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EP-4370889-B1 - SEAL EVALUATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION DEVICES

EP4370889B1EP 4370889 B1EP4370889 B1EP 4370889B1EP-4370889-B1

Inventors

  • MANNER, Marie D.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220705

Claims (15)

  1. A system (600) for a personal protective equipment (PPE) device, the system comprising: an infrared camera (612) that captures an image sequence of a user wearing the PPE device; a gas profile generator (664) that analyzes the image sequence and generates a gas profile of a gas for the PPE device; an analyzer that determines a status of the PPE device based on the gas profile; and a communication component (608) that communicates the status; wherein the gas comprises carbon dioxide, and characterized in that the infrared camera includes a carbon dioxide filter.
  2. The system (600) of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is a leak detector (626), and wherein the PPE status comprises a seal quality.
  3. The system (600) of claim 2, wherein the leak detector (626), further provides a leak location indication.
  4. The system (600) of any of claims 1-3, wherein the PPE device comprises a respiratory protection device (200) with a valve, and wherein the analyzer is a valve analyzer and wherein the PPE status is a faulty valve.
  5. The system (600) of any of claims 1-4, wherein the gas profile generator (664) generates the gas profile based on a set of images of an exhale of a wearer of the PPE.
  6. The system (600) of claim 5, and further comprising an image identifier that identifies the set of images as indicative of the exhale.
  7. The system (600) of claim 1, wherein the communication component (608) comprises a graphical user interface generator (690) that generates a graphical user interface (680) for a display of a mobile computing system.
  8. A method (500) for checking a personal protective equipment (PPE) device, the method comprising: capturing an infrared image, using an IR camera, of a wearer of the PPE device (block 510); generating a gas flow profile of a gas, based on the IR image, for the PPE device, from the captured image (block 530); based on the gas flow profile, identifying a status of the PPE device (block 540); and communicating the PPE status, using a communication component; wherein the gas comprises carbon dioxide and characterized in that the IR camera has a carbon dioxide filter.
  9. The method (500) of claim 8, wherein the gas further comprises water vapor.
  10. The method (500) of claim 8 or 9, wherein the infrared image captures the wearer exhaling.
  11. The method (500) of any of claims 8-10, wherein the infrared image captures the wearer inhaling.
  12. The method (500) of any of claims 8-11, wherein the PPE status is a leak within a seal of the PPE (block 556).
  13. The method (500) of any of claims 8-12, wherein the PPE status is a leaky connection between a first PPE component and a second PPE component.
  14. The method (500) of any of claims 8-13, and further comprising the wearer activating an application on a computing device and, based on the activation, automatically completing the steps of capturing, generating and identifying.
  15. The method (500) of any of claims 8-14, wherein the method further comprises: identifying a type of the PPE; comparing the gas flow profile to a database of gas flow profiles associated with the type of PPE; and determining, based on the comparison, whether the PPE has a functional defect (block 546).

Description

Background Many PPE devices include seals that maintain a barrier between the wearer and the external environment, such as dust, mist, bacteria, etc., and are widely used in specific working environments and daily life. Respiratory protection devices and other face coverings are designed to provide a barrier to particulates and airborne or droplet-borne diseases, both by keeping exhalations from an infected individual contained and by providing a barrier from the coughs or exhalations of others. PPE have been required for healthcare and many industrial environments for years, and have seen increasing use as COVID-19 has required their usage in public places globally. Jens Kerl et al describe in their article entitled "Thermal Imaging of Mask Leakage During Pressure-Controlled Ventilation (Bipap Therapy)" published in Somnologie 8: 83-86, 2004, a method to localize leakage in BIPAP Therapy by detection of a drop in temperature of the skin surface of the patient. Jonathan Dowdall et al describe in their article entitled "Thermal Image Analysis for Detecting Facemask Leakage" published in Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 5782, pp 46-53, 2005, the use of a specialized thermal imaging system to detect minute air leakage in masks based on the principles of heat transfer and thermodynamics. Raymond Roberge et al published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 54, No. 9, pp 628-636, 2011, an article entitled "Infrared imaging for leak detection of N95 filtering facepiece respirators: A pilot study". Summary An objective of the present invention is to provide systems and methods for checking the quality of seals and general fitness of PPE worn by an individual in an environment. In-situ seal checks, without significant disruption to the individual, can more accurately detect issues and provide feedback to the individual, which can better protect them from particulates, gas, microbes or other risks. Using infrared imaging to detect CO2 flow patterns provides a quick way to evaluate PPE seals, determine locations of potential cracks or leaks, and provide feedback without significant disruption to the wearer of the PPE. Frequent seal checks, and rapid feedback, may increase safety of the wearer. In one aspect there is provided a system for a PPE device as set out in claim 1. The system includes an infrared camera that captures an image sequence of a user wearing the PPE device. The system also includes a gas profile generator that analyzes the image sequence and generates a gas profile of a gas for the PPE device. The infrared camera includes a carbon dioxide filter, and the gas of the gas profile comprises carbon dioxide. The system also includes an analyzer that determines a status of the PPE device based on the gas profile. The system also includes a communication component that communicates the status. In another aspect there is provided a method for checking a personal protective equipment (PPE) device as set out in claim 8. Brief Description of the Drawings The embodiments of the present invention are described below merely as examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same features or components are represented by the same reference numerals, and the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Further, in the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a view of a respirator.FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate respiratory protection devices (RPDs) worn by users in which embodiments of the present invention may be useful.FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic of a system for checking an RPD seal on an individual in an environment in accordance with embodiments herein.FIGS. 4A-4F are IR images of an individual exhaling and illustrate carbon dioxide flows.FIG. 5 illustrates a method of evaluating PPE by monitoring CO2 flows in accordance with embodiments herein.FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of a PPE evaluation system in accordance with embodiments herein.FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate an environment in which embodiments herein may be useful.FIGS. 8A-8E illustrates PPE that may be evaluated using systems and methods herein.FIG. 9 illustrates a mobile application for form fitting a respiratory protection device to a wearer in accordance with embodiments herein.FIG. 10 illustrates a PPE evaluation system architecture.FIGS. 11-13 illustrate example devices that can be used in embodiments herein. Detailed Description The following descriptions are substantially merely exemplary, and are not intended to limit the present invention, the application, and the use. It should be understood that in all of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals represent the same or similar parts and features. The accompanying drawings illustratively show the idea and principles of the embodiments of the present invention, but do not necessarily show specific size of each embodiment of the present invention and the scale thereof. In some parts of specific accompanying drawings, related details or s