Patent Publication Number: US-2022218062-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/145,618 filed Jan. 11, 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a method for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs and an apparatus that has been developed in accordance with the teachings of the method. 
     BACKGROUND 
     As the global population continues to grow and communities become increasingly urbanized, the global population continues to congregate to create denser living environments. With denser communities and increasing interactions between individuals comes the risk of increasing rates of human-transmissible infections and disease. In the past decade, outbreaks of virus and bacterial infections has caused the deaths of many. The SARS epidemic and the COVID- 19  pandemic are examples among many. Whilst finding a treatment for these infections is important, finding ways to prevent infection is equally significant. 
     Currently, measures taken to prevent the spread of viral infections include frequent sanitation with chemical and physical agents, limiting physical interactions between individuals, erecting physical barriers to prevent spread of airborne particulates, and use of personal protective equipment. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes masks, gloves, gowns, head gear with face shields and similar protective gear. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,964 (Yeh) titled: “Air Purifying Cap”, discloses a cap that generates anions to purify the air around a user&#39;s face. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect, there is provided a method for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs. The method involves affixing at least one UV-C light generator to a person, and focusing the at least one UV-C light generator to bathe a face of the person with ultra-violet C light, thereby reducing facial exposure to airborne germs approaching eyes, nose and mouth of the person. 
     According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs. The apparatus includes a support and a mounting for mounting the support to a human body in a substantially horizontal orientation. At least one UV-C light generator is supported by the support. The at least one UV-C light generator is oriented to direct UV-C light in a substantially vertical orientation. 
     It is envisaged that more than one UV-C light generator will be used to create a light curtain. That will extend down the face from above, extend up the face from below or extend across the face from one of the sides. It is envisaged that the UV-C light generators will operate continuously, but there may be instances where intermittent operation would provide adequate protection. 
     In order to facilitate the desired positioning, it is envisaged that the support for the at least one UV-C light generator will be mounted to a head or shoulders of a person. The mounting could be some form of headgear that rests on the head of the person. It will be appreciated that there are numerous configurations of headgear that could be used, such as: a hat, a cap, a helmet, a face shield, a visor, to name just a few. The mounting could also be a form of collar that rests on the shoulders of the person, with the UV-C light generators projecting a light curtain vertically upward. It will also be appreciated that the UV-C light generators could project the light curtain across the face from left to right or from right to left. There will hereinafter be illustrated and described of each of these embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs in accordance with the teachings of the method. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs in accordance with the teachings of the method. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs in accordance with the teachings of the method. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs, considered a commercial embodiment, which combines various features of the first, second and third embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the fourth embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation view, in section, of a UV light generator from the fourth embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A first embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs generally identified by reference numeral  100 , will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . A second embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs generally identified by reference numeral  200 , will hereinafter be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . A third embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs generally identified by reference numeral  300 , will hereinafter be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . A fourth embodiment of apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs generally identified by reference numeral  400 , will hereinafter be described with reference to  FIG. 5  through  FIG. 7 . 
     First embodiment  100 , second embodiment  200  and third embodiment  300  are examples of apparatus that have been developed to implement the teachings of the method. In broad terms that method involves affixing one or more UV-C light generator to a person, and focusing the one or more UV-C light generator to continuously bathe a face of the person with ultra-violet C light in a range of 100-280 nm. When the face is bathed in UV-C light, airborne germs approaching eyes, nose and mouth of the person are to a large extent neutralized. 
     It is envisaged that first embodiment  100  will be worn by a sports fan when attending sporting events. It is envisaged that second embodiment  200  will be worn by an entertainer when performing at a music concert or by a person attending a music concert where the wearing of hats would not be welcome. There are various environments in which public figures wish to remain safe, but wearing personal protective equipment is not practical. 
     This includes theatrical actors on stage and politicians at political rallies. It is envisaged that third embodiment  300  will provide an extra measure of protection for health professionals. 
     Structure and Relationship of Parts of First Embodiment  100 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , first embodiment  100  includes a support  102 , a mounting  104  for mounting support  102  to a human body in a substantially horizontal orientation, and at least one UV-C light generator  106  supported by support  102 . The at least one UV-C light generator  106  is oriented to continuously bathe a face of the person with ultra-violet C light  108 . Ultra-violet C light  108  is in the range of 100-280 nm. Universities have been experimenting with Ultra-violet C light in the range of 200-280 nm. For this reason, 200-280 nm is the preferred range. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in first embodiment  100 , there are five UV-C light generators  106  creating a light curtain  110 . However, it will be appreciated that there could be any number of UV-C light generators  106  used. The five UV-C light generators  106  are secured to the head of the person. Mounting  104  is a headgear and support  102  is a visor that projects substantially horizontally from the headgear. It will be appreciated that there are numerous configurations of headgear that could be used, such as: a hat, a cap, a helmet, etc. First embodiment  100  also includes a switch  112  that switches the five UV-C light generators  106  on and off. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , first embodiment  100  also includes a battery pack  114  that supplies power to the five UV-C light generators  106 . 
     Operation of First Embodiment  100 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a user starts by placing first embodiment  100  on their head, such that support  102  is oriented towards the front of the user&#39;s face. The user then turns on the five UV-C light generators  106  using switch  112 . The user then makes positional adjustments as needed, such that the five UV-C light generators  106  are creating light curtain  110  directly in front of and slightly on to the user&#39;s face. The user may then proceed to go about their usual daily activities. Over time, light curtain  110  created by the five UV-C light generators  106  will neutralize many of the harmful germs that would otherwise come in contact with the user&#39;s face. 
     It is envisaged that first embodiment  100  will be worn by a sports fan when attending sporting events. The casual nature and design of first embodiment  100  (being headgear in a cap or hat form) enables a user to wear first embodiment  100  to many casual outings and events, as well as when a user is out and about in their usual daily activities. 
     Structure and Relationship of Parts of Second Embodiment  200 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , second embodiment  200  includes a support  202 , a mounting  204  for mounting support  202  to a human body in a substantially horizontal orientation, and at least one UV-C light generator  206  supported by support  202 . The at least one UV-C light generator  206  is oriented to continuously bathe a face of the person with ultra-violet C light  208 . Ultra-violet C light  208  is in the range of 100-280 nm. Universities have been experimenting with Ultra-violet C light in the range of 200-280 nm. For this reason, 200-280 nm is the preferred range. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , in second embodiment  200 , there are four UV-C light generators  206  creating a light curtain  210 . However, it will be appreciated that there could be any number of UV-C light generators  206  used. Mounting  204  is a collar and support  202  is supported by the collar. It will be appreciated that, for women, mounting could be in the form of a necklace. 
     Operation of Second Embodiment  200 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a user starts by placing second embodiment  200  around their neck, such that support  202  is oriented towards the front of the user&#39;s face. The user then turns on the four UV-C light generators  206  and makes positional adjustments as needed, such that the four UV-C light generators  206  are creating light curtain  210  directly in front of and slightly on to the user&#39;s face. The user may then proceed to go about their usual daily activities. Over time, light curtain  210 , created by the four UV-C light generators  206 , will neutralize many of the harmful germs that would otherwise come in contact with the user&#39;s face. 
     It is envisaged that second embodiment  200  will be worn by an entertainer when performing at a music concert or by a politician, where the audience has paid to view the personality. The nature and design of second embodiment  200  (being a device that is worn around the neck, such as a collar or necklace) enables a user to have unobstructed vision while still benefiting from the neutralizing effects of light curtain  210 , with airborne germs approaching eyes, nose and mouth of the person being to a large extent neutralized by UV-C light. Second embodiment  200  would also be appropriate in and well-suited to situations where headgear is not appropriate or permitted (e.g., in some school settings or at more formal events). 
     Structure and Relationship of Parts of Third Embodiment  300 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , third embodiment  300  includes a support  302 , a mounting  304  for mounting support  302  to a human body, and at least one UV-C light generator  306  supported by support  302 . The at least one UV-C light generator  306  is oriented to continuously bathe a face of the person with ultra-violet C light  308 . Ultra-violet C light  308  is in the range of 200-280 nm. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , in third embodiment  300 , there are four UV-C light generators  306  creating a light curtain  310 . However, it will be appreciated that there could be any number of UV-C light generators  306  used. Mounting  304  is a headgear and support  302  is a face shield that extends substantially vertically from the headgear. 
     Operation of Third Embodiment  300 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a user starts by placing third embodiment  300  on their head, such that support  302  is oriented towards the front of the user&#39;s face. The user then turns on the four UV-C light generators  306  and makes positional adjustments as needed, such that the four UV-C light generators  306  are creating light curtain  310  directly in front of and slightly on to the user&#39;s face. The user may then proceed to go about their usual daily activities. Over time, light curtain  310  created by the five UV-C light generators  306  will neutralize many of the harmful germs that would otherwise come in contact with the user&#39;s face. 
     It is envisaged that third embodiment  300  will be worn by health professionals in settings where an extra measure of protection is desirable to supplement the use of a face shield. 
     Structure and Relationship of Parts of Fourth Embodiment  400  (Commercial Version): 
     In the course of working on a commercial version of the apparatus for reducing facial exposure to airborne germs, all three embodiments were critically reviewed. It will be apparent that the commercial version that will hereafter be described is a composite of the best features selected from the earlier embodiments. There are, however, two new aspects. 
     One aspect that was considered was the positioning of the UV-C generator. When secured directly to the headgear, the UV-C generator added weight which made the headgear cumbersome. There was also a concern expressed on possible adverse health effects of long term use of the apparatus with the UV-C generator positioned against the head or throat. It was then realized that while a UV-C output array had to be mounted on headgear to bathe a face of a person wearing the headgear with UV-C light, the UV-C generator itself could be positioned elsewhere on the human body with a fibre optic cable connecting the UV-C generator with the UV-C output array, as will be hereinafter described. 
     Another aspect incorporated into the commercial embodiment was a secondary UV-C output array. It was felt that it would be advantageous to contemporaneously sterilize a focal region in front of the headgear. Assuming that the person wearing the apparatus is a health care professional, it is envisaged that a wound of a patient may be positioned in the focal region. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , fourth embodiment  400  has a support housing  402 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , a UV-C light generator  406  is housed within support housing  402 , along with a battery  403  to provide power to UV-C light generator  406  and a focusing lens  405  to focus beams of UV-C light  422  generated by UV-C light generator  406  at a light output aperture  407 . Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , a mounting, in the form of a belt  404  is provided for mounting support housing  402  to a human body. It is envisaged that belt  404  is a waist belt that will be placed around a human waist, but belt  404  could also be attached around a human limb, such as a leg or an arm. In order to avoid heat build up, it is preferred that a fan  409  be provided to create and air flow through support housing  402  and thereby dissipate heat. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , there is provided a primary UV-C output array  412  mounted on headgear  414 . Primary UV-C output array  412  is oriented to create a light curtain  410  which bathes a face of a person wearing headgear  414  with UV-C light. After experimenting with various ways of orienting light curtain  410 , it is preferred that primary UV-C output array  412  is oriented to create a light curtain  410  will projects vertically downwardly from headgear  414 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 5 , a fibre optic cable  416  connects support housing  402  with primary UV-C output array  412 , such that UV-C light exiting light output aperture  407  passes through fibre optic cable  416  to primary UV-C output array  412 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , after experimenting with various types of configurations intended for medical use, it is preferred that headgear  414  has a transparent face shield  418  that extends downwardly substantially vertically from  414  headgear. Face shield  418  provides a barrier between the user (for example a medical worker) and others (for example a patient). 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , when used by medical workers it is preferred that there be provided a secondary UV-C output array  420 . Secondary UV-C output array  420  is mounted on headgear  414  and is oriented outwardly to create a secondary light curtain  421  to bathe in ultra-violet C light a focal region in front of and spaced from headgear  414 . When secondary UV-C output array  421  is included, fibre optic cable  416  connects support housing  402  with both primary UV-C output array  412  and secondary UV-C output array  420 , such that UV-C light exiting light output aperture  407  passes through fibre optic cable  416  to both primary UV-C output array  412  and secondary UV-C output array  420 . 
     Operation of Fourth Embodiment  400 : 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , a user starts by mounting support housing  402  to his or her body by securing belt  404  around his or her waist. Headgear  414  is placed on his or her head, with transparent face shield  418  extending vertically downward. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the user then turns on UV-C light generator  406 . Beams of light  422  generated by UV-C light generator  406  are focused by focusing lens  405  at light output aperture  407 . UV-C light exiting light output aperture  407  passes through fibre optic cable  416  to primary UV-C output array  412  and secondary UV-C output array  420 . Primary UV-C output array  412  is oriented to create light curtain  410  that projects vertically downwardly from headgear  414  roughly parallel to transparent face shield  418 . Secondary UV-C output array  420  is oriented outwardly to create secondary light curtain  421  that projects into a focal region in front of and spaced from headgear  414 . Light curtain  410  neutralizes many of the harmful germs that would otherwise come in contact with the user&#39;s face. Light curtain  421  serves to neutralize many harmful germs in the focal region. 
     In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. 
     The scope of the claims should not be limited by the illustrated embodiments set forth as examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with a purposive construction of the claims in view of the description as a whole.