Negative pressure respiratory treatment hood system

A negative pressure respiratory treatment hood system, comprising:

• a rigid hood of unitary construction comprising front, rear, and side walls and formed from a substantially clear material, said rigid hood comprising rounded inner surfaces joining said walls, forming an interior space with a size and shape designed to receive a patient's head within said interior space when said patient is lying prone, said rigid hood comprising an opening in said front wall;
• a hinged door mounted proximal said opening in said front wall, said hinged door movable between a first, closed position and a second, open position, wherein said hinged door in said first closed position partially closes said opening, said system further comprising one or more latches holding said hinged door sealed against said hood in said first, closed position;
• a shroud attached to said hood, said shroud shaped and dimensioned to drape over a patient's body when said patient's head is positioned within said hood and said patient's body extends through said opening in said front wall, said shroud being releasably attachable to said walls of said hood, said shroud creating at least a partial pressure seal around said patient's body;
• one or more access openings within said walls of said hood of sufficient size to permit access by a health care worker into said interior space of said hood, each of said one or more access openings covered by an elastic material having an opening therein, said opening in said elastic material and said elastic material permitting said health care worker to access said interior space of said hood while maintaining a pressure seal around said health care worker's body or medical equipment;
• a flap which bears against said opening in said elastic material and forms a pressure seal against same, said flap being movable to permit access through said opening in said elastic material;
• and
• a connection for attachment of a negative pressure source to said interior space of said hood.

A method of creating a negative pressure environment around the head of a human medical patient and carrying out a medical procedure within said negative pressure environment, comprising the steps of:

• a) positioning said human medical patient upon a table;
• b) placing a rigid hood over said medical patient so as to receive said medical patient's head within an interior space of said rigid hood, at least a portion of said hood being sufficiently transparent that said medical patient within said hood can be viewed therein, said rigid hood comprising walls and comprising an opening in a front wall with said medical patient's body extending through said opening, said rigid hood further comprising a hinged door mounted proximal said opening in said front wall, said hinged door movable between a first, closed position and a second, open position, wherein said hinged door in said first closed position partially closes said opening, said system further comprising one or more latches holding said hinged door sealed against said hood in said first, closed position;
• c) draping a shroud over said patient's body and securing said shroud to said hood, said shroud creating at least a partial pressure seal around said patient's body;
• and
• d) connecting a negative pressure source to said interior space of said hood and creating a negative pressure environment therein.