both halves together to wear the full face shield for additional protection.
The present invention may also include a filter cartridge that can be replaced. Filter cartridges are stackable and may allow for more thank one cartridge in each filter holder.
The filter may be monitored by, for example, NFC or QR code technology to notify the user that a filter requires replacement.
The words or terms used herein have the following definitions:
A face shield is an item of personal protective equipment designed to cover a user's entire face.
A face mask is an item of personal protective equipment designed to cover the user's nose, mouth and chin.
A visor is the portion of a face shield that covers the front of the user's face. The visor may or may not be removably attached to a face shield frame. In some embodiments, the visor and face shield frame are a single piece. In other embodiments of the present invention, the visor may be detachably coupled to the face shield frame.
The visor may be composed of anti-glare, anti-fog, shatterproof, scratch resistant, and/or anti-UV fading material.
A pillow is the portion of the face shield that comes in contact with the user's skin and creates a seal around the perimeter of the user's face.
A band-less head strap is the portion of the face shield that wraps around the user's head to secure the face shield in place. The strap may be comprised of one single piece or more than one piece.
A filter is a removable cartridge that is placed in a filter holder for additional air filtration requirements. The filter may be composed of N95, P100, carbon filter, or other filter material. Multiple filters may be stacked on top of each other.
A filter holder is the portion of the face shield that secures a removeable filter.
NFC technology is “near field communication” technology, which is a set of protocols for communication between two electronic devices over a short distance.
QR code application is “quick response” code, is a type of matrix barcode, which is a machine readable optical label that may be scanned to obtain information about the item which it is attached to. QR codes may contain data for a locator, identifier or tracker. It is well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art how these technologies function.
An infectious agent is a pathogen that may cause disease in humans.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the visor component of the face shield may be a solid surface or may contain ports for filter cartridge holders. The visor may be separated from the face shield frame or the visor and face shield frame may constitute a single piece. The visor may be composed of polycarbonate or any other clear, solid, anti-fog material. The visor may be colorless or colored, depending on its intended use. As a safety feature, the face shield, or portions thereof, may glow in the dark.
The pillow component may allow air to pass through, but prevents infectious agents from entering the user's mucus membranes. By preventing pathogenic agents from entering the user's eyes, nose or mouth, the present invention guards against illness and disease cause by pathogens.
The pillow component may be composed of an N95 filter that absorbs moisture to create a comfortable user experience. It is also contemplated that the pillow may be composed of memory foam or a P100 filter, which would allow a user to breathe comfortably from air coming through the pillow. Foam may be pressed into the breathing port and, by mechanical expansion, the foam will expand to take the shape of the breathing port, thereby creating a complete seal around the user's face, protecting the user's mucus membranes from droplets that may contain infectious agents. Thus, the pillow itself may be a breathing port.
The pillow may be covered by a comfortable, non-irritating and breathable material, such as chiffon, cotton, silk, a synthetic material, a natural material, or a combination of more than one material.
The pillow moves with the user's jaw to allow the user to speak and make facial expressions without compromising the protective seal created by the face mask. This unique feature allows the user to communicate more effectively with others by eliminating the restrictions of traditional face coverings. The pillow also allows a user to wear glasses comfortably by allowing the pillow to conform around the arms of a user's glasses frame.
The pillow's breathability allows for the user to have an airtight seal between the pillow and the skin, while allowing only filtered air to pass through the pillow. In addition, the pillow creates a cool and dry environment inside the face shield. Pillows may be stacked, creating a larger and more efficient exchange medium for exhaled gases and filtered air, thereby increasing breathability.
In some embodiments, a seal attaches the visor to the pillow to provide additional shock resistance and durability. The seal may be composed of silicon, rubber, or any other flexible material.
In one embodiment of the present invention, additional breathing ports may be located on the front of the visor, on the sides of the visor, or at the chin region of the visor. Filter ports may also be embedded in the pillow so that the user's vision is not obstructed by filter ports. Filters may be deodorizing filters, HEPA filters, carbon filters, or other types of filters, as appropriate. Filters may comprise exposed tags that allow for efficient removal and replacement from filter ports.
Filters may be monitored by NFC technology and paired with an embedded system to perform read outs of filter performance. Count down timers, temperature and air flow sensors placed in the filters determine when the filter should be changed. Filter monitors track filter performance to alert a user when a filter is not functioning optimally.
Filter monitors may employ more than one type of technology, so that, in the event that an error occurs, the backup technology will function in its place. For example, if an error occurs with the NFC technology, the QR technology will take over and notify the user of a disruption in filter performance.
Filter monitors and face shields may also be paired with a mobile application that tracks mask usage, monitors filter performance, notifies a user that a filter should be changed, and performs other analytics based on face shield use. In addition, the mobile application may inform the user of the nearest vendor that can supply a compatible filter, replacement face shield or parts.
The present invention may also comprise exhaust ports. The exhaust ports allow efficient exchange of exhaled gases for filtered air, as necessary. The exhaust ports may be located on the lower portion of the visor to prevent obstructing the user's view and mitigate the build-up of heat, humidity, sweat and/or moisture within the face shield, particularly for extended periods of use.
The band-less head strap is attached to the face shield frame or the visor and wraps around the user's head at the user's back hairline, for example, at about the C-5 cervical vertebrae. The strap forces the visor against the face, creating a seal between the pillow and the user's skin. The head strap may be adjusted for size by turning a knob, adjusting a buckle, attaching clips of various sizes, or attachment by Cross-T frame. The Cross-T frame may be a semi-rigid structure that attaches the two ends of the band-less head strap together.
The band-less strap may be made of polyisoprene, polypropylene, silicon, or any other natural or man-made solid composition. The clip may be a rubber seal, silicon or any other material that allows for shock resistance.
The band-less head strap is a very comfortable design that allows a user to wear the face shield for long periods of time without experiencing pain or irritation around the back of the head. When the band is clipped, it is seated comfortably on the user's back hairline.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the face shield comprises two halves that may be used independently or together. The bottom half may be worn by the user alone, or if the user wished to protect the eye region, the top half may be attached to the bottom half to create fun face protection. The two halves may attach to each other by snapping together or by other detachable coupling means.
The lower half comprises a filter piece holder, a mouth piece holder, and visor. The lower half also comprises a band-less head strap for securing around a user's head. The top half comprises a visor that detachably couples to the lower half.
