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EP3310445A1 - Système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome (scba) - Google Patents

Système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome (scba)

Info

Publication number
EP3310445A1
EP3310445A1 EP16732100.9A EP16732100A EP3310445A1 EP 3310445 A1 EP3310445 A1 EP 3310445A1 EP 16732100 A EP16732100 A EP 16732100A EP 3310445 A1 EP3310445 A1 EP 3310445A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
scba
tic
module
hud
facemask
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP16732100.9A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Tommi Lennart KUUTTI
Jeffrey Acton BARNITZ
Clayton Joseph EMERY
Eugene Victor HORANOFF
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Hudstar Systems Inc
Original Assignee
Hudstar Systems Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US14/741,574 external-priority patent/US10042164B2/en
Application filed by Hudstar Systems Inc filed Critical Hudstar Systems Inc
Publication of EP3310445A1 publication Critical patent/EP3310445A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
    • A62B18/00—Breathing masks or helmets, e.g. affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes or incorporating a pump or compressor for reducing the inhalation effort
    • A62B18/08—Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices
    • A62B18/082—Assembling eyepieces, lenses or vision-correction means in or on gas-masks

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to the breathing apparatus field and, in particular, to an improved battery powered self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) Electronics System for use by firefighters and other rescue personnel capable of extending battery life and providing a Thermal Imaging Camera - Heads-Up Display (TIC-HUD) with the TIC Module mounted externally on an SCBA facemask, the HUD Module mounted inside the SCBA facemask, a means for transferring images from the TIC Module to the HUD Module, a means for connecting the TIC-HUD to the central SCBA electronics system, a means for the transmission/reception of sensor readings and telemetry data, a means for superimposing sensor readings and/or telemetry data over the image transferred from the TIC Module, and a means for transmitting images or video via the SCBA's telemetry system to or from the fire officer or Incident Commander on the outside of the fire.
  • SCBA battery powered self contained breathing apparatus
  • TIC-HUD Thermal Imaging Camera - Heads-Up Display
  • SCBA Self contained breathing apparatus
  • a SCBA typically has four main components: a high-pressure tank, a pressure regulator, an inhalation connection and an electronics system, all affixed together and mounted onto a carrying frame.
  • SCBA's are one of the most important items of personal protective equipment used by firefighters and rescue personal. SCBA's allow firefighters to enter hazardous environments to perform essential interior operations including offensive fire attacks, victim search, rescue and removal, ventilation, and overhaul. They are also used at non-fire incidents involving hazardous material and confined spaces where there is a threat of toxic fumes or an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
  • a SCBA may fall into one of two different categories: an open circuit or a closed circuit SCBA.
  • SCBA's have been equipped with a Black Box for data logging, microphones for in-mask firefighter to firefighter communication, a telemetry system, and thermal imaging cameras to help the firefighter see through the smoke.
  • SCBA's are to be tested and certified according to the requirements set forth by the NFPA 1981 specification, entitled the Standard for Open Circuit Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. This ensures that SCBA's are extremely durable and rugged. If the SCBA is properly used and maintained by well-trained personnel, it should provide years of trouble-free service with little potential for hardware failure.
  • battery failure is an all-to- common occurrence and the NFPA has required specific protocols, such as the PASS and ADSU (discussed above), to help prevent such failures.
  • some failures of the SCBA system may not directly result in death or injury, but may reduce efficiency and hamper firefighter performance.
  • a thermal imaging system with an SCBA facemask-mounted TIC and a display module mounted inside the firefighter's SCBA facemask would be a much more useful system in firefighting and SAR operations.
  • An SCBA facemask-mounted TIC provides several advantages over a handheld unit. Both of the firefighter's hands are freed up for other uses. The scene captured by the TIC automatically displays the area that the firefighter is looking at. Mounting the TIC display module inside the SCBA facemask also has several advantages: the display can never be obscured by smoke; the display is protected from the external environment so it does not need any elaborate, expensive shielding, and it can be positioned so as not to obstruct the firefighter's forward field of view when not in use.
  • RIT Rapid Intervention Team
  • RIC Rapid Intervention Crew
  • the RIT or RIC typically consists of two or three firefighters whose mission is to rescue downed firefighters, for example, firefighters who are injured or who are trapped inside the fire. Time is of the essence for the RIT team. The team must locate the incapacitated or trapped firefighter before he runs out of air.
  • An SCBA facemask-mounted TIC would enable the RIT team to find their incapacitated or trapped colleague much more quickly, greatly increasing the likelihood that the downed firefighter can be saved.
  • Firefighters depend on the air in their SCBA air tank for life safety. They must always consider the amount of air it will take them to get to the exit of the burning or smoke-filled building, to assure that they do not run out of air, which could be fatal. Therefore, firefighters need to be continuously aware of the exact air tank pressure remaining in their air tank. What is lacking in the prior art is the ability to superimpose air tank pressure and other sensor readings on the HUD image viewed by the firefighter.
  • a self contained breathing apparatus electronics system having sophisticated individual modules to alleviate the potential for such problems and maximizing battery life and providing a TIC-HUD with the TIC Module mounted externally and the HUD Module mounted inside the SCBA facemask, through which the firefighter can view thermal images transferred from the TIC Module, superimposed with sensor readings from the central SCBA electronics system or text communications from the Incident Commander, with an integrated microphone and ambient light sensing technology to automatically change the brightness of the display, with a quick-disconnect means to attach the TIC Module to the SCBA facemask, a means to incorporate audio speech detection circuitry to interpret and perform voice commands by the firefighter, and a means to transmit thermal images or video from the thermal imaging camera to the Incident Commander outside the fire.
  • a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) electronics system that provides an external, head mounted, thermal imaging camera (TIC) with a heads-up display (HUD) module mounted inside the SCBA facemask, a method for maximizing battery life, estimating remaining battery life and condition, insuring reliable communications between modules, maintaining reliable real-time clock (RTC), minimizing piezo interference, minimizing effects of RFI and EMI on pressure measurement, and remaining consistent in the motion detection circuitry due to sensitivity to temperature changes is provided.
  • SCBA self contained breathing apparatus
  • This SCBA system also logs a backup time stamp upon each power up and compares dates and time with the real-time clock (RTC).
  • RTC real-time clock
  • the SCBA also makes use of a thermal imaging camera (TIC) that will aid vision in dark and/or line-of-sight impaired conditions.
  • TIC thermal imaging camera
  • An SCBA facemask- mounted TIC Module will automatically follow the orientation the orientation of the firefighters head showing an enhanced picture of obstacles and persons, whether they be other firefighters or merely individuals in need of assistance.
  • a HUD Module mounted inside the SCBA facemask that communicates using wires or wirelessly with the TIC Module and provides the image from the TIC Module that can be viewed directly through an optical lens systems or, optionally, using a shutter reflector, a beam splitter reflector, or a dual prismatic reflector.
  • the SCBA of the instant invention will comply with power protection circuitry set forth in Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 913, 6 th edition.
  • the battery condition is determined such that, the unloaded voltage (VUL) and loaded voltage (VL) measurements are compared to an unloaded voltage threshold level (VTH-UL) and a loaded voltage threshold level (VTH-L), where the VTH-UL and VTH-L threshold voltages are determined empirically through measurement of the voltage decrease in the SCBA electronics during operation over time. This gives an estimate of the remaining life of the batteries when a threshold voltage is reached and if the measured voltage falls below either threshold level then the 'change battery' indicator is activated.
  • EMI electromagnetic interference
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram of the components of the Mobile Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) Module of the instant invention.
  • PASS Mobile Personal Alert Safety System
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram of the components of the Power Saving Pressure
  • Figure 14D is a block diagram depicting an embodiment of the TIC-HUD with a beam splitter reflector
  • Figure 14E is a block diagram depicting an embodiment of the TIC-HUD with a beam splitter reflector
  • Figure 16E is an exploded view of the TIC component attachment
  • Figure 16G is an exploded view of the TIC component attachment
  • Figure 16H is a rear view of the TIC component attachment
  • Figure 17C is a view of the switchable reflector of Figure 17A;
  • Figure 17E is a front view of Figure 17D
  • Figure 17G is a top view of switchable reflector and TIC
  • a method for determining battery condition and estimating remaining battery life includes measuring a voltage on the batteries, whereby the voltage is measured in an unloaded state (VUL) and a loaded state (VL) using a temporary load that is proportional to the estimated maximum load of said electronics system.
  • An unloaded voltage threshold level (VTH-UL) and a loaded voltage threshold level (VTH-L) can thereafter be determined empirically through measurement of the voltage decrease in SCBA's batteries during operation over time.
  • VUL unloaded
  • VTH-UL unloaded voltage threshold level
  • VL loaded state voltage
  • the method will further include monitoring the ambient temperature so that a temperature compensation value can be applied to the threshold levels to compensate for the variation in the electronics system's load with a temperature change. Thereafter if the loaded state voltage (VL) measurement is less than the unloaded voltage threshold level (VTH-UL) having the temperature compensation value then activate the change battery indicator.
  • the NFPA requires 'Black Box' data-logging for SCBA's.
  • SCBA electronics must record and time-stamp alarm conditions and certain specified events.
  • the data logs provide forensic information in the event of an accident during the operation of the SCBA.
  • the RTC is used to provide the time-stamp and it is imperative that the time-stamp is accurate for forensic purposes. However, should there be an RTC failure, the time-stamp would be lost, thereby rendering the logged data useless for forensic purposes.
  • an RTC failure occurs, it results in the time-stamp date reverting to the RTC default date, which is typically set when the SCBA is powered for the first time.
  • the switchable reflector When the HUD is not in use, the switchable reflector would be set to the transparent state and the operator would view the visible scene directly through the reflector.
  • a brightness adjustment of the TIC camera output could be done automatically by incorporating ambient light detection circuitry into the external TIC housing or manually using external buttons on the TIC housing. If the SCBA system accommodates a connection to the TIC- HUD though the SCBA Interface connector, a Microphone and Amplifier could be used to transfer the firefighter's voice to the SCBA system.
  • FIG 14B depicts a block diagram of the wired embodiment of the TIC- HUD with a switchable (shutter) reflector.
  • the TIC Module has an internally mounted IR Camera and a battery, labeled 'Camera Module Battery' in the diagram.
  • the TIC Module transmits the output of the IR Camera to the HUD Module using a high temperature ribbon cable or flex cable, which is wrapped around the edge of the facemask visor and connected to the HUD Module.
  • the HUD Module does not require a Wireless Video Receiver or a battery.
  • the high temperature ribbon cable or flex cable would be thin enough to run underneath the SCBA facemask visor seal without compromising the integrity of the seal.
  • FIGs 16G and 16H 1650 shows one embodiment of a mounting bracket.
  • This mounting bracket is permanently affixed to the side of the SCBA facemask. It is attached to the facemask at the tab labeled 1652. There are two of these tabs at the top and bottom of the mounting bracket. They attach to the facemask using a bolt that runs through the tab openings.
  • 1651 shows an example of the TIC housing. There are two spring loaded pins, 1657, built into the top and bottom of the TIC housing. These snap into the holes in the two mating slotted tabs, 1653, in the mounting bracket.
  • Figure 17A illustrates a side view of an option for mounting the version of the TIC-HUD with a switchable reflector on an SCBA facemask.
  • 1 01 shows the position of the HUD Module and 1702 shows the position of the TIC Module.
  • 1703 shows the position of the HUD switchable reflector in front of the firefighter's eye.
  • Figure 17C illustrates a top view of the HUD Module with switchable reflector alone.
  • 1721 shows the location of the LCD display within the HUD Module.
  • 1722 shows the location of the HUD lens assembly.
  • 1723 shows the location of the switchable reflector.
  • the switchable reflector When the switchable reflector is operating in reflection mode, the light will take the path shown by arrow 1724 and the image from the TIC will be visible to the firefighter.
  • the see-through reflector is operating in transparent mode, the light will the path shown by arrow 1725 and the surrounding environment will be visible to the firefighter.
  • Figure 17F illustrates a top view of the HUD Module with beam splitter reflector alone.
  • 1751 shows the location of the LCD display within the HUD Module.
  • 1752 shows the location of the HUD lens assembly.
  • 1753 shows the location of the beam splitter reflector.
  • the arrow 1754 shows the path of light from the HUD lens where it is blended with the light from the ambient environment and reflected towards the firefighter's eye. The firefighter will see an image from the output of the TIC camera overlaid on the view of the surrounding environment. If the surrounding environment is obscured by smoke then only the TIC image will be visible.
  • Figure 18D illustrates a cross sectional top view of an option for mounting the TIC-POD on an SCBA facemask.
  • 1830 shows the housing of the POD Module
  • 1831 shows the position of the lens assembly within the POD housing
  • 1832 shows the position of the optical waveguide within the POD housing
  • 1833 shows the position of the dual prismatic reflector attached to the POD housing.
  • 1835 shows the housing of the TIC module
  • 1836 shows the position of the I camera within the TIC housing
  • 1837 shows the position of the TIC electronics assembly within the TIC housing
  • 1838 shows the position of the battery pack within the TIC housing
  • 1839 show the position of the display assembly on the side of the TIC housing.
  • the arrow 1834 shows the path the light travels from the TIC and then through the POD. It is emitted by the display assembly mounted on the side of the TIC (1839), passes through the facemask visor, is focused by the lens assembly (1831), is carried by the optical waveguide (1832) to the dual prismatic reflector (1833) where it combines with ambient light and then reflects into the eye.
  • Figures 19A, 19B and 19C illustrate an enhancement that applies to all embodiments of the TIC-HUD.
  • the TIC-HUD can be connected to the SCBA main electronics and receive information from the SCBA electronics. This connection can be achieved through wired or wireless means.
  • the TIC-HUD When the TIC-HUD is connected to the SCBA electronics and receives air tank pressure data from the SCBA electronics, it will display the air tank pressure and a calculation of the remaining air time on the HUD as an overlay on the image from the TIC camera output.
  • Figure 19A shows an example display of SCBA air tank pressure and the remaining air time.
  • Figure 21 depicts a block diagram of the embodiment of the TIC -HUD to allow an image or video captured by the IR camera of the TIC module to be viewed by the incident commander using the display of a remote telemetry system.
  • SCBA SCBA systems that can accommodate a wired or wireless connection to the TIC-HUD and are equipped with a remote telemetry system.
  • the IR images captured by the TIC module are relayed to the SCBA electronics which then uses its telemetry transceiver to relay them to the base unit telemetry transceiver.
  • the base unit electronics receives the images for the TIC-HUD from using its telemetry transceiver and then displays them to the incident command on the base unit display.
  • the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) Module is a non NFPA mandated component. When activated, it emits a signal that can be tracked using a matching tracking system. It is controlled directly by the BAC module.
  • Telemetry Transceiver (TT) Module is a non NFPA mandated component. It contains a radio transceiver and RF antenna that are used to relay telemetry data between the SCBA electronics and a remote base station during operation. It contains visual indicators to show the telemetry system status. It communicates with the BAC module through a serial interface. The primary components of this module are shown in Figure 6.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Pulmonology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Emergency Management (AREA)
  • Alarm Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome qui intègre un procédé permettant d'optimiser la durée de vie d'une batterie, d'estimer la durée de vie restante et l'état de la batterie, d'assurer des communications fiables entre les modules, d'entretenir une horloge en temps réel (RTC) fiable, de réduire à un minimum les interférences piézoélectriques, de réduire à un minimum les effets des perturbations radioélectriques (RFI) et des interférences électromagnétique (EMI) sur une mesure de pression, d'entretenir la cohérence dans les circuits de détection de déplacement en raison de la sensibilité aux variations de température, et intègre une caméra d'imagerie thermique (TIC) montée sur un masque facial SCBA et un affichage tête haute (HUD) monté dans un masque facial SCBA, dans un ou plusieurs modes de réalisation.
EP16732100.9A 2015-06-17 2016-06-09 Système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome (scba) Withdrawn EP3310445A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/741,574 US10042164B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2015-06-17 Self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) electronics system
PCT/US2016/036601 WO2016205053A1 (fr) 2015-06-17 2016-06-09 Système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome (scba)

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3310445A1 true EP3310445A1 (fr) 2018-04-25

Family

ID=56203982

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP16732100.9A Withdrawn EP3310445A1 (fr) 2015-06-17 2016-06-09 Système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome (scba)

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP3310445A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2016205053A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107737429B (zh) * 2017-09-01 2020-10-30 郭亚晋 一种智能消防系统
US12315317B2 (en) 2022-06-29 2025-05-27 Rescue Air Systems, Inc. Method and system of sensor-based smart unlocking of a firefighter air replenishment system
AU2023299112A1 (en) 2022-06-29 2024-10-31 Rescue Air Systems, Inc. Methods and system of incident based camera device activation in a firefighter air replenishment system having breathable air supplied therein

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020053101A1 (en) * 2000-04-20 2002-05-09 Gordon Slack Helmet
US7298535B2 (en) 2003-01-03 2007-11-20 Tommi Lennart Kuutti Digital situation indicator
SE524890C2 (sv) * 2003-08-19 2004-10-19 Saab Ab Andningsmask med presentationsanordning
WO2014145030A2 (fr) * 2013-03-15 2014-09-18 Hudstar Systems, Inc. Système électronique pour appareil respiratoire autonome (scba)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2016205053A1 (fr) 2016-12-22

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