Surgical Helmet System Including a Garment With A Face Shield and a Method of Regulating the System

Abstract

A surgical helmet system and a method of regulating the system. The system including a helmet and garment. The helmet comprising a module, a sensor, and a control processor. The control processor in communication with the module and the sensor, and is configured to selectively energize the module based on an input from the sensor. The garment comprises a face shield and is configured to be removably secured to the helmet so that the face shield is positioned forward of the helmet. The method comprises a measuring a temperature and selectively energizing the module based on the measured temperature. The method may further comprise selectively energizing the module for a time period that is proportional to a difference between a measured temperature and a desired temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical helmet system, said system comprising:
 a helmet comprising:
 a headband adapted to be worn around the head of an individual; 
 a module for manipulating the environment around the head the individual; 
 a first temperature sensor; 
 a control processor in communication with said first temperature sensor and said module; and 
   a garment configured to be disposed over said helmet, said garment comprising a face shield configured to be positioned in front of the face of the individual; and   wherein said control processor configured to receive an input from said first temperature sensor and selectively energize said module based on said input to manipulating the environment around the head the individual and covered by said garment.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said module comprises one of a fan module or a thermoelectric cooling module. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said fan module incudes a fan and is disposed above the headband, said fan configured to draw air through an overlaying section of said garment and around the head of the individual wearing said system. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a cooling strip mounted to the headband, said cooling strip including said thermoelectric cooling module;
 wherein said thermoelectric cooling module with a heat absorbing surface and a heat discharging surface.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second temperature sensor configured to measure a characteristic of the environment around the head the individual; and
 wherein said control processor is configured to receive an input from each of said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor and selectively energize said module based on said input from at least one of said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a comparator configured to receive an input from each of said second temperature sensor and a potentiometer, said potentiometer configured to be set to a user selected input based the environment around the head the individual;
 wherein said comparator configured to output a signal based on said input from at least one of said second temperature sensor and said potentiometer to said control processor; and   wherein said control processor is configured to receive said signal from said comparator and selectively energize said module.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a battery in communication with said control processor and said module; and
 wherein said control processor configured to selectively connect said battery to said module to energize said module based on said input from at least one of said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a battery in communication with said control processor and said module; and
 wherein said control processor configured to selectively connect said battery to said module to energize said module based on said input from said first temperature sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first temperature sensor is configured to measure a characteristic of said module. 
     
     
         10 . A method of regulating a surgical helmet system including a helmet to be worn on a head of an individual and a garment including a face shield and configured to be disposed over the helmet, the helmet including a module for manipulating the environment around the head the individual wearing the system, said method comprising:
 measuring a temperature with a first temperature sensor disposed on the helmet;   providing a signal from the first temperature sensor to a control processor based on the measured characteristic; and   selectively energizing the module of the helmet based on the signal from the first temperature sensor to manipulate the environment around the head the individual wearing the system.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 setting a desired temperature of the individual wearing the system;   measuring a temperature of the individual wearing the system with a second temperature sensor;   comparing the desired temperature of the individual with the measured temperature of the individual;   selectively energizing the module of the helmet to manipulate the environment around the head the individual wearing the system based on at least one of the temperature measure by the first temperature sensor or a difference between the desired temperature of the individual with the measured temperature of the individual.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , selectively energizing the module of the helmet to manipulate the environment around the head the individual wearing the system based on at least one of the temperature measure by the first temperature sensor or a difference between a desired temperature of the individual with a measured temperature of the individual. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , setting a desired temperature of the individual wearing the system;
 measuring a temperature of the individual wearing the system with a second temperature sensor;   comparing the desired temperature of the individual with the measured temperature of the individual;   selectively energizing the module of the helmet to manipulate the environment around the head the individual wearing the system for a time period that is proportional to the difference between the desired temperature of the individual with the measured temperature of the individual.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the module comprises at least one thermoelectric cooling module and further comprising the step of cyclically applying current to the at least one thermoelectric cooling module until the at least one thermoelectric cooling module reaches a temperature at which the backflow of any heat will not result in a rise in temperature of the at least one thermoelectric cooling module that could possible result in the discomforting heating of the individual wearing the system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the module comprises a fan module and the step of selectively energizing the module of the helmet further comprises rotating a fan of the fan module drawing air into a space under the garment and around the head of the individual. 
     
     
         16 . A method of regulating a surgical helmet system including a helmet to be worn on a head of an individual and a garment including a face shield and configured to be disposed over the helmet, the helmet including a module for manipulating the environment around the head the individual wearing the system, said method comprising:
 placing the garment over the helmet such the garment is secured to the helmet and the face shield is located forward of the helmet;   activating the module;   setting a desired temperature;   measuring a temperature with a first temperature sensor;   comparing the desired temperature to the measured temperature;   providing an output representative of a difference between the desired temperature and the measured temperature; and   selectively energizing the module of the helmet based on the output.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of selectively energizing the module further comprises providing a pulse to the module. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a time period of the pulse is proportional to the difference between the desired temperature and the measured temperature. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the module comprises a fan module and the step of selectively energizing the module of the helmet further comprises rotating a fan of the fan module drawing air into a space under the garment and around the head of the individual. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of measuring a temperature with a first temperature sensor comprises measuring a temperature of the individual wearing the system.