US 5,655,374 AGranted

Surgical suit

AssigneeSurgical Specialty Products, Inc.

InventorsAlbert N. Santilli, Jeffrey M. Kalman, Richard O. McCarthy

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Abstract

A surgical suit includes a hood fitted loosely about the user's head and a gown fitted loosely about the user's body. The hood has a large visor through which the user can see. A housing is spaced above the user's head and underneath the hood. The housing carries a substantial portion of the weight of the hood. The housing is supported above the user's head by means of vertically extending support rods that are connected to a backpack. A fan is disposed in the housing, as well as an optional thermoelectric module. An exhaust fan is included as part of the backpack. The fan in the housing causes air to be drawn through a filter and then flowed past the user's face. The fan in the backpack causes air to be drawn downwardly from around the user's upper body and exhausted from the gown through a filter.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A surgical suit having the capability to provide a flow of air over a user's head and upper body, comprising:

a hood fitted loosely about the user's head, the hood including a transparent visor disposed in front of the user's face;
a gown fitted loosely about the user's body, the gown being connected to the hood to provide a substantially integral connection therebetween;
a housing spaced above the user's head and underneath the hood, the housing in use carrying a substantial portion of the weight of the hood and visor, the housing being in fluid communication with the atmosphere outside the hood by means of an intake duct, the housing including a discharge vent that discharges air downwardly within the hood;
a first fan disposed within the housing to provide a flow of air through the intake duct and the discharge vent;
support means connected to the user's torso for supporting the housing in spaced relationship above the user's head so that the user is able to move the user's head without restriction;
a power source carried by the support means, the power source being electrically connected to the fan;
and
a fan control electrically connected between the power source and the fan, the fan control permitting the fan to be activated or de-activated whenever desired.

5 more elements

A surgical suit having the capability to provide an air-conditioned flow of air over a user's head and upper body, comprising,

a hood fitted loosely about the user's head, the hood including a transparent visor disposed in front of the user's face;
a gown fitted loosely about the user's body, the gown being connected to the hood to provide a substantially integral connection therewith;
a housing spaced above the user's head and underneath the hood, the housing in use carrying a substantial portion of the weight of the hood and visor, the housing being in fluid communication with the atmosphere outside the hood by means of an intake duct, the housing including a discharge vent that discharges air downwardly within the hood;
a first fan disposed within the housing to provide a flow of air through the intake duct and the discharge vent;
a thermoelectric module (TEM) carried the housing, the TEM having a heat dissipation side and a heat abstraction side, the heat abstraction side being disposed within the intake duct, the heat abstraction side being in heat conducting association with air flowing through the intake duct;
a cover fitted to the housing, the heat dissipation side of the TEM being disposed outside the housing and underneath the cover, the cover including an inlet opening through which ambient air can be drawn and an outlet opening through which heated air can be exhausted;
a second fan disposed underneath the cover, the second fan upon activation causing air to be drawn into the inlet opening and exhausted through the outlet opening;
support means connected to the user's torso for supporting the housing in spaced relationship above the user's head so that the user is able to move the user's head without restriction;
a power source carried by the support means;
the power source being electrically connected to the first fan, the second fan, and the TEM;
and
a fan control electrically connected between the power source and the first fan, the second fan, and the TEM, the fan control permitting the first and second fans or the first and second fans and the TEM to be selectively activated or deactivated whenever desired.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.