Method and an arrangement for checking the operation of breathing equipment
AssigneeInterspiro Europe AB
InventorMats Erik Lundberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a method of checking the working and/or the state of breathing equipment prior to its use, and also to an arrangement for carrying out the method. The breathing equipment includes a control circuit which, in turn, includes a programmed microprocessor (7), a sensor (10) mounted in the breathing equipment and connected to the microprocessor, and an indicating arrangement (11) connected to the microprocessor (7). The inventive method is characterized by activating the control circuit and therewith measuring or determining at least one functional or state parameter, comparing the measured parameter value with a control value, and indicating an acceptable or unacceptable value in the indicating arrangement (11).
Claims19
A method for verifying the functioning and status of a pneumatic system of a breathing apparatus for an irrespirable environment, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a breathing apparatus including a gas supply, a closure valve on the gas supply, a pressure regulator downstream of the gas supply, a breathing mask downstream of the pressure regulator, at least one pressure sensor included in the mask, a status indicator, processing means connected to the sensor and the status indicator, and gas lines between the gas supply, the pressure regulator, and the mask;
- placing the mask on a wearer's face and admitting breathing gas to the inside of the mask;
- measuring a gas pressure within the mask with the pressure sensor during a length of time;
- comparing the measured pressure within the mask to an ambient pressure outside the mask;
- and
- transmitting a signal to the status indicator to produce an acceptable indication if the measured pressure within the mask remains greater than the ambient pressure during said length of time.
A breathing apparatus for an irrespirable environment comprising:
- a pneumatic system comprising a supply of breathing gas, a closure valve on the supply of breathing gas, a pressure regulator downstream of the gas supply, a breathing mask downstream of the pressure regulator, and gas lines between the gas supply, the pressure regulator, and the breathing mask;
- at least one pressure sensor included in the breathing mask;
- at least one status indicator operative to indicate a functioning, malfunctioning, and status of the breathing apparatus;
- means for verifying functioning, malfunctioning and status of the breathing apparatus comprising a processor connected to the pressure sensor and the status indicator;
- and
- verifying means measuring at least the pressure within the breathing mask, comparing the pressure within the mask with an ambient pressure outside the mask, generating an output signal based on the comparison to verify whether the breathing apparatus is functioning or malfunctioning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.