FIELD

The present disclosure relates to surgical helmet assemblies and associated methods.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.

Surgical helmet assemblies can be used during surgical procedures to minimize contamination of surgical wounds and to protect staff from exposure to bodily fluids and pathogens. Surgical helmet assemblies typically encase at least the head and shoulders of a user, rendering ventilation controls important in order to ensure sufficient air supply, CO2 discharge, temperature management, and humidity management. Surgical helmet assemblies can also incorporate light sources to enable enhanced visibility for the user. Such light sources can further raise the temperature within the surgical helmet assembly and cause discomfort to a user. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide surgical helmet assemblies with, for example, improved ventilation and visibility without compromising functionality.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that a problem to be solved can include providing surgical helmet assemblies having improved ventilation and visibility without compromising functionality. The present subject matter can help provide a solution to this problem, such as by providing surgical helmet assemblies comprising a helmet enclosure shaped to encircle a head of a user, a fan that can be retained in the helmet enclosure, a transparent face shield, a headband coupled to the helmet enclosure, and a surgical garment coupleable to the helmet enclosure. The helmet enclosure can include a brow bar portion at a front of the helmet enclosure that can be shaped to extend along a brow or a forehead of the user and a stabilizer that can extend downward from the helmet enclosure in front of ears of the user. The brow bar portion can include a light. The face shield can be coupleable to at least the brow bar portion. The headband can be shaped to extend across an occiput region of the user's head. The surgical garment can cover at least the head and shoulders of a user in use. The brow bar portion can have vents disposed therein to direct airflow pushed through the helmet enclosure from the fan onto the user. The face shield can be coupleable to the helmet enclosure by one or more of a hook and loop fastener on the helmet enclosure or the stabilizer and a post protruding from the brow bar portion.

The present subject matter can also include surgical helmet assemblies comprising a helmet enclosure shaped to encircle a head of a user, a fan that can be retained in the helmet enclosure, a transparent face shield, a headband coupled to the helmet enclosure, and a surgical garment coupleable to the helmet enclosure. The helmet enclosure can define at least one conduit that can be in fluidic communication with the fan and vents disposed in the brow bar portion. The helmet enclosure can include a brow bar portion at a front of the helmet enclosure that can be shaped to extend along a brow or a forehead of the user and a stabilizer that can extend downward from the helmet enclosure in front of ears of the user. The brow bar portion can include a light. The face shield can be coupleable to at least the brow bar portion. The headband can be shaped to extend across an occiput region of the user's head. The surgical garment can cover at least the head and shoulders of a user in use. The brow bar portion can have vents disposed therein that can direct airflow pushed through the at least one conduit disposed in the helmet enclosure from the fan onto the user. The face shield can be coupleable to the helmet enclosure by one or more of a hook and loop fastener on the helmet enclosure or the stabilizer and a post protruding from the brow bar portion.

This overview is intended to provide an overview of subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detailed description is included to provide further information about the present patent application.

