Closed-circuit combined unit respirator system

A system for closed-circuit combined respiration, comprising:

• a closed-circuit breathing apparatus housed within a sealed case, the closed-circuit breathing apparatus configured to selectively operate in a closed-circuit mode of the system;
• and a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) in fluid communication with the closed-circuit breathing apparatus, the PAPR configured to selectively operate in a PAPR mode of the system;
• a carbon dioxide scrubbing canister configured to receive an exhaled gas and scrub carbon dioxide from the exhaled gas when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• an oxygen bottle, an oxygen bottle valve, and an oxygen bottle regulator configured to infuse the scrubbed gas with oxygen, resulting in an enriched gas when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• a cooler comprising a plurality of heatsink fins configured to cool the enriched gas when in the closed-circuit mode,
• a breathing hose configured to transmit the enriched gas for inhalation when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• wherein the PAPR is configured to intake and filter external air;
• a mode-selective flow control valve disposed between the PAPR and the sealed case,
• wherein in the PAPR mode, the mode-selective flow control valve permits filtered external air produced by the PAPR to enter for powered ambient air respiration, and
• at least a portion of exhaled gas is expelled into an interior volume of the sealed case to create positive case pressure;
• and
• wherein in the closed circuit mode, the mode selective flow control valve blocks filtered external air from entering, and breathing gas is recirculated for closed circuit enriched air respiration;
• and
• wherein on demand switching is permitted between powered ambient air respiration and closed circuit enriched air respiration without removing the apparatus from the user.

A system for closed-circuit combined respiration, comprising:

• a closed-circuit breathing apparatus housed within a sealed case, the closed-circuit breathing apparatus configured to selectively operate in a closed-circuit mode of the system;
• the case configured to further house a breathing bag;
• a carbon dioxide scrubbing canister configured to receive exhaled gas and scrub carbon dioxide from the exhaled gas when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode, wherein the breathing bag is configured to receive the scrubbed gas when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• an oxygen bottle, an oxygen bottle valve, and an oxygen bottle regulator configured to infuse at least one of the exhaled gas and the scrubbed gas with oxygen resulting in enriched gas when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• a cooler comprising a plurality of heatsink fins configured to cool the enriched gas when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• a breathing hose configured to transmit the enriched gas for inhalation when the system is operating in the closed-circuit mode;
• a tube configured to receive the exhaled gas and cause at least a portion of the exhaled gas to bypass the canister when in a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) mode;
• an over-pressure valve (OPV) configured to expel at least the portion of the exhaled gas into an interior of the case, thereby creating positive pressure within the case when in the PAPR mode;
• a barrel valve for the PAPR to selectively control intake and filtering of external air while the barrel valve is open, thereby allowing the filtered external air to flow into the breathing bag when in the PAPR mode, wherein the cooler is configured to receive the filtered external air from the breathing bag and transmit the filtered external air to the breathing hose for inhalation when the system is operating in the PAPR mode;
• wherein PAPR is configured to intake and filter external air;
• and the barrel valve is disposed between the PAPR and the sealed case;
• wherein in the PAPR mode, the barrel valve permits filtered external air produced by the PAPR to enter for powered ambient air respiration,
• wherein in the closed circuit mode, the barrel valve blocks filtered external air from entering, and breathing gas is recirculated for closed circuit enriched air respiration;
• and
• wherein on demand switching is permitted between powered ambient air respiration and closed circuit enriched air respiration without removing the apparatus from the user.