Neck-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator Yoke Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) are cumbersome, difficult to remove, and pose a risk of pathogen exposure due to their design, which can lead to accidental infection and require extensive sterilization, while head-mounted designs are uncomfortable and prone to falling.
Innovation Solution
A PAPR design featuring a yoke that fits around the neck, supported by the shoulders, eliminating the need for external tubes and reducing bulk, with a hood that encloses the head and separates the air intake from potential pathogens, and allows for easier donning and doffing, along with a filter that can be easily replaced and a one-way exhaust valve to vent air away from patients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pump and filter are mounted above the user's head on a headband, then the PAPR can be positioned close to the user's face, but the headband becomes uncomfortable and the PAPR becomes top-heavy and liable to fall off
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a head-mounted configuration to a shoulder-mounted configuration. The yoke is designed to rest on the user's shoulders rather than their head, redistributing the weight load from the head to the shoulders. This dimensional change in mounting location eliminates the top-heavy instability and discomfort associated with headbands while maintaining close proximity to the face through the hood enclosure.
2Device complexity
If the pump and filter are mounted above the user's head, then the PAPR structure is simplified, but the PAPR becomes top-heavy and liable to fall off when the user's head is tilted
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the mounting location from the head to the shoulders, the invention fundamentally changes the spatial distribution of the PAPR components. The yoke resting on the shoulders provides a stable base that does not shift when the head tilts, thereby maintaining reliable retention without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If external tubes are used to connect the pump and filter unit to the face mask, then the PAPR can be modular, but the PAPR becomes bulky and harder to don and doff
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the pump, filter, and face mask into an integrated unit mounted on the shoulders. The air flow passage is contained within the yoke structure itself, eliminating the need for separate external tubes. This integration reduces bulk while maintaining modularity, as the entire assembly can be removed and reattached as a single unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the external tubing from the PAPR design by incorporating the air flow passage directly into the yoke structure. This removal of unnecessary external components reduces bulk and simplifies the donning and doffing process while maintaining the functional separation of modular components.
4Reliability
If the PAPR is designed with multiple external components that need sterilization, then the PAPR can be functional, but the sterilization process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the pump and filter into the yoke structure, the invention reduces the number of separate external components that require sterilization. The merged design means fewer surfaces to clean and sterilize, thereby reducing the time required for the sterilization process while maintaining full functional performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The neck-mounted yoke design improves comfort and mobility, reduces the risk of pathogen exposure, simplifies the removal process, and minimizes the number of surfaces that need sterilization, while the hood and filter configuration enhance safety and ease of use in medical settings.
Implementation Method 1
a pump disposed within an interior of the yoke and configured to pump air from the air inlet to the air outlet via the air flow passage
Implementation Method 2
The pump acts to draw air from the environment through the filter, whereupon the filter removes any harmful substances carried by the air
Implementation Method 3
a one-way exhaust valve configured to vent air from an interior side of the hood to an exterior side of the hood
Data Source
AI summary
A powered air purifying respirator (PARR) has a yoke and a pump. The yoke defines an air inlet and an air outlet fluidly connected via an air flow passage. The pump is disposed within an interior of the yoke and is configured to pump air from the air inlet to the air outlet via the air flow passage. The yoke is shaped to fit around the user's neck and be supported by the user's shoulders. A hood for a PARR has a head portion configured to receive a user's head, and a one-way exhaust valve configured to vent air from an internal environment of the hood to an environment external to the hood. The hood is configured to receive a yoke of the PARR.