WO2022015139A1 - Solar-powered face mask with uv light - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a filtering and air-purifying face mask with solar UV light, with the following main elements: (a) a mask body (16) designed to fit over a person's nose and mouth, which comprises (i) a first layer of breathable fabric, (ii) a second shaping layer of air-filtering fabric, (iii) a third layer of activated carbon between the second shaping layer and a fourth layer, (iv) a fourth layer of fire-retardant air-filtering fabric and (v) a fifth layer of fire-retardant breathable adhesive fabric that adheres to the fourth filtering layer; (b) a strap joined to the mask body; (c) a respirator filter joined to the mask body; and (d) at least two photovoltaic cells joined to the mask body.

Description

MASK WITH UV LIGHT THROUGH SOLAR ENERGY

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to face masks of the type used to filter contaminants for a user, particularly those masks that have light emitting diodes (LEDs).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

According to the World Health Organization, if you have the potential to expose yourself to a person with coronavirus, you should be equipped with protective eyewear, a surgical mask, a medical gown, medical gloves, and a disposable respirator.

People can catch the coronavirus from other people who have the virus. This happens when an infected person sneezes or coughs, sending tiny droplets of fluid into the air. These droplets can land in the nose, mouth, or eyes of someone nearby, or they can also be inhaled.

Transmission can also occur when a person touches a surface infected with germs (infected droplets) and then touches their nose, mouth, or eyes.

It has been suggested that to reduce personal risk of contracting the new coronavirus, one should avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. The mucous membranes (membranes that line various body cavities) are the most susceptible to virus transmission. Today, the population of health personnel is exposed to thousands of bacteria and viruses that can cause different pathologies through transmission routes. Given this problematic situation, it is necessary to know the hygiene measures and actions that reduce the risk of the spread of these diseases among nurses and doctors. Unfortunately, there is a lack of sense of responsibility in the health authorities in the sense of adequately equipping staff .

Maintaining a sterile environment is a challenge while wearing masks. Due to the inherent moisture and heat, masks provide excellent conditions for microbiological growth or colonization. Once colonization has begun, microbiological growth can easily spread to the wearer, either in the air or through moisture condensation going down the lungs, with the risk of infection and complications.

There are several types of face masks. One type is flat. Flat masks fold or fold to allow the mask to conform to the curvature of a human face. Another type of mask is the "cone" or "cup" mask. This type is a molded mask.

All face masks must fit snugly against the wearer's face. The size of the human face varies greatly from person to person. Some faces are smaller and require smaller face masks, while larger faces require larger masks. For example, children have small faces and require smaller masks than adults.

In public health crises, such as pandemics, having face masks of various sizes can cause problems. pandemics require a large number of masks in a short period of time. Consequently, the masks must be manufactured in advance and stored. Public health officials want to avoid a situation where, during a pandemic or other high-need crisis, a particular warehouse runs out of face masks.

Some respirator masks are classified as "disposable" because they are intended to be worn for relatively short periods of time. These masks are typically made from fibrous non-woven fabrics and generally fall into one of two categories, namely foldable masks and cup-shaped masks. Folding masks are packaged flat, but are formed with seams, pleats, and/or creases that allow them to open up into a cup-shaped configuration. In contrast, shaped masks are more or less permanently formed into a desired facial-fitting configuration and generally retain that configuration during use.

Cup-shaped masks regularly include a support structure, usually referred to as a "forming layer," which is commonly made of thermally bonded fibers, which are fibers that bond to adjacent fibers upon heating and cooling. Examples of face masks that are formed from such fibers are described in US Patent No. 4,807,619 to Dyrud and US Patent 4,536,440 to Berg. The masks described in these patents comprise a cup-shaped mask body having at least one shaping layer (sometimes referred to as a "shape retention layer" or "layer") supporting a filtration layer. In relation to the filtration layer, the shaping layer may reside in an internal portion of the mask (adjacent to the wearer's face), or it may reside in an external portion of the mask or both internal and external portions. Typically, the filtration layer resides outside of the inner conformal layer. Conforming layers can also be made of other materials such as a network or mesh of plastic strands, see, eg, US Patent 4,850,347 to Skov ^Q.

In known commercially available products, the filtration layer, whether made by any of the techniques mentioned above, is normally attached to the conforming layer by entanglement of the fibers at the interface between the layers and usually also by a bonding the fibers forming the fiber layer to the filtration layer - see U.S. patent 4,807,619 to Dyrud N ^Q et to the. Also, commonly known masks have a seal around the periphery of the mask body to bond the assembled layers together. Although commonly commercially available masks bond the filtration layer to the conformal layer as just described, US Patent 6,041,782 to Angadjivand et al. indicates that the filter layer can be bonded to the conformal layer cover over its entire inner surface by use of, for example, an appropriate adhesive.

While the art recognizes a variety of ways to make molded filtering face masks, it has nonetheless left room for improvement in the construction of such a product.

Therefore, the inclusion of an ultraviolet (UV) light element in new masks is proposed to improve their usefulness mainly in public health crises, such as pandemics.

It is known that ultraviolet irradiation, particularly in the C band (2537 Angstroms), when administered in adequate doses, is lethal to all known pathogens. Ultraviolet irradiation in bandwidth C (UV-C) is being used to disinfect water supplies, air duct systems, and recently entire patient care areas. The use of UV-C to disinfect face masks has not been achieved to date primarily due to lack of availability of methods to administer UV-C radiation in said masks, the lack of methods to measure the cumulative dosage that ensures adequate decontamination and the lack of availability of methods to measure the levels of UV-C that are delivered to the object to be decontaminated .

Microbes are especially vulnerable to the effects of light at or near wavelengths of 2537 Angstroms, due to the resonance of this wavelength with molecular structures. For the purposes of this document, the term UV-C is used for a wavelength of light that is used for its germicidal properties, this wavelength is in the region of 2537 Angstroms.

Recent advances in fiber optic technology have resulted in LEDs that efficiently emit UV-C rays, providing an opportunity to overcome the difficulty of disinfecting face masks. UVC LEDs have been commercially developed to transmit ultraviolet light waves.

The United States Food and Drug Administration and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention define disinfection as the use of a chemical procedure that eliminates virtually all recognized pathogenic microorganisms, but not necessarily all microbial forms ( for example, bacterial endospores) on inanimate objects. There are three levels of disinfection: high, intermediate and low. High-level disinfection kills all organisms except high levels of bacterial spores and is done with a chemical germicide that is licensed for sale as a sterilant by the Food and Drug Administration.

Intermediate level disinfection kills mycobacteria, most viruses and bacteria with a registered germicide chemical. "tuberculocidal" by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Low-level disinfection kills some viruses and bacteria with a chemical germicide registered as an EPA hospital disinfectant. For the purposes of this document, "disinfection" includes all three levels, although disinfection is not achieved solely by chemical means through the process described here.

The UC Santa Barbara Solid State Lighting and Power Electronics Center (SSLEEC) are developing ultraviolet LEDs that have the ability to decontaminate surfaces, and potentially air and water, that have been in contact with the SARS- VOC-2.

One of the main applications of these LEDs is in hospital environments, with the disinfection of personal protective equipment, surfaces, floors, air conditioning systems, etc.”, however, the work focuses on the advancement of LED technology of ultraviolet light (UVC) for sanitation and purification purposes.

As a technology, disinfection with ultraviolet light has been around for a long time. It is not surprising that in the current pandemic situation caused by the new coronavirus, this technology attracts a lot of attention, since it can be very promising. For example, SeoulSemiconductors, which is a member of the SSLEEC, reported a few days ago how "99.9% sterilization of COVID-19 in 30 seconds" could be achieved with its UV LED products. Their technology is currently being adopted for automotive use, in UV LED lamps that sterilize the interior of unoccupied vehicles.

It is important to note that not all UV wavelengths are created equal. UV-A and UV-B radiation would have to be tested, but the UV-C radiation is a guarantee when used to purify the air and deactivate microbes.

UV-C light in the 260-285 nm range is the most widely used in current disinfection technologies but it can be harmful to human skin, so great care has been taken in the way of applying it in the present invention. .

Before the COVID-19 pandemic gained global momentum, materials scientists at SSLEEC were already working on advancing UV-C LED technology. This area of the electromagnetic spectrum is a relatively new frontier for solid-state lighting; UV-C light is most commonly generated through mercury vapor lamps.

The researchers reported a more elegant method for fabricating high-quality deep ultraviolet (UV-C) LEDs that involves depositing a film of the semiconductor alloy aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate. ), a departure from the more widely used sapphire substrate.

According to Zollner, using silicon carbide as a substrate allows for more efficient and cost-effective growth of high-quality UV-C semiconductor material than using sapphire. This, he explained, is due to how close the materials' atomic structures are.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has added another dimension. As the world races to find vaccines, therapies, and cures for the disease, disinfection, decontamination, and isolation are the few weapons we have to defend ourselves, and the solutions will need to be deployed across the globe. In addition, the production of masks with UV light could be carried out globally. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a mask of the type used to filter contaminants for the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mask that has light emitting diodes (LEDs).

The following description is intended to convey a comprehensive understanding of the described embodiments by providing a number of specific embodiments and details involving methods and systems for managing content presentation and content publication.

It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and details, which are exemplary only.

It is further understood that one skilled in the art, in light of known systems and methods, would appreciate the use of the invention for its intended purposes and benefits in any number of alternate embodiments, depending on specific design and other needs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The foregoing and various other objects and features of this invention will become apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred form and application thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in those who:

Figure 1 is a side view of a UV mask according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the respirator filter of the UV mask according to the present invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front breather filter according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a front view of a UV mask according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a rear view of a UV mask according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional front perspective view of one embodiment of the mask.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an air filtering and sanitizing mask (10), comprising the following main elements: a) a mask body (16) that is adapted to fit over the nose and mouth of a person and that comprises: i ) a first layer (21) of breathable fabric shaping; ii) a second layer (22) of air filterable fabric shaping; iii) a third layer (23) of activated carbon that is disposed between the second and fourth shaping layers; iv) a fourth layer (24) made of air-filterable fire retardant cloth; and v) a fifth conformal layer (25) of adhesive breathable flame retardant fabric adhering the fourth conformal layer to the filtration layer; b) a harness (12) that is attached to the body of the mask; c) a respirator filter (11) that is attached to the body of the mask and d) at least two photovoltaic cells (13) that are attached to the body of the mask.

Where said layers of filterable fabrics of the mask of the present invention means having layers of material adapted for the main purpose of not letting contaminants pass, such as particles of an air current that passes through it, while said conforming layers mean layers that have sufficient structural integrity to retain the desired shape of the mask under normal handling. Where said layers of filterable fireproof fabrics of the mask of the present invention, means having layers of material adapted for the main purpose of not letting contaminants pass, and also refers to fabrics that prevent the masks from catching fire due to a short in the wiring .

The proposed figures show the UV mask of the present invention, whose mask (10) comprises a mask body (16) having a facial adjustment configuration, generally cup-shaped, and a harness that includes two elastic bands (12). ) for the head. Elastic bands 12 are stapleable 26 to the mask body 12 on each side to hold the mask body against the wearer's face.

The forming layers can be formed from at least one layer of fibrous material, which can be molded into a desired shape with the use of heat and retains that shape when cooled.

Furthermore, the mask body could be constructed from a plurality of panels including forming layers, where said layers are molded flat to provide a cup-shaped mask when opened.

In some embodiments, the mask material serves as a filter and is formed into an upper portion and a lower portion, but in the embodiment of the present invention, the mask material has five layers, namely two inner layers, one middle layer of activated carbon and two outer layers.

Figure 4 shows the mask on the outside (17), which is exposed and visible when the mask is worn. The inner or inside part (18), is shown in Figure 5, and is the part of the mask that precedes the last layer, where said last layer can be in contact with the face of the patient. user and should preferably be soft, it can be wet cellulose, tissue or a bicomponent polymer.

The outer part (17) of the mask has the respirator filter (11) in its central part, and solar cells (13) on the sides of said respirator filter, as shown in figure 4.

The inner part (18) of the mask has the part of the respirator filter, where a plurality of UV LEDs (14) are included, preferably UV-C LEDs, as well as the rear part of the solar cells and a battery to power the plurality of UV LEDs.

Figures 2 and 3 show the respirator filter (11) of the present invention, which is attached to the body of the mask, and which includes a plurality of UV LEDs (14).

Said respirator filter (11) forms a cylinder that has an air filter and UV LEDs (14) placed inside said cylinder, equidistantly, with a separation that is a function of the power of the UV LED (14) .

The body of the mask (16) includes a third layer (23) of activated carbon, which is arranged between the second and fourth conformation layers, where said layer of activated carbon has the function of blocking UV, to protect the user against UV radiation, particularly UV-C.

In another embodiment, the mask body 16 may also have an optional corrugated pattern 32 as shown in Figure 6, which may extend through all or some of the layers in the central region of the mask body. Wavy patterns have been used in commercial masks known to improve their resistance to crushing.

However, the present invention may allow good crush resistance to be achieved, without the need for such a wavy pattern in the mask body shaping layers, by having five layers that are required for UV LED use.

In one embodiment of the invention the adhesive layers may extend across the entire surface of the forming layers, or may be discontinuous across said layers.

In the present invention, the adhesive layer means a layer of a substance separate from the substances comprising the filtration and shaping layers, which substance is capable of gluing or bonding two components together, such as fibers in a filtration layer and the materials comprising the conformal layer

The function of the conformal layer is mainly to maintain the shape of the mask body and to support the activated carbon layer. Although the first shaping layer can also function as a thick initial filter for the air that is drawn into the mask.

The respirator filter of the present invention is a preferably C-band disinfectant, which disinfects the air as it passes through said device, subjecting it to closed-circuit emissions of UV radiation.

The phrases "in an embodiment", "according to an embodiment" and the like that appear in the document, generally mean that the particular feature, structure or characteristic that follows the phrase is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention. It is important to note that such phases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The term "irradiance" generally refers to the radiant power reaching a surface per unit area (for example, watts or milliwatts per square centimeter (W/cm2 or mW/cm2).

The phrase "light emitting diode" or the acronym "LED" generally refers to a semiconductor device that contains a pn junction (the junction between a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor) designed to emit specific narrowband wavelengths within of the electromagnetic spectrum through a process known as electroluminescence. According to one embodiment, the light source emits light having a wavelength between 250nm and 700nm.

According to one embodiment, the light emitting unit emits UVA or UVB or UVC or visible (VIS) light. According to this embodiment, the light emitting unit could be a UVA, UVB, UVC or VIS LED diode, preferably a UVC-LED diode.

According to one embodiment, the set comprises a power unit, preferably composed of a battery that is constantly recharged with solar cells, and in another embodiment it may include a remote control used to control the time intervals for doses of UV light.

The array of LEDs according to the invention can be used to disinfect/sterilize the air inlet portion of a device such as a mask.

The intensity of the UV light source has been tested in the present invention as a function of the microbial load of the air drawn through the filter. The intensity of the LED increases with increasing electrical current supplied to the LED diode. The power output of the diode is proportional to the electrical current that drives the diodes. In one embodiment, the electrical current will be in the range of 20-200 mA. With LED diodes with an output of 2 mW, an adequate exposure time for the aspirated air is expected. This invention may assume various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited as described above, but is to be controlled by the limitations set forth in the following claims and any equivalents thereof. It is also to be understood that this invention may be suitably practiced in the absence of any items not specifically described herein.

Claims

Having sufficiently described my invention, I consider as a novelty and therefore I claim as my exclusive property, what is contained in the following clauses: 1 Mask with UV light using solar energy, filtering and sanitizing air, comprising the following main elements: a) a mask body (16), b) a harness (12), c) a respirator filter (11) photovoltaic cells (13). 2. Mask with UV light by means of energy according to claim 1, characterized in that the mask body (16) comprises the following main elements: I. A first layer (21) of breathable fabric formation; II. a second layer (22) of air filterable fabric shaping; III. A third layer (23) of activated carbon that is disposed between the second and fourth shaping layers; IV. A fourth layer (24) of filterable fire retardant fabric for air and V. A fifth conformal layer (25) of adhesive breathable flame retardant fabric adhering the fourth conformal layer to the filtration layer; 3. Mask with UV light using solar energy according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a mask body (16) having a generally cup-shaped facial adjustment configuration and a harness that includes two elastic bands (12) for the head. Elastic bands 12 are stapled 26 to the mask body 12 on each side to hold the mask body against the wearer's face. 4. Mask with UV light using solar energy according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner part (18) of the mask (10) has the part of the respirator filter where a plurality of UV LEDs (14) are included, preferably UV-C LEDs, in addition to the rear part of the solar cells and a battery to power the plurality of UV LEDs.