# US 8,465,576 B2 · Mobile laminar flow hood for use in podiatry

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- Number: US 8,465,576 B2
- Document ID: US8465576B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/565,656
- Filed: 2009-09-23
- Published: 2010-04-01
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-23
- Assignees: Epitech Group S.r.l.
- Applicants: Francesco Della Valle; Michela Rampazzo; Vanni Canton
- Inventors: Francesco Della Valle; Michela Rampazzo; Vanni Canton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465576B2

## CPC

- A61G 13/108: {Means providing sterile air at a surgical operation table or area (treatment rooms A61G10/00; instruments or implements for sterile operation A61B90/00; sterilisation of air A61L9/00; purification of air in air-conditioning systems F24F3/16, F24F8/00)}
- A61G 15/10: Parts, details or accessories (A61G15/14 takes precedence; dental instruments A61C)
- A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00)

## Abstract

A mobile laminar flow hood specifically devised for use in podiatry and a podiatric apparatus to which such hood is associated are described. The hood is adapted to generate a laminar flow of sterile air. In particular, an apparatus comprises a system for the generation and treatment of a laminar air flow in an intervention zone is described, together with means to support the system for the generation and treatment of a laminar air flow. The system has a blowing hood adapted to generate a laminar flow of sterile air towards the intervention zone, and a suction hood adapted to suck the laminar flow of sterile air from the intervention zone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising
a system for generation and treatment of a laminar air flow in an intervention zone; and
support means to support said system,
wherein said system comprises:
a blowing hood comprising a fan motor, the blowing hood being adapted to generate a laminar flow of sterile air towards said intervention zone,
a suctioning hood comprising suction means functionally separate from said fan motor, the suctioning hood being adapted to suck from said intervention zone said laminar flow of sterile air, said suctioning hood further comprising an opening for ejection of sucked air to the environment, and
flexible or rigid connecting means connecting said suctioning hood to said blowing hood, said flexible or rigid connecting means being configured to position said suctioning hood relative to said blowing hood without establishing a flow communication between said suctioning hood and said blowing hood.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means
are adapted to allow adjustment of positioning of said blowing hood and adjustment of said laminar flow orientation, and
are further adapted to ensure stability of said positioning and said orientation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blowing hood and/or said suctioning hood comprise a HEPA microfilter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said microfilter has an efficiency above 99.99% on particles having a diameter up to 0.3 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said blowing hood and/or said suctioning hood comprise a prefilter arranged upstream of said HEPA microfilter, and having an efficiency of about 75%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blowing hood comprises a low noise fan motor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blowing hood comprises a lighting lamp.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blowing hood comprises a UV germicidal lamp.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means are configured to arrange said suctioning hood in an essentially perpendicular position relative to said blowing hood, said system for the generation and treatment of the laminar air flow taking an essentially L-shaped configuration.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means comprise a base and a plurality of shafts connected through joints, and wherein said base comprises mobility means adapted to aid the base movement during a handling step of said apparatus, optionally comprising detent means adapted to limit the base mobility once a handling step of said apparatus has been completed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of shafts comprises at least one telescopic shaft and in which said plurality of joints comprises at least one planar hinge joint, and at least one ball and socket hinge joint, and/or at least one box coupling, and in which said telescopic shafts and said joints comprise means to constantly oppose a predetermined resistance to the movement.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a podiatric armchair and in which said support means are directly connected to said podiatric armchair.