Personal protective equipment and methods

Abstract

Improved personal protective equipment facial wear including, in one embodiment, an at least partly adhesive mask, and one or more adhesive eye shields. In one implementation, the mask avoids significant contact with the delicate periorbital skin of the wearer, yet provides a substantially airtight seal so as to preclude moisture vapor transfer and “fogging” of eyeware or instruments. In another implementation, adherence of the eye shield is at least partially overlapping with the mask and creates an at least partial seal around a perimeter of the eye shield. Further, an at least partial seal is formed around a perimeter of the mask. The mask and eye shield additionally prevent nasal air flow obstruction, and address the problem of skin irritation and attachment during normal facial expression and movement of the wearer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mask comprising:
 an air-permeable portion configured to be placed over a mouth and nose of a wearer, and having at least a top edge;   at least one securing feature which is configured to secure said mask to a head of said wearer; and   an adhesive portion coupled to said top edge of said first portion;   wherein said adhesive portion of said mask comprises a contoured shape configured to adhere to malar and nasal skin of said wearer.   
     
     
         2 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive portion is configured to at least minimize contact with periorbital skin of said wearer when said mask is worn. 
     
     
         3 . The mask of  claim 2 , wherein minimization of contact with periorbital skin of said wearer when said mask is worn mitigates trauma to said periorbital skin of said wearer when said mask is removed therefrom. 
     
     
         4 . The mask of  claim 2 , wherein said adhesive portion comprises an adhesive configured to release from any of said periorbital skin contacted thereby without trauma to said periorbital skin when said mask is removed. 
     
     
         5 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein said air-permeable portion is configured to filter at least a portion of air passing therethrough during use. 
     
     
         6 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein said contoured shape of said adhesive portion comprises:
 (i) two lateral strip elements; and   (ii) a nasal bridge feature, the nasal bridge feature having at least a portion thereof which is of lesser height than a height of each of the lateral strip elements, the nasal bridge feature and at least portion thereof to substantially accommodate a bridge of a nose of the wearer while maintaining said two lateral strip elements at respective elevations which avoid contact thereof with periorbital skin of said wearer when said mask is worn.   
     
     
         7 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive portion comprises a flexible film dressing having a coefficient of friction and pliability comparable to at least one of said malar or nasal skin, and a thickness of said flexible film dressing is selected so as to permit distortion thereof during normal facial movements of said wearer without causing loss of adhesion. 
     
     
         8 . A surgical mask comprising:
 a substantially rectangular filter portion configured to cover a mouth and nose of a wearer and having two side edges, a top edge, and a bottom edge;   at least one strap configured to extend from said first and said second side edges of said filter portion; and   a contoured adhesive strip configured to extend upward from said top edge of said filter portion;   wherein said contoured adhesive strip comprises a flexible adhesive material which is configured to maintain an airtight seal through at least said flexible adhesive material throughout normal facial expression and movement of said wearer for a duration of use thereof.   
     
     
         9 . The surgical mask of  claim 8 , wherein the mask includes no metallic components, including no deformable metallic nose bridge strip. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical mask of  claim 8 , wherein the airtight seal prevents transmission of at least water vapor generated by nose or mouth of the wearer from reaching any optical or optometric prosthesis or devices which the wearer uses, so as to avoid fogging or occlusion thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical mask of  claim 10 , wherein the contoured adhesive strip is configured to mitigate contact or overlap with periorbital skin of the wearer. 
     
     
         12 . A protective apparatus, comprising:
 a window portion configured to be placed over an eye of a wearer;   an edge element disposed at a perimeter of said window portion and laterally extended outward from said perimeter of said window portion; and   an adhesive portion coupled to said edge element;   wherein said adhesive portion of said protective apparatus comprises a contoured shape which is configured to adhere to malar, nasal, and forehead skin of said wearer.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein an inferior edge of said adhesive portion is configured to at least partially overlap with a superior adhesive portion of a mask covering a mouth and nose of said wearer. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the adhesive portion is configured to avoid contact or overlap with non-lateral periorbital skin of the wearer. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising an anti-fog coating disposed on at least a portion of the window portion. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising air-circulating apparatus configured to circulate air within at least an interior volume created by said protective apparatus when adhered to said skin of said wearer over said eye. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said air-circulating apparatus further comprises microbe filtration apparatus configured to filter at least a portion of the circulated air. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the window portion is convex so as to form a cavity proximate said eye, wherein the window portion is sized so that said adhesive portion avoids contact or overlap with non-lateral periorbital skin of the wearer when the protective apparatus is worn. 
     
     
         19 . A mask comprising:
 an air-permeable filter portion configured to be placed over a mouth and nose of a wearer, the air-permeable filter having at least a superior edge, an inferior edge, a first lateral edge, and a second lateral edge;   a first adhesive portion coupled to said superior edge;   a second adhesive portion coupled to said inferior edge;   a third adhesive portion coupled to said first lateral edge; and   a fourth adhesive portion coupled to said second lateral edge;   wherein said first adhesive portion, second adhesive portion, third adhesive portion, and fourth adherent portion are each configured to adapt to the unique facial skin micro-anatomy of said wearer and form at least a partial seal at a perimeter of said air-permeable filter portion.   
     
     
         20 . The mask of  claim 19 , wherein said adaptation to the unique facial skin micro-anatomy of said wearer for at least said first adhesive portion comprises at least adaptation to thick skin of a malar eminence of the wearer, while avoiding adjacent thin skin of a pariorbita of the wearer. 
     
     
         21 . A personal protective apparatus, comprising:
 a mask having an air-permeable filter portion configured to be placed over a mouth and nose of a wearer, a superior edge of said filter portion having a first adhesive portion, said first adhesive portion of said mask having a contoured shape which is configured to adhere to malar and nasal skin of said wearer; and   an eye shield having a window portion configured to be placed over an eye of said wearer, a lip edge disposed at a perimeter of said window portion having a second adhesive portion attached thereto, said second adhesive portion of said eye shield having a contoured shape which is configured to adhere to malar, nasal, lateral periorbital, and forehead skin of said wearer;   wherein said second adhesive portion is configured to at least partially overlap with said first adhesive portion.