Systems and methods for monitoring and remediating respiratory conditions

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring and remediating respiratory conditions are disclosed. Embodiments include a headset with one or more sensors, such as one or more carbon dioxide sensors. Some embodiments include a sensor attached to the headset and positioned in the vicinity of the user's forehead, while additional embodiments include sensors positioned in the vicinity of the user's chin and / or back of the user's head. In some embodiments an air movement system is activated to increase the airflow in the vicinity of the user when the carbon dioxide level in the vicinity of the user's forehead decreases, when the carbon dioxide level in the vicinity of the user's chin increases, and / or when the carbon dioxide level in the vicinity of the back of the user's head increases.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING AND REMEDIATING RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 546,554, filed 31 Oct 2023, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to ventilation monitoring and remediation systems, and more particularly to a wearable headset for monitoring atmospheric and respiratory conditions surrounding the wearer and initiating remediation measures.BACKGROUND

[0003] Astronauts orbiting Earth in microgravity have been known to experience respiratory difficulties, such as inhaling a substantial amount exhaled air. Problems can result when inhaling this exhaled air, such as inhaling an increased amount of carbon dioxide.

[0004] It was realized by the inventors of the present disclosure that problems exist with the inability of astronauts to inhale fresh air, including air not contaminated with excessive carbon dioxide, and that improvements in detecting and mitigating respiratory challenges are needed.

[0005] Certain preferred features of the present disclosure address these and other needs and provide other important advantages.SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved systems and methods for monitoring and remediating respiratory conditions.

[0007] It was realized by the inventors of the present disclosure that inadequate ventilation can cause CO2accumulation in the vicinity of a person in microgravity (or in a heated environment on Earth) since humans exhale approximately 2.3 pounds of CO2daily, which can lead to increased risk of chronic disorders. The inventors analyzed the movement of exhaled respiratory CO2based on a computational biophysical fluid dynamic model. Metabolic heat and thermal convection play a role in mechanistically explaining the gravity-dependent human thermal body plume (HTBP) that directs respiratory O2 / CO2exchange. Biophysics predicts microgravity exposure will increase rebreathing of CO2from "bubbles" of exhaled breath, thereby increasing CO2bioavailability and exposure to astronauts in spaceflight. This can be thought of as being analogous to a candle flame in microgravity where thermal gradients do not drive gravitationalbuoyancy and the convective flow of "combustion" is inhibited, extinguishing the flame by simple diffusion.

[0008] In accordance with a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, engineering and monitoring of ventilation and respiratory redox remediation systems are disclosed, and these systems can include a wearable headset for monitoring atmospheric and respiratory conditions relative to the human thermal body plume for initiating remediation measures.

[0009] Embodiments are designed to solve problems associated with breathing without a spacesuit in the International Space Station (ISS) atmosphere where biophysical diffusion can causing CO2hypercapnia. Astronauts currently only wear spacesuits when they walk in space, and less than 15% of astronauts actually perform spacewalks, which requires specialized training. Moreover, the ISS was designed without the fundamental knowledge of how to build air handling systems without buoyancy. While there can be forced convection in a spacesuit to overcome the absence of buoyance, the normal crew member working, eating and sleeping within the ISS is still at risk. The designers of the ISS did not understand the concept of the human thermal body plume (HTBP) as disclosed herein, which is an important connection between gravity and human life, which was previously unknown and undocumented. The inventors of the present disclosure discovered and used this framework to solve the biophysics of respiration in microgravity. The model / approach disclosed herein overcomes a major omission in engineering knowledge that limited the ISS design and operation over its lifespan. The inventors have developed a fundamentally different model / approach for analyzing respiration in microgravity, which can be applied both to human spaceflight and humans on earth in their enclosed environments where thermal stress can be identical to microgravity exposure for normal redox respiration.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure include an engineering approach to design space-station atmosphere systems to optimize flow and exchange, such as by being focused on breaking up the biophysical boundary layers trapping exhaled CO2by the astronaut. Astronauts in microgravity are producing their own toxins and rebreathing them in spaceflight. Embodiments of the present disclosure address and fix these problems. Sensors measure exhaled CO2flowing by the wearer's head. Using the patterns of inhaled and exhaled air to detect CO2resulted in a determination of locations for placement of one or more CO2sensors, which may be used to mitigate hypercapnia such as by resulting in a change in the air-handling parameters, which may specifically target the human subject in some embodiments.

[0011] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of the concepts that are described in further detail in the detailed description and drawings contained herein. This summary is notintended to identify any primary or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Some or all of the described features may be present in the corresponding independent or dependent claims, but should not be construed to be a feature unless expressly recited in a particular claim. Each embodiment described herein does not necessarily address every object described herein, and each embodiment does not necessarily include each feature described. Other forms, embodiments, objects, advantages, benefits, features, and aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent to one of skill in the art from the detailed description and drawings contained herein. Moreover, the various apparatuses and methods described in this summary section, as well as elsewhere in this application, can be expressed as a large number of different combinations and subcombinations. All such useful, novel, and inventive combinations and subcombinations are contemplated herein, it being recognized that the explicit expression of each of these combinations is unnecessary.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Some of the figures shown herein may include dimensions or may have been created from scaled drawings. However, such dimensions, or the relative scaling within a figure, are by way of example, and not to be construed as limiting.

[0013] While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim this technology, it is believed this technology will be better understood from the following description of certain examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify the same elements and in which:

[0014] Fig. 1A is a graphical representation of natural convection and diffusion in the atmosphere.

[0015] Fig. 1 B is a graphical representation of natural convection and diffusion in a human built environment.

[0016] Fig. 1 C is a graphical representation of natural convection and diffusion at the physical / chemical level.

[0017] Fig. 1 D is a graphical representation of natural convection and diffusion at cellular transport levels.

[0018] Fig. 1 E is a graphical representation of natural convection and diffusion of a person in 1 g and Og environments.

[0019] Fig. 2 includes graphical representations of biothermal convection and human thermal body plume (BTC-HTBP) in respiratory CO2gas exchange modeled using computational fluid dynamic (CFD).

[0020] Fig. 3 includes graphical representations of biophysical simulations of respirometric efficiency of human metabolic gas exchange in spaceflight conditions accounting for temperature and gravity as physical factors in human respiration.

[0021] Fig. 4 depicts thermal and airflow velocity plots around the human form during respiratory ventilation, at peak exhale / inhale.

[0022] Fig. 5 includes graphical representations of CO2and air velocity for microgravity, gravity, and hot / thermal conditions.

[0023] Fig. 6 depicts a headset for monitoring respiratory conditions around the wearer and initiating remediation measures according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 7A is a front view of a wearable headset being worn be a user according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 7B is a side view of the wearable headset of Fig. 7A being worn be a user.

[0026] Fig. 7C is a rear view of the wearable headset of Fig. 7A being worn be a user.

[0027] Fig. 7D is a rear view of the wearable headset of Fig. 7C depicting additional optional components.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatical view of a computational system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present technology, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the technology; it being understood, however, that this technology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown, or the precise experimental arrangements used to arrive at the various graphical results shown in the drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to one or more embodiments, which may or may not be illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no feature of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended; any alterations and further modifications of the described or illustrated embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates. At least one embodiment of the disclosure isshown in great detail, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that some features or some combinations of features may not be shown for the sake of clarity.

[0031] Any reference to "invention" that may occur within this document is a reference to an embodiment of a family of inventions, with no single embodiment including features that are necessarily included in all embodiments, unless otherwise stated. Furthermore, although there may be references to benefits or advantages provided by some embodiments, other embodiments may not include those same benefits or advantages, or may include different benefits or advantages. Any benefits or advantages described herein are not to be construed as limiting to any of the claims.

[0032] Likewise, there may be discussion with regards to "objects" associated with some embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that yet other embodiments may not be associated with those same objects, or may include yet different objects. Any advantages, objects, or similar words used herein are not to be construed as limiting to any of the claims. The usage of words indicating preference, such as "preferably," refers to features and aspects that are present in at least one embodiment, but which are optional for some embodiments.

[0033] Specific quantities (spatial dimensions, temperatures, pressures, times, force, resistance, current, voltage, concentrations, wavelengths, frequencies, heat transfer coefficients, dimensionless parameters, etc.) may be used explicitly or implicitly herein, such specific quantities are presented as examples only and are approximate values unless otherwise indicated. Discussions pertaining to specific compositions of matter, if present, are presented as examples only and do not limit the applicability of other compositions of matter, especially other compositions of matter with similar properties, unless otherwise indicated.

[0034] Figs. 1 A-1 E depict the role of natural convection and diffusion in biophysical systems. Natural convection and advection are important biophysical processes for mass transport at the global climate level (Fig. 1A), human built environment, such as a room (Fig. 1 B), physical / chemical level, such as a candle flame (Fig. 1 C), and cellular transport levels (Fig. 1 D). Natural convection in the environment is driven by thermal buoyancy, and is therefore gravitydependent. At the global level, air / wind / weather creates significant flows for mass transport exchange between living systems and the environment.

[0035] In addition to environmental thermal buoyancy, living systems are capable of creating biothermal convection (Fig. 1 E) based on the production and dissipation of metabolic heat produced during photosynthesis or cellular respiration. Using a computational biophysics approach, the inventors of the present disclosure use a computational fluid dynamics to discover how the process of biothermal convection (BTC) can drive significant flows of fluids at the wholeorganism level, similar to that of a candle flame, to drive the BTC human thermal body plume (HTBP) (Figs. 1 D and 1 E). In a 1g environment, patterns of exhaled breath will be redirected upward and away from the face because of the thermal differences between exhaled breath and the bulk air (Fig. 1 E).

[0036] The spaceflight environment is unique in that the basic physical underpinnings for the aggregation and behavior of matter change fundamentally without gravity. In spaceflight, microgravity directly inhibits convective buoyancy creating a true diffusion-limited environment, which will limit the combustion of a candle flame and increase the biophysical impedance of human respiratory redox exchange. For individual organisms, the factors related to the fundamental forces of gravity are subject to both direct and indirect effects. Direct effects are those in which the physical mass of the organism is subject to changes that are mechanistically connected by the redistribution of the forces directly into or on the biological mass. Direct effects of microgravity on humans include focused mechanical loading on muscles and bones, distribution of fluids and blood within the circulatory, lymphatic, and intracellular systems as well as disruption of the limbic and vestibular systems affecting balance and visual orientation. Direct effects also include those mediated by graviperception either at the cellular or tissue levels, like plant root gravitropism. Indirect effects are less well understood and more subtle in explicit presentation in biological systems, because such effects are associated with fluid / gas transport and exchange. Indirect effects are mediated by the changes in the behavior of all external mass within the physiological environment of the organism in microgravity, which in turn impacts all mass transport and exchange processes associated with basic metabolism and physiology (Figs. 1A-1 E).

[0037] One significant biophysical difference between direct effects (e.g., direct gravitational mass action) and indirect effects is that the direct effects are typically directly observable and measurable at the mesoscale within the organismal mass. For example, the inventors of the present disclosure were able to measure changes in intracranial pressure and bone mass in animals, and changes in root curvature in plants. In contrast, indirect effects (e.g., those related to biophysical mass transport and exchange processes in fluids and gasses) are not easily measurable or accessible, and therefore more difficult to characterize relative to the organism. Indirect effects are mechanistically connected to fundamental metabolism, membrane transport, and / or physiological exchange, often occurring at critical rate-limiting steps and stages of physiological function (respiration and photosynthesis), which can lead to pathophysiological stress (mitochondrial hypoxia, respiratory uncoupling, and / or plant photorespiration). As a result, the inventors of the present disclosure determined that differentiating between direct and indirectmodes of action can be a confounding issue in space biology, and can be highly relevant and important to recognize because of its potential impact on understanding fundamental spaceflight phenomena.

[0038] To understand the biophysical fundamentals of life on earth the inventors of the present disclosure studied the role that gravity has played in evolution and the mechanistic features of mass transfer of the broader systems that apply. As shown in Fig. 1 , the Earth is subject to inputs of mechanical, thermal, and electromagnetic photonic energy that manifest as convection, turbulent flow, and mixing. At the systems level, this drives geothermal processes, climate, and the planet's weather. See, e.g., Fig. 1 A. At this bulk systems level, mass transport can occur in both laminar and turbulent (high shear) flows, which in turn modulate and reduce the impact of rate-limiting diffusional transfer within the system via disruption of unstirred boundary layers. System-level convection is important from the human health perspective because of the role that climate control plays in mass transfer within the human-built environment. See, e.g., Fig. 1 B. At the cellular level, limits on mass transfer and boundary layer dynamics become rate-limiting in the physical domain of diffusion (low shear), where gravitational convection is inhibited. See, e.g., Fig. 1 C. This indirect biophysical diffusion (IBD) can be physically analogized to abnormal candle flame morphology in microgravity because of diffusional limits for CO2 / O2 exchange. See, e.g., Fig. 1 C. For cellular respiration, IBD limits are significantly inhibitory, leading to cellular metabolic stress, microbial virulence, pharmacologic resistance, oncogene activation, apoptosis, and even direct necrosis. See, e.g., Fig. 1 D.

[0039] The science of human respiration has previously been viewed primarily through the lens of alveolar diffusion and ventilation-perfusion balance and does not consider the role of gravity. The IBD model (see, e.g., Fig. 1 E) extends beyond this view by including gravity and buoyancy, and by introducing a detailed description of the phenomena of biothermal convection (BTC) and the human thermal body plume (HTBP). By BTC, we mean thermal convection driven by metabolic heat produced by enzymatic hydrocarbon catabolism; by HTBP, we understand the 'plume' that is the result of buoyancy-driven BTC around the entire human body. The BTC-HTBP model, based on biophysical thermodynamics of the human form, has allowed us (the inventors) to create and adopt a theoretical approach advancing our understanding of gravitational respiratory biophysics. Our model is applicable both to spaceflight and terrestrial medicine. Using a candle for comparison purposes, we present a more comprehensive analogy between the processes of burning a candle and human respiration (see, e.g., Figs. 1 C, 1 D and 1 E).

[0040] Connecting the physical world to biology is a major challenge in the current emerging omics era in which the role of physical chemistry, once a pillar for understanding biology, hasbeen obscured as funded research has tended to favor molecular approaches. Gravity-dependent biophysical processes are ubiquitous in the natural world but their role in the emergence and evolution of life on Earth is not fully recognized or understood. Here, the inventors of the present disclosure have improved upon theories related to evolution as a process responsible for emergent patterns and physiological body structures in both animals and plants and drawn upon advanced computational fluid dynamics to describe the biophysical systems of BTC and the HTBP.

[0041] Over the course of the last five to six decades, there has been considerable work trying to understand how spaceflight (radiation and microgravity) affects living systems, with special interest in human medicine. Studies have shown that spaceflight can induce elevated CO2levels and regional hypoxia in the human brain, which has been linked to lower gray matter volume and changes in vestibular connectivity. Spaceflight can also affect red blood cell mass through a process called 'neocytolysis,' which selectively leads to hemolysis of young circulating red blood cells. Other spaceflight stressors, including inactivity, hypoxia, and confinement, can lead to physiological and pathophysiological changes such as deconditioning and metabolic changes. The spaceflight environment also has a pronounced impact on the gut microbiota, immune system, cardiovascular system, and cognitive performance. Furthermore, literature on spaceflight performance clearly indicates that spaceflight has significant effects on human respiration, including hypercapnia, hypoxia, and anemia, which has implications for astronaut health and mission success.

[0042] For any spaceflight experiment, regardless of the intent and focus of the research hypothesis, it is important to clearly consider and differentiate between gravitational and radiation effects. The spaceflight environment poses unique physiological challenges for human respiration, including true hypoxia and hypercapnia as well as harsh radiation exposure. While respiratory stress in spaceflight can arise due to physical / chemical changes in the atmosphere (PVT), direct effects induced by radiation have to be considered, too. In addition to nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage, it is well known that radiation exposure generally causes functional mitochondrial impairment via direct interaction with and transformation of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, enhancing production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrial function is known to be directly attenuated by exposure to strong electromagnetic fields disturbing electron transfer, or by interference on the quantum chemical level where proton tunneling may be a factor. While the earliest reports of mitochondrial stress in spaceflight were reported in plants, a recent NASA GeneLab multi-omics meta-analysis of hundreds of human spaceflight samples showed significant enrichment of mitochondrial stress processes that areincreased broadly and universally in spaceflight. The exact relationship between radiation and other factors contributing to universal mitochondrial attenuation are not well understood, but these very same biophysical features will be evident and significant in considering plant photosynthesis and the biophysics of chloroplast biochemistry in spaceflight.

[0043] Radiation-activated phospholipid destruction and peroxidation is a well understood mechanism of radiation damage, with direct impact on membranous redox organelles like mitochondria, chloroplasts, and the often-overlooked peroxisome. Radiation can also theoretically mediate organelle redox damage via electromagnetic field effects at the organelle / membrane levels. The best descriptions of mitochondrial radiation responses come from oncology and cancer therapy, demonstrating that radiation exposure leads to stress-induced ROS release. Cellular respiration and mitochondrial stress factors related to hypoxia and hypercapnia also play a major role in anemia and associated decline in aerobic capacity that occurs during the course of spaceflight. Understanding the relative inputs and impact of microgravity and radiation on space-induced mitochondrial stress separately is a vital and key step in advancing our understanding of living systems in spaceflight. Here, the inventors of the present disclosure introduce and explain a biophysical framework that allows for differentiation between indirect microgravity effects and radiation exposure, representing a foundation for building a competent and relevant biophysical model of life in space.

[0044] The key aspect of the inventors' work was to recognize how the fundamental biophysical mechanism of biothermal convection creates the HTBP, which together mechanistically facilitate heat exchange and mass transport (Fig. 1 E). Using computational fluid dynamics, the inventors of the present disclosure have a biocomputational approach to create a theoretical biophysical workspace to simulate BTC and the HTBP during respiration (Figs. 1 E and 2). Under thermal conditions that favor plume development (room temperature 22°C relative to body temperature 37°C), the thermal gradient develops longitudinally on the standing human form up to the maximal flow velocities measurable at the top of the human head (0.3-0.4 m / sec velocity away from the human head). This model clearly shows the gravity-dependent nature of BTC and the HTBP and how this in turn supports respiratory gas exchange: Cool dense air is warmed and buoyed upwards along the standing body surface, up into the face, and directed towards the nasal openings at the bottom facade of the nose protuberance.

[0045] When results of the model were compared with temperature Schlieren imaging of human subjects from published results, the inventors noticed patterns of redistribution very similar to those of heat and gasses in 1g conditions (Fig. 1 E). When the patterns of airflow of the HTBP in 1 g were compared to microgravity conditions (Fig. 1 E) it was seen that the modified patternsof airflow were eerily similar to candle flames observed in spaceflight experiments. Under normal 1g conditions, the HTBP flows upwards via buoyancy, like the flame of a candle that is sculpted by the forces of gravity into a teardrop shape. In microgravity, the HTBP disperses away from the body isotropically rather than in any particular direction, like the spherical microgravity flame (Fig. 1 E). Theoretically, loss of efficiency in respiration can only be partially compensated by an increase in breathing frequency. But to what extent does the HTBP contribute to thermal / chemical mass transport and exchange? The inventors answered this question using biophysical simulations of respiratory efficiencies of CO2exchange in microgravity (Figs. 2 and 3), where the inventors simulated CO2concentration distribution profiles associated with human respiratory exchange as a function of gravity.

[0046] At least one embodiment of the model was designed to accommodate the computational volume to simulate the proper conditions and to determine the full impact of BTC on human CO2exchange. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the inventors' BTC-HTBP model was simulated in a volume of space that would allow for full coverage of the human body and therefore allow for full modeling of the HTBP. Since this computational model covered such a large "mathematically simulated" volume, the inventors of the present disclosure adopted two constraints. First, the physiological respiratory pause between inspiration and expiration was omitted to improve temporal domain processing performance. This restricted the physical model such that the impacts of physiological breathing responses would not interfere with the fundamental biophysical system analysis integrity. Second, the inventors of the present disclosure decided to focus on mouth breathing to avoid mixed systems models involving mixed vector flow and nasal dispersal. Both of these changes in breathing cycle dynamics would preferentially increase dispersal of CO2exhaled in microgravity over 1g and therefore were considered to be unproblematic for the model.

[0047] Fig. 2 depicts the role of biothermal convection and human thermal body plume (BTC- HTBP in respiratory CO2gas exchange modeled using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approaches to depict the impact of microgravity exposure on respiratory efficiency. Under 1g conditions (1g upper panels, red text, symbols and line plot) candle flame morphology is nominal and air flow follows the HTBP during numerous cycles of ventilatory breathing (upper panels). In contrast, the microgravity environment (Og lower panels, blue text, symbols, and line plot) is associated with inhibition of buoyancy-driven flow and diffusion features, which physically constrains and deforms the morphology of a burning candle flame, limiting combustion and mass transport. The pattern of flow of exhaled breath in microgravity resembles the morphology of the microgravity candle flame acting like a "bubble" trapped around the source. The cumulative CO2released during a normal gravitation-exposed respiratory cycle (red plot and regression) was modeled to determine the cumulative impact on mass transport and respiratory exchange (central plotted data), and CO2release under microgravity conditions (blue plot and regression). The concentration of CO2being rebreathed in microgravity (blue symbol plot) is significantly higher than under 1g conditions (red symbol plot). This difference can be appreciated from the beginning of the respiratory cycle (a). These plotted profiles show that fairly low CO2exposure levels are favored in the 1g environment (b) as compared to the microgravity simulations, especially with peak levels of CO2rebreathing (c) readily observable early under such conditions, contrasting the later appearance of higher CO2levels in the 1g control. The linear plots of accumulated CO2release indicate that microgravity exposure (blue line plot) is associated with biophysical-CO2- rebreathing and retention in spaceflight when compared to 1g conditions (red line plot).

[0048] The distribution of exhaled CO2in the simulations (Fig. 2) followed thermal gas flow patterns of mass transport and exchange associated with gravity-induced BTC. Under 1g conditions (Fig. 2, upper panels = 1g), exhaled CO2simply moves upwards towards the ceiling and is localized primarily in the upper 50% volume of that airspace. Under microgravity conditions, the thermal / CC>2 exchange leads to accumulation of heat and gasses in the lower half of the simulated volume, localized primarily at the source of emission. The inhibition of the buoyancy- driven flow resulted in physical constraints as demonstrated in the deformation of the morphology of a burning candle flame, leading to limited combustion and mass transport (Fig. 2, lower panels = 0g). The pattern of flow of exhaled breath in microgravity clearly resembles the morphology of the microgravity candle flame, acting like a "bubble" trapped around the source. The model also allowed us to simulate and collect relevant data regarding CO2concentrations at various positions and at specific times throughout the simulation cycle (Fig. 2, central plot and snapshots in upper panels and lower panels), enables precise comparison of normal gravitation-exposed respiratory cycles (upper panels) with the CO2release under microgravity conditions (lower panels). The resulting continuous CC>2-exhalation pattern (central panel) demonstrates that C02-exhalation differences develop from the beginning of the respiratory cycle, allowing a determination of how biophysical microgravity exposure can lead directly to metabolic consequences. The results (Fig. 1 E and 2) justify focusing on basic "real world" simulations of human thermodynamics and respiration, since it enabled for the first time detailed documentation of how human respiration is indirectly connected to gravity. The model demonstrates how gravity is a critical driver of fundamental biophysical mechanisms that are physiologically and evolutionarily conserved and encoded indirectly through our biophysical morphology into our genome

[0049] The simulations were used to calculate cumulative CO2release as a function of normal respiration and gravity. The simulations of human respiratory gas exchange in microgravity reveal how hypercapnia is a prevalent feature due to "biophysical-CC rebreathing" in spaceflight (Fig. 2 microgravity C panel). The concentration of CO2being rebreathed in microgravity (blue plot) is significantly higher than under 1g conditions (red plot). This difference can be appreciated from the beginning of the respiratory cycle (a). The plotted profiles show that fairly low CO2exposure levels are favored in the 1g environment (b) as compared to the microgravity simulations, especially with peak levels of CO2rebreathing (c) readily observable early under such conditions, contrasting the later appearance of higher CO2levels in the 1g control. The real-time plots of local CO2concentrations calculated during the simulations (Fig. 2 line / scatter plots) show how the exhaled CO2bubbles (Fig. 2 microgravity vs 1 g line / scatter plots) are being re-breathed in microgravity, thereby increasing the effective CO2exposures when compared to baseline levels that would be expected under 1g conditions. In 1g, where the HTBP drives flow-induced mass transport and exchange, the transient CO2exposure never increases above 1 .5%, (Fig. 2, middle graph, 1g plot) whereas the microgravity simulation reveals transient CO2exposures above 2.5% (Fig. 2, middle graph, microgravity plot). The model shows that indirect biophysical diffusion limits will increase the biophysical baselines for microgravity CO2bioavailability and exposure to effective levels that are approximately double those for 1g conditions.

[0050] Fig. 3 depicts biophysical simulations of respirometric efficiency of human metabolic gas exchange in spaceflight conditions accounting for temperature and gravity as physical factors in human respiration. For all of these plots the constant 22°C temperature / variable gravity is shown in blue, whereas the 1g control, variable temperature plots are shown in red. The cumulative CO2produced and released was calculated according to the biophysical BTC-HTBP theory (as laid out in Fig. 2). The indirect biophysical diffusion model (IBD) is also compared to the standard RANS baseline. Here the cumulative CO2produced was modeled in a simulation test by altering gravity and air temperature in this system. The results were compared to a theoretical maximal level with no physical inefficiencies. Profiles of the HTBP are shown from two 1 g / variable temperature treatments (24°C and 27°C) with both temperature (middle panels) and y-velocity (bottom panels) in order to visualize the decrease in the integrity of the HTBP at gravitational minimums for BTC. The plume structure is deflected from the head as increased air temperatures decrease the buoyancy forces associated with the temperature gradient. The standing human profile trends warmer from the feet and legs (30-33°C) up to maximal body surface temperatures (35-37°C) around the head, neck and chest. While the plume velocity and structural integrity is decreased at the warmer temperatures (27°C panel); there is still enoughmomentum in the system for BTC transport to facilitate y-axis flow velocity (lower panels 24°C vs. 27°C) for nominal redox exchange at this minimal temperature differential. Using the predictive power of this model it can be seen that combinations of low gravity and high temperatures are particularly problematic, leading to potentially catastrophic conditions in spaceflight.

[0051] The biophysical model for human respiratory exchange depends on the thermodynamic model, overlaid with CO2concentration dynamics. This model is based on the thermodynamic interaction of the human body and exhaled breath, with the atmosphere driving the HTBP. The simulations were used to calculate cumulative CO2release rates in response to variable gravity and changes in air temperature (Fig. 3). This modeling approach was important to use since it enabled us to explore the thermodynamic responses of the simulated human system and to then compare these results to microgravity conditions. In our simulations, the greatest levels of respiratory redox exchange efficiency are associated with cooler temperatures when simulating 1g conditions (Fig. 3). As gravity is decreased, we saw a direct correlation with decreased CO2exhalation (Fig. 3 top plot).

[0052] Likewise, the inventors of the present disclosure realized that buoyancy can be inhibited by eliminating gravity or, alternatively, by eliminating the thermal driver, such as by raising the air temperature to match human body temperature (Fig. 3, 1g plot, temperature and y- velocity panels). As the temperature starts to increase, the difference between the air and the human body surface decreases such that the buoyancy driver for BTC is decreased and eventually neutralized. This is seen by comparing 24°C to 27°C (Fig. 3, temperature and y-velocity panels). The plot also shows that both warmer temperatures (Fig. 3: 29-37°C) and microgravity (Figs. 3 and 4) eliminate BTC and the HTBP, and effectively decrease respiratory redox gas exchange efficiencies by approximately 14%. Our analysis predicts the minimal gravity threshold for Earth-normal respiratory physiological redox exchange is approximately 60-66% of normal earth gravity levels (Fig. 3), which corresponds to gravitational field exposures on the surface of Mars.

[0053] In this work the inventors used theoretical biophysics to distinguish and understand the processes that are indirectly dependent upon gravity for biophysical integrity from those that are mediated by cellular and tissue-level biomechanical action and / or gravity sensing / signaling. For indirect gravitational effects, the inventors of the present disclosure used physics, mechanics, and morphology to model and identify gravity-dependent processes, which can lead to indirect biophysical effects through fluids and gasses. In terms of theoretical biophysics, the key to understanding these indirect effects is to focus on the ubiquitous role that gravity plays in buoyancy-driven convection, and on how that process is inherently and essentially "baked intoevolution." Mass transport and exchange requires convective mixing in order to facilitate biophysical transport. Life as we know it could not have evolved without convective mass transport because diffusion-limited systems functioning at subcellu lar scale distances cannot support mass transport and exchange required by complex multicellular organisms. For example, in the synaptic cleft of a neuron, the diffusional distances and times are on the order of angstroms (10-10m) and microseconds. In contrast, over larger distances of microns (106m) to millimeters (10-3m), the biophysical features of transport and exchange require days to weeks of time, even when driven at theoretical limits with maximum diffusion gradients. Of course, this relationship follows classical distribution (1 / r2) as a function of distance (r) from the source.

[0054] The biophysical model of human body thermodynamics used herein (Fig. 1 E) demonstrates the importance of the HTBP in thermoregulation and, surprisingly, how this exceeds respiratory ventilatory perfusion for mass transfer in terms of thermal regulation and flux. An important element for this study was the definition of a virtual "biophysical workspace" for fluid dynamics simulations, designed to facilitate large-scale buoyancy modeling around a human form. The simulation volume included nominal room headspace, where the full biophysical model can be simulated at reasonable scale. For models of BTC and the HTBP in microgravity, it was important to maintain the fixed position of the human body relative to the changing atmospheric environment and to the indirect effects of microgravity. This ensured that the simulation accounted for physical / chemical parameters as opposed to artifacts that could occur chaotically by repositioning the human source within the virtual simulated room space.

[0055] Regarding convection and diffusion, the candle flame (Fig. 1C) is an excellent model because it is an example of autoconvection - a "thermally self-generating" convective system in which the thermal driver for convective mass transport is not free from the environment but instead physically inheres in the system itself. The candle is an excellent example because the heat of the chemical reaction of the combustion itself provides the energy for the convective engine to drive CO2 / O2 exchange. Everything about the candle system - the shape of the flame, the molten wax cup, the flow patterns of the air around the flame (an oxidizing wax vapor plume) driven by gravity - were famously described by Faraday in his Christmas lectures. Faraday clearly describes how cool and warm air move in order to barter the efficient exchange of combustive oxygen with CO2as a gravity-mediated process. Faraday even introduces the analogy between a burning candle flame and human respiration, noting that respiratory CO2, although toxic to humans, is actually restorative to plants in the broader ecosystem. What Faraday did not do, however, was to consider the specialized conditions of spaceflight and microgravity; as a result, he could not fully explain the similarities between the candle flame and the process of BTC andthe formation of the HTBP. The "heat of combustion" for biothermal convection around the human body is cellular respiration, where oxygen is consumed with hydrocarbon substrates to be enzymatically oxidized. This metabolic heat drives airflow around the human body (like a chimney turned inside out), such that the resulting plume performs just like the candle flame plume in directing airflow for efficient redox exchange via atmospheric gasses (Fig. 4). This new understanding of the biophysical concepts explaining BTC and the HTBP further advances the scientific concepts surrounding what occurs during respiration of the human body .

[0056] Fig. 4 depicts thermal and airflow velocity plots around the human form during respiratory ventilation, at peak exhale / inhale. The impact of the human body plume, and biothermal convective airflow are significant in terms of limiting and restricting buoyant forces such that the "human breathing envelope" (HBE) is a biophysically definable pattern. The results show how the HBE perfectly barters the efficient exchange of respiratory O2 / CO2associated with chemiosmotic phosphorylation and mitochondrial metabolic redox. On Earth, being exposed to normal gravity (upper 1g, Velocity Magnitude panels a and b, and Projected Air Velocity panels a and b) , a prominent wedge of airflow is formed at the base of the chin directed upwards and away from the face and towards the nasal openings (all 1 g panels a and b). In 1 g conditions this specific flow pattern induces a distinct teardrop pattern or shape, intimate to and enshrouding the head, that is prominently missing under microgravity conditions (bottom Og, Velocity Magnitude panels a and b, and Projected Air Velocity a and b). In other words, under 1g conditions the inspiration (negative velocities, i.e., velocities away from the person) and expiration (positive velocities, i.e. , velocities toward the person) are separate and do not mix, while under Og conditions there is significant overlap and mixing of the inspiration and expiration. These plots show the "candle flame" of human respiration.

[0057] The biophysical model shows how disruption of convective airflow by microgravity will reduce the efficiency of respiratory exchange of O2and CO2such that spaceflight crew members are rebreathing exhaled "CO2bubbles." This can be seen with the mixing of the velocity profiles in Figs. 3 and 4. At least one embodiment is configured to check and track CO2concentrations, although other embodiments have application in modeling O2 concentrations and consumption, as the increased CO2during inhalation occurs based on metabolic conversion and volumetric displacement of O2, via reduction to water. Therefore, concurrent conditions for hypoxia and hypercapnia can biophysically manifest in spaceflight, which agrees with previous reports from human spaceflight studies. The simulations support and extend this hypercapnia / hypoxia model in understanding human responses to spaceflight, where increased bioavailability of CO2is being offset hypoxically and vol umetrically by O2 consumption, a direct redox offset associated with thebiophysical features to microgravity respiration. In future work, the IBD model will include oxygen and water vapor content, in addition to CO2, to directly address hypoxia in the next generation of biophysical models.

[0058] Hypercapnia has dire impact due to the toxicity of the metabolic byproduct of cellular respiration. Carbon dioxide is not inert in redox biology, as CO2directly modulates peroxide signaling controlling one-electron and two-electron oxidation reactions mediated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and peroxynitrite (ONOO- / ONOOH). CO2facilitates peroxide-dependent reactions, ROS production, redox signaling and oxidative damage. As a modulator of cellular redox biology, CO2also controls gene expression related to redox and NO metabolism, influencing oxidative and inflammatory processes. The accumulated biochemical evidence from in vitro, in celiuia, and in vivo experiments demonstrate how CO2and peroxide metabolic pathways are functionally linked by key redox events in mammalian cells. This supports a mechanistic model for spaceflight stress and aging through integrative radiation and microgravity (indirect biophysical diffusion) stress in the mitochondria.

[0059] Due to the central role of mitochondrial cellular respiration, microgravity and radiation are potentially synergistic and compounding in mode of action. Specifically, the conditions for hypoxia / hypercapnia due to microgravity predispose systems to radiation in an insidious way. It is also important to at least initially separately consider the biophysical microgravity and radiation effects in order to appreciate the collusion of these mechanistically diverse forms of biophysical stress inputs. Radiation effects are best understood mechanistically from the perspective of radiation therapy (RT), a cancer treatment that causes the production of ROS, which contributes to radiation-induced DNA damage and cancer cell death. ROS can induce apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy and ferroptosis, inducing immune responses. Ionizing radiation generates ROS directly in cells by radiolysis of water molecules and indirectly by damaging mitochondria, thereby leading to increased intracellular ROS. In this context, it is important to note that ROS can also be generated along with various defects in the electron transport pathway of organelles compromised by lipid peroxidation or hyper-oxidation of various organic redox carriers, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.

[0060] ROS and hydrogen peroxide signaling in isolated mitochondria have been studied, and mitochondrial production of these species and their various roles in signaling are known to play a role in human disease and aging. Mitochondria can generate superoxide and / or hydrogen peroxide at high rates from 1 1 documented sites associated with substrate catabolism and the electron transport chain, both in the mitochondrial matrix and on the cytosolic side of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Mitochondrial and cytosolic scavenging of superoxide andhydrogen peroxide facilitate a signal transduction pathway to dynamically control the overall process of cellular respiration based on hydrogen peroxide as the ultimate feedback signal for mitochondrial respiration. These balances allow small changes in mitochondrial electron transport activity to alter steady-state levels of hydrogen peroxide to initiate different cellular signaling pathways including those associated with frailty and aging.

[0061] The connection between ROS and human aging is well understood from the perspective of inflammatory pathology and cellular stress. The ultimate control of mitochondria and anabolic / catabolic metabolic balances are regulated through peroxide sensing in the mitochondria, as a direct indicator of respiratory integrity. Therefore, cells sense peroxide as a positive indicator of the respiratory redox system, and if the levels of hydrogen peroxide rise too high during cellular stress events, the induction of peroxide signaling will modulate signaling pathways controlling mitochondrial respiration and proliferation. Furthermore, mitochondrial stress directly induced by increased levels of radiation exposure can act together with IBD features for metabolic CO2 / O2 exchange. This synergistic interplay helps explain the mitochondrial / metabolic etiology of spaceflight-induced aging in humans. Finally, spaceflight- induced human aging can be recognized as a universal and ubiquitous mode of spaceflight- induced stress. It is a particularly insidious biophysical stress network because it explicitly and fundamentally integrates radiation and microgravity in terms of impact on basic cellular respiration.

[0062] A requirement for human survival is a breathable atmosphere. The inventors of the present disclosure realized that understanding the impact of BTC and the HTBP on the respiratory exchange of redox gasses can have profound implications for spaceflight. Astronauts and crew have long complained about the quality of the breathing atmosphere on the space shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS) claiming that "CO2bubbles" or "pockets" disrupt sleep, cause headaches and impair cognitive performance. Using the theoretical biophysics approach of the inventors, the results explain a likely reason why this occurs and demonstrates how hypercapnic rebreathing is prevalent feature of the microgravity atmosphere. But the physiological impact of respiratory redox exchange failure is not just significant on its own; it is also highly synergistic with spaceflight radiation, which is mediated through hydrogen peroxide signaling and therefore directly modifies mitochondrial systems. This is further exacerbated by the already problematic issue of elevated CO2concentrations in the space environment, which was described by astronaut Scott Kelly as the "bane of his existence" during his one-year mission on the ISS.

[0063] In determining how gravity and thermodynamics mechanistically influence biological processes, the biophysical HTBP model was clearly demonstrated (see, Figs. 3, 4, and 5) to behighly responsive to temperature changes, where warmer air temperatures (air temp = body temp dT = 0°C) inhibit buoyant density gradients required for BTC and the HTBP. This result has direct applications for a mechanistic understanding of heat stress in humans, where increasing temperatures are associated with inflammation and respiratory stress in at-risk individuals, leading to increases in emergency hospital admissions. Moreover, detrimental and prolonged heat waves are becoming more common due to climate change, and individuals with pre-existing conditions or workers exposed to this changing environment are becoming increasingly predisposed to respiratory stress. Understanding the environmental biophysics of gravity in human health as well as the role of the HTBP represent a significant step forward in the fundamental understanding of medical biophysics. This is illustrated in Fig. 5, which shows how thermal stress is equivalent to IBD stress due to microgravity. This new biophysical approach and its associated concepts therefore have the potential for developing new therapies and treatment of respiratory health not just in space, but also on Earth.

[0064] Fig. 5 depicts profiles of CO2(top panels) and air velocity (bottom panels) for microgravity (pg / 22°C, left), gravity (1g / 22°C, middle), and hot / thermal (1g / 37°C) conditions. The breathing envelope structure in nominal 1g / 22°C conditions fails when either gravity is "turned off" (i.e., by orbiting the earth in a Og / microgravity environment) or the heat is "turned up."

[0065] This understanding and analysis of the effects of microgravity and high heat environments enables the inventors to develop new microgravity countermeasures, thereby enhancing and protecting future space explorers. The biophysical model developed by the inventors explains how microgravity exposure can cause accumulation of respired CO2at the source of production, thereby explaining the infamous space "CO2bubbles" and "pockets." This model of IBD has been adapted to engineer a biosensor-based approach enabling medical / environmental monitoring technology with application for the control of air exchange systems for spacecraft and space habitation systems operating in reduced gravity conditions. One potential countermeasure is to increase atmospheric advection to crew locations by controlling an an air exchanger (e.g., an "AI / ML smart air exchanger") as part of the vehicle's environmental control and life support system (ECLSS). Developing countermeasures such as these is important for future human spaceflight, especially in the context of traveling beyond low earth orbit (LEO).

[0066] Functional countermeasures addressing long-term requirements for human exploration into deep space are needed. The Apollo program saw a total of nine spaceflight missions carrying humans beyond LEO and into regions of increased deep space radiation exposure. Out of those missions, a total of 24 humans traveled beyond the Van Allen belts, outside the protective radiation shield and into the harshness of galactic cosmic radiation. At thattime, and given the political importance of those missions, our ability to study crew biological and medical responses was less advanced and of lower priority. We now know that the rates of cardiovascular disease for those brief lunar mission crews are 400-500% greater than those of ISS crews spending several months in LEO. This emphasizes the importance of biophysical systems, as we now face these challenges once again. The biophysical conceptual framework for IBD stress is very important in order to advance and leverage future capabilities and to engineer a next generation bioastronautics exploration architecture capable of supporting, for example, an expeditionary lunar outpost.

[0067] The results disclosed herein demonstrate that the gravity-dependent HTBP drives nominal respiratory gas exchange for humans on Earth and in space. The work expressed herein reveals how the fundamental force of gravity can indirectly, but significantly, impact living systems in spaceflight by altering the biophysical activity and bioavailability of fluids and gasses required for normal physiology. It also demonstrates how terrestrial heat stress can induce respiratory hypercapnia similar to that experienced in microgravity. These fundamental biophysical principles scale from cells to whole organisms, and also provide a theoretical framework for advanced biophysical approaches to enable deep space human habitation, such as an expeditionary lunar outpost. As human spaceflight transitions to a territory of deep space radiation risks, it is important for future mission success to understand, embrace, and advance biophysical concepts and countermeasures as part of an integrated and comprehensive bioastronautics approach to space exploration.

[0068] Fig. 6 depicts a wearable headset 100 adapted for use to monitor respiratory conditions around the wearer and to optionally initiate remediation measures according embodiments of the present disclosure. The wearable headset 100 can include one or more sensors (e.g., one or more CO2sensors 110, one or more humidity sensors 120, and / or one or more temperature sensors 130) affixed thereon for actively monitoring conditions around the wearer's head. Example embodiment include two or more CO2sensors 110 affixed to different locations on the headset 100 for actively monitoring the CO2conditions around the head of the wearer. Specifically, the CO2sensors 110 may be positioned in distinct locations, such as on the forehead, chin and / or back of the head of the wearer, as illustrated in Fig. 6. In other embodiments, the CO2sensors 1 10 may be positioned elsewhere to detect CO2levels surrounding the wearer. Headset 100 may also include one or more humidity sensors 120 and / or one or more temperature sensors 130 for further monitoring of the air conditions around the head of the wearer.

[0069] Each sensor may be configured to continuously (or periodically) monitor the conditions and provide this information to an environmental control system, e.g., an environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) or a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system). For example, each sensor may relay its information to a processing unit 140, which can communicate with an environmental control system. The processing unit 140 may be configured to analyze the data received from the one or more sensors and determine whether the conditions around the head of the wearer fall within acceptable (i.e., adequate respiratory air quality) ranges for the wearer. If the air conditions fall outside of an acceptable range, the processor may be configured to activate an air circulation element 150 (e.g., a fan or blower) of the environmental control system, positioned on the headset, or near the wearer to circulate the air as needed to bring the air conditions back within acceptable ranges.

[0070] Alternate embodiments utilize a subset of the sensors 110 depicted in Fig. 6, while still further embodiments utilize additional sensors 110, and in these embodiments the sensors 1 10 may be located in alternate positions.

[0071] Depicted in Figs. 7A-7D is a wearable headset 200 for monitoring respiratory conditions around the wearer and optionally initiating remediation measures according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Headset 200 includes one or more sensors (e.g., one or more CO2sensors 210, one or more humidity sensors 220 and / or one or more temperature sensors 230) for determining the atmosphere surrounding a wearer's nose and mouth. In the illustrated embodiment, headset 200 includes a CO2sensor 210A located above the wearer's face (e.g., on the wearer's forehead). Another CO2sensor may be located under the wearer's face (e.g., under the wearer's chin, such as sensor 210B) or on the back of the wearer's head (such as sensor 210C). In a further embodiment the wearable headset 200 includes all three sensors: CO2sensor 210A located above the wearer's face, CO2sensor 210B located under the wearer's face, and CO2sensor 210C located on the back of the wearer's head. Additional embodiments of headset 200 may also include one or more humidity sensors 220 and / or one or more temperature sensors 230 as depicted in Figs. 7A-7D.

[0072] One or more of the sensors may be connected via electrical connection wires 260 and / or may be connected via wireless communications. The sensors may also be connected (via wired or wireless connections) to a processor 240, which may receive and process signals from the sensors to determine environmental (e.g., CO2) levels in the environment surrounding the user. If the CO2levels are outside a predetermined range (e.g., above a threshold), the processor 240 can turn on an air mover 250 to move air in and around the area surrounding the wearer's nose and mouth and decrease levels of undesirable gasses, such as CO2. In some embodimentsthe air mover 250 is connected to the wearable headset 200, while in other embodiments the air mover is external to the wearable headset 200, such as being part of the environmental control system that controls the environment in which the wearer is located. In some embodiments the processor 240 may activate an alarm or other indication to alert the wearer and / or others that the CO2levels around the wearer are at undesirable levels.

[0073] Headset 200 can also include mounting elements 280 for attaching the headset 200 to the wearer. Mounting elements 280 may include rigid and / or flexible components, such as adjustable bands, elastic bands, caps, balaclavas, and adhesive strips.

[0074] Headset 200 can also include a power unit 270 to supply power to the various components of headset 200.

[0075] It should be understood that various forms of the headset have been contemplated, such as by moving the sensors and circulation element into different locations and / or utilizing a subset of the described sensors. The headset may further include various other components generally found in headsets, such as speakers, microphones, wireless or wired electronics, batteries, or other sensors utilized for purposes not described herein.

[0076] Reference systems that may be used herein can refer generally to various directions (for example, upper, lower, forward and rearward), which are merely offered to assist the reader in understanding the various embodiments of the disclosure and are not to be interpreted as limiting. Other reference systems may be used to describe various embodiments, such as those where directions are referenced to the portions of the device, for example, toward or away from a particular element, or in relations to the structure generally (for example, inwardly or outwardly).

[0077] While examples, one or more representative embodiments and specific forms of the disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive or limiting. The description of particular features in one embodiment does not imply that those particular features are necessarily limited to that one embodiment. Some or all of the features of one embodiment can be used in combination with some or all of the features of other embodiments as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, whether or not explicitly described as such. One or more exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, and all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.

[0078] Fig. 8 illustrates a system 800, such as a system for enabling detection and mitigation of carbon dioxide levels in the vicinity of a user, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 800 may be used to implement the procedures and methods disclosed herein and may include one or more communication interfaces 812, one or more input interfaces828 and / or system circuitry 814. The system circuitry 814 may include one or more processors 816. Alternatively or in addition, the system circuitry 814 may include one or more memory units 820.

[0079] The one or more processors 816 may be in communication with the one or more memory units 820, one or more sensors 821 (for example, one or more carbon dioxide sensors) and one or more air movers 822 (which may be part of the environmental control system or the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system). In some examples, the one or more processors 816 may also be in communication with additional elements, such as the one or more communication interfaces 812, the one or more input interfaces 828, and / or the one or more user interfaces 818. Examples of the one or more processors 816 may include one or more of the following: general processors, central processing units, logical CPUs / arrays, microcontrollers, servers, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), graphics processing units (GPU), and / or digital circuits, analog circuits, or some combinations thereof..

[0080] The one or more processors 816 may be one or more devices operable to execute logic. The logic may include computer executable instructions or computer code stored in the one or more memory units 820 or in other memory that when executed by the one or more processors 816, cause the one or more processors 816 to perform the operations of (or for) one or more sensing processes deployments 908, one or more computational processes deployments 910, one or more communication process deployments 912, one or more database ingestion deployments 924, and / or one or more controllers 926. The computer code may include instructions executable with the one or more processors 816.

[0081] The one or more memory units 820 may be any device(s) for storing and retrieving data or any combination thereof. The one or more memory units 820 may include non-volatile and / or volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) and / or flash memory. Alternatively or in addition, the one or more memory units 820 may include one or more optical drives, magnetic (e.g., "hard") drives, solid-state drives or any other form of data storage device. The one or more memory units 820 may include at least one of the one or more deployments 908, 910, 912, 914, and / or the one or more controllers 926. Alternatively or in addition, the memory may include any other component or subcomponent of the system 800 described herein.

[0082] The one or more user interfaces 818 may include any interface for displaying graphical information. The system circuitry 814 and / or the one or more communications interfaces 812 may communicate signals or commands to the one or more user interfaces 818 that may cause oneor more user interfaces to display graphical information. Alternatively or in addition, the one or more user interfaces 818 may be remote to the system 800 and / or the system circuitry 814. The one or more communication interfaces 182 may communicate instructions, such as HTML, to the one or more user interfaces 818 to cause the one or more user interfaces 818 to display, compile, and / or render information content. In some examples, the content displayed by the one or more user interfaces 818 may be interactive or responsive to user input. For example, the one or more user interfaces 818 may communicate signals, messages, and / or information back to the one or more communications interface 812 and / or to the system circuitry 814. Communications between the various components and / or features of system 800 may be conducted via wired and / or wireless connections between individual components.

[0083] The system 800 may be implemented in many ways. In some examples, the system 800 may be implemented with one or more logical components. For example, the one or more logical components of the system 800 may be hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The one or more logical components may include the one or more process deployments 908, 910, 912, 914, controller(s) 926, the system 800 and / or any component or subcomponent of the system 800. In some examples, each of the one or more logic components may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), one or more digital logic circuits, one or more analog circuits, one or more combinations of discrete circuits, gates, or any other type of hardware or combination thereof. Alternatively or in addition, each component may include memory hardware, such as a portion of the one or more memory units 820, for example, that comprise instructions executable with the one or more processors 816 and / or one or more other processors to implement one or more of the features of the logical components. When any one of the logical components includes a portion of the memory that comprises instructions executable with the one or more processors 816, the component may or may not include the one or more processors 816. In some examples, each logical component may just be the portion of the one or more memory units 820 or other physical memory that comprises instructions executable with the one or more processors 816, or other processor(s), to implement the features of the corresponding component without the component including any other hardware. Because each component can include at least some hardware even when the included hardware comprises software, each component may be interchangeably referred to as a hardware component.

[0084] Some features are shown stored in a computer readable storage medium (for example, as logic implemented as computer executable instructions or as data structures in memory). All or part of the system and its logic and data structures may be stored on, distributedacross, and / or read from one or more types of computer readable storage media. Examples of the computer readable storage medium may include one or more of the following: hard disks, floppy disks, CD-ROM units, flash drives, caches, volatile memory units, non-volatile memory units, RAM units, flash memory units, and / or any other type of computer readable storage medium or storage media. The computer readable storage medium may include one or more of any type of non-transitory computer readable medium, such as one or more CD-ROMs, volatile memories, non-volatile memories, ROM units, RAM units, and / or other suitable storage devices.

[0085] The processing capability of the system may be distributed among multiple entities, such as among multiple processors and memories, optionally including multiple distributed processing systems. Parameters, databases, and other data structures may be separately stored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory or database, may be logically and physically organized in many different ways, and may be implemented with different types of data structures such as linked lists, hash tables, or implicit storage mechanisms. Logic, such as programs or circuitry, may be combined or split among multiple programs, distributed across several memories and processors, and may be implemented in a library, such as a shared library (for example, a dynamic link library (DLL).

[0086] All of the discussion, regardless of the particular implementation described, is illustrative in nature, rather than limiting. For example, although selected aspects, features, or components of the implementations are depicted as being stored in memory(s), all or part of the system or systems may be stored on, distributed across, or read from other computer readable storage media, for example, secondary storage devices such as hard disks, flash memory drives, floppy disks, and CD-ROMs. Moreover, the various logical units, circuitry and screen display functionality is but one example of such functionality and any other configurations encompassing similar functionality are possible.

[0087] The respective logic, software or instructions for implementing the processes, methods and / or techniques discussed herein may be provided on computer readable storage media. The functions, acts or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein may be executed in response to one or more sets of logic or instructions stored in or on computer readable media. The functions, acts or tasks are independent of the particular type of instruction sets, storage media, processors or processing strategies and may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, micro code and the like, operating alone or in combination. Likewise, processing strategies may include multiprocessing, multitasking, parallel processing and the like. In one example, the instructions are stored on a removable media device for reading by local or remote systems. In other examples, the logic or instructions are stored in a remote location for transferthrough a computer network or over telephone lines. In yet other examples, the logic or instructions are stored within a given computer and / or central processing unit ("CPU").

[0088] Furthermore, although specific components are described above, methods, systems, and articles of manufacture described herein may include additional, fewer, or different components. For example, a processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, microcontroller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), discrete logic, or a combination of other types of circuits or logic. Similarly, memories may be DRAM, SRAM, Flash or any other type of memory. Flags, data, databases, tables, entities, and other data structures may be separately stored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory or database, may be distributed, or may be logically and physically organized in many different ways. The components may operate independently or be part of a same apparatus executing a same program or different programs. The components may be resident on separate hardware, such as separate removable circuit boards, or share common hardware, such as a same memory and processor for implementing instructions from the memory. Programs may be parts of a single program, separate programs, or distributed across several memories and processors.

[0089] Moreover, one or more of the features and / or items depicted in Fig. 8 may be implemented utilizing cloud computing, resulting in the hardware being in different physical locations and communicating via a network, such as the internet, that allows hardware that is located remotely to other hardware to nevertheless communicate with one another.

[0090] A second action may be said to be "in response to" a first action independent of whether the second action results directly or indirectly from the first action. The second action may occur at a substantially later time than the first action and still be in response to the first action. Similarly, the second action may be said to be in response to the first action even if intervening actions take place between the first action and the second action, and even if one or more of the intervening actions directly cause the second action to be performed. For example, a second action may be in response to a first action if the first action sets a flag and a third action later initiates the second action whenever the flag is set.

[0091] Reference systems that may be used herein can refer generally to various directions (e.g., upper, lower, forward and rearward), which are merely offered to assist the reader in understanding the various embodiments of the disclosure and are not to be interpreted as limiting.

[0092] To clarify the use of and to hereby provide notice to the public, the phrases "at least one of A, B, ... and N" or "at least one of A, B, ... N, or combinations thereof" or "A, B, ... and / or N" are defined by the Applicant in the broadest sense, superseding any other implied definitions hereinbefore or hereinafter unless expressly asserted by the Applicant to the contrary, to meanone or more elements selected from the group comprising A, B, ... and N. In other words, the phrases mean any combination of one or more of the elements A, B, ... or N including any one element alone or the one element in combination with one or more of the other elements which may also include, in combination, additional elements not listed. As one example, "A, B and / or C" indicates that all of the following are contemplated: "A alone," "B alone," "C alone," "A and B together," "A and C together," "B and C together," and "A, B and C together." If the order of the items matters, then the term "and / or" combines items that can be taken separately or together in any order. For example, "A, B and / or C" indicates that all of the following are contemplated: "A alone," "B alone," "C alone," "A and B together," "B and A together," "A and C together," "C and A together," "B and C together," "C and B together," "A, B and C together," "A, C and B together," "B, A and C together," "B, C and A together," "C, A and B together," and "C, B and A together."

[0093] While examples, one or more representative embodiments and specific forms of the disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive or limiting. The description of particular features in one embodiment does not imply that those particular features are necessarily limited to that one embodiment. Some or all of the features of one embodiment can be used or applied in combination with some or all of the features of other embodiments unless otherwise indicated. One or more exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, and all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.ELEMENT NUMBERING

[0094] Table 1 includes element numbers and at least one word used to describe the element and / or feature represented by the element number. However, none of the embodiments disclosed herein are limited to these descriptions. Other words may be used in the description or claims to describe a similar member and / or feature, and these element numbers can be described by other words that would be understood by a person of ordinary skill reading and reviewing this disclosure in its entirety.Table 1

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising: a headset configured to be worn by a user; a first carbon dioxide sensor connected to the headset, wherein the first carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent the user's forehead and detects carbon dioxide levels in the vicinity of the user's forehead when the headset is worn by a user; and a second carbon dioxide sensor connected to the headset, wherein the second carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent to one of the user's chin or the back of the user's head; wherein when the headset is worn by a user the second carbon dioxide sensor detects carbon dioxide levels in the vicinity of the user's chin when the second carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent the user's chin, or detects carbon dioxide levels in the vicinity of the back of the user's head when the second carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent the back of the user's head; wherein information related to the carbon dioxide level sensed by the first carbon dioxide sensor and the carbon dioxide level sensed by the second carbon dioxide sensor is communicated to an environmental control system that affects the user's environment; and wherein the environmental control system changes the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the first carbon dioxide sensor and the second carbon dioxide sensor are not within a predefined acceptable range.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environmental control system changes the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the first carbon dioxide sensor have decreased below a first predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus of claims 1 or 2, wherein the environmental control system changes the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the second carbon dioxide sensor have increased above a second predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:a third carbon dioxide sensor connected to the headset, wherein the third carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent to the other of the user's chin or the back of the user's head; wherein when the headset is worn by a user the third carbon dioxide sensor detects carbon dioxide levels in the vicinity of the user's chin when the third carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent the user's chin, or detects carbon dioxide levels in the vicinity of the back of the user's head when the third carbon dioxide sensor is positioned adjacent the back of the user's head; wherein the information that is communicated to the environmental control system is further related to the carbon dioxide level sensed by the third carbon dioxide sensor; and wherein the environmental control system changes the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the first carbon dioxide sensor, the second carbon dioxide sensor and the third carbon dioxide sensor are not within a predefined acceptable range.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the environmental control system increases the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the first carbon dioxide sensor have decreased below a first predetermined threshold.

6. The apparatus of claims 4 or 5, wherein the environmental control system increases the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the second carbon dioxide sensor or the third carbon dioxide sensor have increased above a second predetermined threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the environmental control system increases the airflow of the environmental control system when the information indicates that the carbon dioxide levels detected by the first carbon dioxide sensor have decreased below a first predetermined threshold, the carbon dioxide levels detected by the second carbon dioxide sensor have increased above a second predetermined threshold, and the carbon dioxide levels detected by the third carbon dioxide sensor have increased above a third predetermined threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a controller configured to: receive the information; compare the carbon dioxide level of the first carbon dioxide sensor to the first predetermined threshold, compare the carbon dioxide level of the second carbon dioxide sensor to the second predetermined threshold, and compare the carbon dioxide level of the third carbon dioxide sensor to the third predetermined threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a temperature sensor connected to the headset, wherein the temperature sensor detects the temperature in the vicinity of the user, and the information includes information related to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, the controller is configured to compare the temperature level of the temperature sensor to a fourth predetermined threshold, and the environmental control system increases the airflow of the environmental control system when the temperature level of the temperature sensor exceeds the fourth predetermined threshold.

10. The apparatus of claims 8 or 9, further comprising a humidity sensor connected to the headset, wherein the humidity sensor detects the humidity in the vicinity of the user, and the information includes information related to the humidity sensed by the humidity sensor, the controller is configured to compare the humidity level of the humidity sensor to a fifth predetermined threshold, and the environmental control system increases the airflow of the environmental control system when the humidity level of the humidity sensor exceeds the fifth predetermined threshold.11 . A method, comprising: detecting a first carbon dioxide level in the vicinity of a person's forehead;detecting a second carbon dioxide level in the vicinity of one of the person's chin or the back of the person's head; comparing the first carbon dioxide level to a first predetermined threshold; comparing the second carbon dioxide level to a second predetermined threshold; and increasing the airflow around the person's head when the first carbon dioxide level is below the first predetermined threshold, or the second carbon dioxide level is above the second predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 1 1 , wherein said increasing the airflow occurs when the first carbon dioxide level is below the first predetermined threshold, and the second carbon dioxide level is above the second predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 1 1 , further comprising: detecting a third carbon dioxide level in the vicinity of the other of the person's chin or the back of the person's head; comparing the third carbon dioxide level to a third predetermined threshold; and increasing the airflow around the person's head when the first carbon dioxide level is below the first predetermined threshold, the second carbon dioxide level is above the second predetermined threshold, or the third carbon dioxide level is above the third predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising : increasing the airflow around the person's head when the first carbon dioxide level is below the first predetermined threshold, the second carbon dioxide level is above the second predetermined threshold, and the third carbon dioxide level is above the third predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: detecting a temperature level in the vicinity of the person; and comparing the temperature level to a fourth predetermined threshold; wherein said increasing the airflow around the person's head includes increasing the airflow when the temperature exceeds the fourth predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claims 13 to 15, further comprising :detecting a humidity level in the vicinity of the person; and comparing the humidity level to a fifth predetermined threshold; wherein said increasing the airflow around the person's head includes increasing the airflow when the humidity exceeds the fifth predetermined threshold.

17. An apparatus for mitigating harmful gasses in the vicinity of a person's face, comprising: a headset configured to be worn by a user; means for increasing the airflow of an environmental control system in the vicinity of the user when the carbon dioxide in the vicinity of the user's forehead is below a first predetermined threshold, said means including a carbon dioxide sensor attached to the headset.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: means for increasing the airflow of an environmental control system in the vicinity of the user when the carbon dioxide in the vicinity of the user's chin is above a second predetermined threshold.

19. The apparatus of claims 17 or 18, further comprising: means for increasing the airflow of an environmental control system in the vicinity of the user when the carbon dioxide in the vicinity of the back of the user's head is above a third predetermined threshold.

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