Patent AU-2020100228-A4 (AU)
Title: Filter Mask with UVC LED
Inventor: ASSMANN MARTIN CHRISTOPH
IPC: A41D13/11
Filed: 2020-02-17
Granted: 2020-03-26
Abstract: Abstract Filter masks have been known for many years, which are intended to protect users (in private, industry, commerce and rescue workers etc.) from dangerous substances (gases and particles of solid and liquid substances). In general, respiratory protection filters are divided into two main categories, namely particle filters and gas filters. In addition, so-called combination filters, which are supposed to offer protection against gases and particles, are available on the market. The service life of particle filters, which are categorized in three, different classes - namely P1, P2 and P3 -, depends on the pollution of the filter material and duration of wear. Depending on the intended use and type of pollutant etc., different mask types with various filter models are offered to filter harmful and / or hazardous substances from the breathing air, namely respiratory masks with particle filters or particle-filtering half or full masks. Particle-filtering half masks are a mask and filter in one and therefore, no filter can be replaced after use and the entire mask has to be disposed after usage. Particle-filtering half-masks mostly consist entirely of a filter material - such as non-woven fabric - and are held on the user's head with elastic rubber bands and a shapeable nose piece to enable adaptation to the face. These particle-filtering half masks are available with and without an exhalation valve - however, with the latter, the breathing resistance is considerably lower and the air humidity is drained through the valve, which increases comfort. This variant is widely used in the medical field to protect against infections. All of the listed respirators and filters in protection classes P1 and P 2 have in common, that they do not offer effective protection against microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and their spores, viruses, etc.) - only, protection class FFP 3 is able to remove such pollutant particles as far as possible to a size of 0.6 microns. The optimal filtering effect of particle-filtering half-masks of protection classes FFP3 is exhausted after about 1 day of use (= approx. 8 hours), as the non-woven fabric clogs up over time and therefore, an adequate protection against the harmful substances is no longer guaranteed. In order to remedy this inadequate situation of inefficient sterilization of breathing air by particle filtering half-masks, the - in the following - described invention was developed in order to improve the service life and safety (in particular, in the event of a health emergency due to hazardous/harmful microorganisms) for users and/or for the environment: The particle-filtering masks with mercury-free UVC LED, which can be installed as a single UVC LED chip and / or as a unit of several, combined UVC LED chips. The at least one UVC radiation source with a wavelength in the germ-killing range of 100 nm to 280 nm is applied on the outside of the particle-filtering mask corpus to prevent the face area (in particular, mouth and/ or nose) of the user from being endangered by UVC radiation. The at least one UVC radiation source is preferably positioned at and / or in and / or near the, in the mask corpus integrated, one and/or more breathing valves for inhalation and / or at and / or in and / or near the, in the mask corpus integrated, one and/or more breathing valves for exhalation. The power supply - required by the at least one UVC-LED - is ensured by an at least one, separate, rechargeable accumulator and/or by a separate battery. For this purpose the power source is connected with the at least one UVC-LED by means of a connection cable -2- with connection socket as well as a connecting plug in order to be switched on/switched off by an integrated power button. Preferably, the at least one, separate, rechargeable accumulator and/or separate battery is carried in an appropriate bag on the user's body (i.a., belt etc.). The corpus of the filter mask, which is hold by at least 2 pieces of elastic bands to the face and by a ductile nose support bracket and sealed up with all round applied rubber seal at the outer edges and which covers at least the nose and / or mouth of the user, is made of a material (e.g., silicone, rubber/ latex etc.), which is impermeable for microorganisms to avoid the penetration of bacteria, viruses and funguses and their spores. Due to the smooth material (e.g., silicone, rubber/latex etc.), the mask corpus clings to the user's face exactly and seals the nose and / or mouth airtight by boasting a good wearing comfort for the user. Preferably, the said mask corpus is reinforced and raised at the nose and / or mouth area to enable the installation and safe usage of one and / or more breathing valves for inhalation and one and / or more breathing valves for exhalation. Both lateral ends of the respirator are also reinforced to ensure a tight installation of the at least 2 pieces of elastic bands by means of holes. Furthermore, a reinforcement of material is provided at the shapeable nose bracket - avoiding leakiness in the area of the covered nose due to usage. Furthermore, the particle-filtering mask corpus is equipped with one and / or more breathing valves for inhalation and one and / or more breathing valves for exhalation, which are positioned on and / or in the corpus of the respirator and which are both equipped with an integrated one-way valve with membrane - allowing the inhaling of fresh / inlet air with only one, dedicated valve and the expiration of breath with only the other, dedicated one by the user. The particle filter mask may be also equipped with at least one and / or more pluggable, interchange able filter elements - consisting of a frame and appropriate non-woven fabrics -, which are positioned on the outside of the corpus of the filter mask in front of and / or near by one and / or more inlets of one and / or more breathing valves for inhalation and / or in front of and / or near by one and / or more outlets of one and / or more breathing valves for exhalation - to protect additionally the user and / or vicinity against harmful/ hazardous microorganisms. The filter elements, which should be preferably changed after 8 hours of usage to ensure a proper filtration, are easily changed by pulling out them of the frame and by substituting them with a new, unused filter element, which covers the entire diameter of one and / or more breathing valves for inhalation and / or of one and / or more outlets of one and/ or more breathing valves for exhalation - positioned in front of the mask corpus. It is mandatory to ensure, that the at least one UVC-LED radiation source is installed in such a way, that it can only irradiate the fresh air flow and / or exhaled air flow and therefore, UVC radiation does not strike the face area of the user or the surroundings. Additionally, at least one and / or more UVC shielding devices (i.a., made of appropriate plastic etc.), which are capable to block UVC radiation from irradiate the face area and / or surroundings, may be integrated in the corpus of the respirator and/ or installed inside and / or near by one and / or more breathing valves for inhalation and one and / or more breathing valves for exhalation. With the invention of the said particle-filtering masks it is achieved, that users of the respiratory masks and / or their immediate surroundings are effectively protected against hazardous/harmful micro -3 - organisms by completely disinfecting the fresh air flow as well as of the exhaled air, which is - possibly - contaminated with microorganisms. Therefore, the infection of people with hazardous/ harmful microorganisms in the immediate vicinity is largely excluded. In addition, the use of germicidal and relatively inexpensive UVC LED represents a high safety, which is also reflected in an extended period of use / service life of the invented respirator masks, because UVC LED have a lifespan of about 5,000 hours and the material of the mask corpus (e.g., silicone, rubber/latex etc.) cannot be clogged up. Finally, the pluggable, interchangeable filter elements give an additional safety by being very inexpensive. r CVU)