Not Applicable
Not Applicable
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and devices for protection of a respiratory tract.
(2) Description of Related Art
A method is known for protection of the respiratory tract from the undesirable dust-form solid-body-kind or liquid (droplet-kind) particles in the surrounding air, or in a gas-mixture for the breathing (further is also called as “surrounding air”). The method protects the respiratory tract also from bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, which are contained in this dust or in these liquid drops, as well from the plant pollen and other particles, which generate allergical reactions. Also a method is known for protection of a respiratory tract from the undesirable gas-form impurities in the air. In all above-mentioned methods the surrounding air is conducted from surrounding through an air-cleaning device (means). The air-cleaning device is normally a filter, or a system of filters, or an absorber as f.e. activated carbon, or a space, which one contains an absorber-substance, or a combination of the above-mentioned elements. Any device (means) for cleaning of the air, independently of the executed way to clean air (independently on the principles of the air cleaning) is named below as a “respirator-working-body”. In all above-mentioned methods the “respirator-working-body” is placed on some distance from the human face, among other possibilities it can hang on a waist belt. After that the cleaned air is further conducted (supplied) through a hose to a mask, and after that this air is supplied to the space between the mask and human face. After that the air from this a.m. space is supplied in the upper respiratory tract through the nostrils and mouth opening. The devices for execution of the a.m. methods are known, which devices contain the a.m. respirator-working-body, the mask, the pipe-line (hose), which one connects the respirator-working-body with the mask, the elements to fix (fasten) the mask on a human face and a valve for the release of the exhalated air (U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,951; U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,952; US 2006/0130834; U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,656).
Besides, a method is known, where the surrounding air is supplied into the space between the mask and human face through the respirator-working-body immediate, i.e. without the pipe-lines. The devices for execution (embodyments) of this method are known, which devices contain the respirator-working-body, which one is connected immediate with the mask, and is fastened (fixed) immediate on the mask. The surrounding air is supplied from the surrounding through the respirator-working-body immediate under the mask. As one of the possibilities can be an usual textile mask, which one consists of a layer of a textile piece, a.o. (among other variants) of a gauze piece, which one covers the lower part of a human face. Besides, this respiratory-protection mask contains the fastening-elements, which fasten (fix) the a.m. piece of textile on a face.
The above-described methods and devices are presented, for example, in the given below patent descriptions: (WO 2009/048748; WO 2008/076472; WO 2008/082700; U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,550; U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,931; US 2005 217669; U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,089; U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,710; DE 9407866; CH 692103).
In all above-mentioned methods and in all a.m. devices the human face is covered by a mask, where the air from the respirator-working-body is supplied firstly into the space between the mask and human face, and only after that the air from this a.m. space is further supplied in the upper respiratory tract.
The disadvantage of the a.m. method and devices is is an essential limitation of their area of application, because the respiratory protection mask is visible on a face, and besides this mask covers and makes invisible at least a part of a face. The respiratory protection masks are used presently only in special situations or in crisis (emergency)-situations, as well as one use the respiratory protection masks during the execution of specifical works, which require the protection of the respiratory tract. According to the usual norms and traditions of social behaviour, it is not usual to carry on a mask in the human community in usual life, also in spite of the essential allergical reactions on pollen or other allergens, and in spite of the danger of contamination by air-drop-infection in a public transport and other public places.
The technical solutions are known for the intranasal air-cleaning devices, i.e. where the air-cleaning devices are placed completely inside the nostrils (as f.e. US 2009/0 020 125 A1; DE 201 01 539 U1; DE 100 23 050 A1, etc.)
All these devices have the following shortcomings:
1) The volume of the filter is too little, because it (volume) is limited by internal dimensions of the nostrils. Therefore the dust-capacity of the filter is too small and, consequently, the time period of an efficient service-life is very short.
2) As it is known, the usual (not intranasal) personal air-cleaning devices (as f.e. gas masks or breathing apparats) contain normally the expiration (breathing-out)-valves. Without these valves it could be difficult to breath. The valves-contained solutions for the intranasal devices also exist (as f.e. US 2009/0 020 125 A1). But an additional installation of a valve reduces even more an useful working volume of the filter, and therefore such constructions are practically not usable.
A more detailed description of the state of technology in the area of intranasal constructions is given below by the examples of the typical technical solutions.
In the US 2009/0 020 125 A1 the case in point is a valve, which one is formed by a big through opening 310 in the respirator-working-body (filter) 100, where this opening 310 has a cover 350 and the devices (means) 330, 340, 360 to provide the reciprocating motion of this cover (
Such system has the following two disadvantages:
In the DE 100 23 050 A1 the technical subject of the valve-structure is not disclosed and not described. A valve-structure is only mentioned. But it is unambiguously defined in the claim 22, what valve-structure exactly is meaned. And namely: “22. Device according to one of the previous claims, where the filter has a valve-function, which conducts the exhalated air past the filter”.
Therewith both in the DE 100 23 050 A1 and in the a.m. US 2009/0 020 125 A1 the methods and devices are meaned, where the exhalated air is conducted past the filter (i.e. not through the body of the filter). Which constructions (all of them) have the above-mentioned shortcomings (1) and (2).
In the WO 2004/084 998 A1 the technical subject of the case (“Spender”) is not disclosed and not described. A case (“Spender”) for the keeping of the filters is only mentioned. It is also not written about the installation-way of the filters into the nose.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,276A a container for the storage and for the transporting of the “Nasal filter Mats” is described, which container has not a installing-function and removing-function of the filters (in)/(out from) the nose. One pull out the “Filter Mats” from the container by the “pair of tweezers” (p. 2, lines 30-35).
Besides, this a.m. container is usable only for thouse nose filters, which do not have an element, which one connects two filters intended for two nostrils. (This element is named “joint (connection)” in the present patent application, or “connection portion” 200 FIG. 1-3 in the US 2009/0 020 125 A1 etc.).
An approach and solution is described, by which a) the volume of the filter does not play a decided role, and b) valve does not reduce the useful time of the filter life.
The following principles are used:
1) As it is known, the gauze mask-respirator has in average 2 hours efficient working time. After this period the gauze mask acts not as a protective mean, but as a source of contamination because of high dust concentration on it.
For a filter inside a nostril this time is maximally several minutes. It also cannot be acceptably increased because it is impossible to increase a nostril volume and consequently the dust capacity of an intranasal filter. As it is impossible to increase the necessary efficient working time up to any practically applicable time period, one could in the opposite, decrease the necessary working time to one breath-in action (several seconds). And then the filter have to clean itself by every exhalation, at least partially. The nasal filter volume is excessively sufficient to “one breath-in time period” efficient work, even if the self-cleaning by every exhalation takes place incompletely.
2) As a valve reduces the useful filter volume on one hand, but it have to be completely placed in the nostril on the other hand, all filter volume have to work as a filter by breathing in and as a valve by breathing out. I.e. the filter structure have to arise anew by every breathing in and have to be disassembled again by every breathing out. During the disassembling process filter have also to clean itself (at least partially-s. above), and some portion of dust particles have to be conducted to outside with a breathed-out air.
This way the working body acts completely as a filter by breathing-in, and as a valve by exhalation. Therefore the valves can be used in the limited volumes of intranasal cavities without reduction of the useful working volume of a filter.
Besides, the more practically applicable principle of installation of the working body in the nostrils is used. This aim is attained through the constructive features of the case for working bodies, which one permits an automatic installation in the true palce quick way. Therewith a long-time and practically applicable protection of the respiratory tract is attained also under the social-surrounding conditions, where one normally cannot use an usual gas mask or an usual breathing-device. Therewith a permanent or long-time protection is attained from the undesirable impurities in the air, among others from the allergens and microorganisms, in all situations, a.o. also in public transport, in all public places, as well as in workstations.
The examples of embodiment of the invention are presented in the drawings and is described below.
It is shown:
The respirator-working-body 1, which one consists of two parts 2 and 3, is placed in the nostrils 4. Below these parts 2 and 3 of the respiratory-working-body 1 are called shortly as the “RWB-parts”. The RWB-parts are placed completely immediate inside the nostrils, and therefore they are invisible from outside. The RWB-parts 2 and 3 are connected with a connecting body, which one is named below as a “joint (connection)” 5, which one rests (sets) against the nasal septum 6 from below, and therewith prevents a further moving of the a.m. RWB-parts in the upper respiratory tract. Therewith the presented breath-protection method is safe, as well as an easy, quick and suitable removing of the a.m. RWB-parts is attained. As joint (connection) 5 can be used a.o. a thread or a band or any other flexible or rigid (s. below) body. As it is known, the human septum 6 has an anatomical deepening 6a, which deepening is placed exactly on the boundary between the septum and upper lip 6b. Therefore the joint (connection) 5 is fastened on the RWB-parts such way, that the joint (connection) 5 lays exactly in this deepening 6a. Therewith the joint (connection) 5 is practically invisible from outside, also independently from the colour of this joint (connection).
To improve the invisibility of a method, in some variants of the method execution the joint (connection) 5 can be made of a transparent material, or this joint 5 can have the same colour or colour tone as a human skeen. Or this joint 5 can have a colour or colour tones of human hairs, in particular for using by men, who have moustaches.
The surrounding air 7 is conducted immediate in the nose openings (nostrils). The air is conducted through the respirator-working-body 1, where the whole respirator-working-body is placed completely inside the both nostrils 4.
The surrounding air 7 goes through the RWB-parts 2 and 3 of the respirator-working-body 1 into the upper respiratory tract, and the exhalated air 8 from the upper respiratory tract goes in the opposite direction (
The RWB-parts 2 and 3 are fastened in the nostrils 4 by friction. Nevertheless any other variants of fastening are also possible.
In some embodiment variants the joint 5 is a cramp (clamp), which one embrace from below the nasal septum 6, and this way the RWB-parts are fastened in the nostrils 4.
In one possible embodyment variant the RWB-parts are made of a hydrophob material. It prevents a swelling of the material of the RWB-parts through the condensed water.
Nevertheless the surfaces of the RWB-parts, which surfaces lay in the nostrils immediate near the mucous membrane, can be partially made of the hydrophil material, or these a.m. surfaces can contain one or several such hydrophil areas or points. It makes possible an additional fastening of the RWB-parts in the nostrils.
Nevertheless these fastening methods looks overflowing, because the fastening through friction is sufficient. In any case the RWB-parts 2 and 3 are fastened in the nostrils 4 either on the internal walls of the ala 9 of the nose, or on the nasal septum 6, or both.
In some embodyment variants the respirator-working-body 1 as well as any of their parts 2 and 3 are not homogen, a.o. these RWB-parts contain different layers or zones, also the layers or zones which have different physical properties.
Firstly, similar to the known mask-kind respirators, the RWB-parts can also consist of the different pile-shaped materials of filter, to improve the filtering of the dust-kind impurities. Secondly, the RWB-parts can contain elements, which also clean the surrounding air from the undesirable gas-kind impurities, f.e. absorbers like a.o. activated carbon. The RWB-parts can also contain medicaments, a.o. bakterizid substances, vaso-dilating substances, or substances for making breath more easy, or natural well-being substances as f.e. Garlic, as well as the aromatized substances, as f.e. substances with the lemon smell, which one, as it is known, increase the productivity of human work. The RWB-parts can also contain the capsules for the prolongated long-time supplying of substances. And therewith the above-mentioned additional substances can be placed in these capsules. This way the supplying of a substance in the conducted air can be attained during a long time. The RWB-parts can also contain the chemical heating elements, i.e the substances, which release heat by means of an exothermical chemical reaction. To activate this function one have to press on the RWB-parts or crumple them up. Such way one breaks the capsules with the chemical heating substances. After that these released chemical substances react, as usually, with the air or with other correspondent reaction components, and therewith the heat will be released.
The RWB-parts can also contain the smell-generating indicating substances, which are released by a chemical reaction with definite dangerous substances. Or the smelling substances can be released by a physical displacing from an absorber, when the concentration of harmful substances in the breathed air increases. This way a person can be alarmed about the danger in the true time.
The respirator-working-body 1, which one consists of the RWB-parts 2 and 3, can also have the anizotropical physical properties, dependently on the geometrical direction inside the respirator-working-body.
The a.m fibers (rods) or surfaces are covered with hairs (strokes) 13. The Structure 10 is orientated such way, that, by breathing-in, the hairs 13 go up with their free ends to cross one another, and such way these hairs (strokes) 13 form a filter (
In some variants of embodyment the RWB-parts 2 and 3 of the respirator-working-body 1, or it's separate elements can contain numerous elements 26, cone-shaped, or pyramid-shaped, or in the form of truncated cones or pyramids, or other geometric-shaped elements with the flexible-resilient (or travelling, or both) generatrixes 27, which elements 26 are installed in the respirator-working-body matrix 28 with the possibility to reduce the dimensions of their smaller 29 bases by streeming of the air through these elements in one direction (FIG. 7—state by breath-in), and to increase the a.m. base dimensions by the air streeming through these elements in the opposite direction (FIG. 8—state by exhalation), where the a.m. change of dimensions can be generatable by the air streem by using of the own elasticity of the a.m. elements, or by the streem pressure/streem energy, a.o. by Bemoulli-prinziple, or both (
In some variants of embodyment the RWB-parts 2 and 3 of the respirator-working-body 1, or it's separate elements are executed through a nanotechnological process for creation of microsystems, among others, through the LIGA-method. In these embodyments the RWB-parts are the microstructures, or the RWB-parts contain the microstructures. Besides, a.o., the numerous microscopic valves are put together in one system, and after that the summarized air streem from the microvalves-contained system is conducted up in to the upper respiratory tract by breathing-in, and it is conducted down to outside by breathing-out (exhalation). Such way the lower resistence for breath and simultaneously the higher efficiency of the air cleaning is attained.
The special means have to be provided for the installation of RWB-parts in the nostrils, because an installing of them by forgers is not suitable and not hygienical. Besides, it is difficult to install the RWB-parts in the nostrils such way, that the joint (connection) 5 could be placed exactly and immediately in the anatomical deepening 6a. Therefore a zylindrical case 15 with the piston 16 is used to install the respirator-working-body in the nostrils (
Under the term “zylinder” one understands here it's mathematical meaning, i.e. any body, which one has parallely bases (which one has any kind of geometrical form), and the parallely generating lines). In one variant of embodyment the bases have a form of an oval (
In one example of embodyments the case 15 does not contain a piston 16, and one displaces up the pile of the respirator-working-bodies by the little stick directly. In this case the little stick 22 is made in the form of a spatula or in the form of a flat plate rod (
For the removing of the respirator-working-body from the nostrils the RWB-parts 2 and 3 are removed by pulling of joint (connection) 5 by a hook 23 or by fingers, where a.o. the a.m. hook 23 is fastened, removable or not removable, on the cas 15. The little stick 22 can be also fastened, removable or not removable, on the case 15, as well the little stick 22 and the hook 23 can be made as a one body.
For the situations, when one have to breath under the essential physical load or when the nasal respiratory ways are blocked, completely or partially because of illness, one can use an other part 18 of the respiratory-working-body 1, which one called below as a “mouth-RWB-part”. In this case the respirator-working-body 1 can consist of three parts; two of them are the RWB-parts 2 and 3, and the third part, i.e. the mouth-RWB-part is placed in the mouth cavity, and it is characterised by the same physical features, as the a.m. RWB-parts. Among other variants, the mouth-RWB-part can contain the all a.m. zones or elements. In one embodyment variant the mouth-RWB-part can be executed in the form of a plate, which plate can be fastened in the mouth between the lips and teeth. With the aim to reduce a visibility, the mouth-RWB-part a.o. also can be placed behind the teeth, and besides also a.o. it can be fastened by the hooks or brackets on some teeth.
Thus, the proposed method and device provide a long-time efficient protection of a human respiratory tract by means of an invisible from outside intranasal working body. By breath-in the working body acts completely as a filter, and by exhalation it acts completely as a valve. This way the valves can be used in the limited volumes of intranatal cavities without reduction of the useful working volume of a filter.
The accumulated during the breath-in phase dust is conducted away to outside again during the exhalation phase. Therewith the necessary filter capacity is reduced to one cycle of breath-in and -out. This way a long-term efficient protection of the respiratory ways is attained. Practically suitable method and device for the installation of the said working body in the nostrils and for removing of the said working body from the nostrils is also provided.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2009 025 060.3 | Jun 2009 | DE | national |
10 2010 050 298.7 | Nov 2010 | DE | national |
This application claims the priority benefits to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/581,025 filed Dec. 28, 2011, to German Patent Application DE 10 2009 025 060.3, filed Jun. 10, 2009, to German Patent Application DE 10 2010 050 298.7, filed Nov. 7, 2010.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61581025 | Dec 2011 | US |