1. A helmet comprising:
a head portion;
a jaw shield connected to the head portion and adapted to extend below a chin of a wearer;
an eye shield movably connected to the head portion; and
a breathing mask positioned behind the jaw shield, the breathing mask comprising a mask body adapted to fit snugly around a wearer’s nose and mouth and at least one breathing channel permitting ambient air to reach an inner portion of the mask body and permitting humid air expelled from the wearer’s nose and mouth to be expelled substantially outside the head portion thereby discouraging the humid air from fogging the eye shield.
2. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the eye shield is pivotally connected to the head portion, the eye shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion.
3. The helmet of claim 2, wherein the jaw shield is movably connected to the head portion, the jaw shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion, the jaw shield being adapted to extend below the chin of the wearer when in the closed position.
4. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the jaw shield is movably connected to the head portion, the jaw shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion, the jaw shield being adapted to extend below the chin of the wearer when in the closed position.
5. The helmet of claim 4, wherein the jaw shield is pivotally connected to the head portion.
6. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube, and wherein the at least one breathing tube is flexible.
7. The helmet of claim 2, wherein the eye shield resists pivotal motion relative to the jaw shield.
8. The helmet of claim 1, further comprising a tinted shield that is movable relative to the eye shield between a first position and a second position.
9. The helmet of claim 8, wherein the tinted shield is at least partially housed between an external surface of the eye shield and the head portion when in the first position, and the tinted shield is adapted to be in front of the eyes of the wearer when in the second position.
10. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the tinted shield includes a lever protruding from a narrow slot in the eye shield, the lever adapted to maneuver the tinted shield between the first and second positions.
11. The helmet of claim 3, wherein the jaw shield and eye shield are adapted to fully cover the wearer’s face when the jaw shield and eye shield are in the closed position.
12. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the breathing mask is connected to the head portion separately from the jaw shield and eye shield.
13. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the breathing mask further comprises a binding member adapted to removably connect and secure the breathing mask to the head portion.
14. The helmet of claim 13, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube and the at least one breathing tube is connected to the binding member such that the at least one breathing tube is maintained in a predetermined position in relation to the head portion.
15. The helmet of claim 1, wherein at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube, wherein the helmet further comprises at least one passage between an inner chamber of the helmet and the ambient air outside the helmet, and wherein an external end of the at least one breathing tube is adapted to connect to the at least one passage to permit air to communicate therebetween.
16. The helmet of claim 15, wherein the at least one passage is disposed on the jaw shield, wherein the jaw shield is pivotally connected to the head portion, the jaw shield having open and closed positions relative to the head portion, and wherein the connection between the at least one breathing tube and the at least one passage is formed when the jaw shield is in the closed position.
17. The helmet of claim 13, wherein the breathing mask further comprises at least one strap connecting the binding member to the breathing mask, wherein the at least one strap is adapted to adjust the position of the breathing mask relative to the head portion and a face of the wearer.
18. The helmet of claim 17, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube, wherein the at least one breathing tube is elongatable and flexible, and wherein the at least one strap is adapted to adjust the length of the at least one breathing tube.
19. The helmet of claim 15, wherein the helmet defines a front and a rear, the rear being opposite to the eye shield, and wherein an external end of the at least one passage is rearwardly facing.
20. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the at least one breathing channel comprises at least one breathing tube.
21. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the eye shield is connected to the head portion indirectly via a connection to the jaw shield.
22. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the jaw shield is connected to the head portion indirectly via a connection to the eye shield.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device for sterilizing a sample chamber in an automated live cell microscope, the microscope having a sample holding frame contained in a housing of the microscope and fastening, operating, and control elements for immobilizing and introducing movement into the sample holding frame, the device comprising a UVC sterilizing unit that emits an ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 280 nm to 100 nm, the unit being arranged to travel through the sample chamber.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the UVC sterilizing unit is integrated into the live cell microscope.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the UVC sterilizing unit is a swappable element, the housing of the live cell microscope being provided with a swapping region for selectively accommodating the sample holding frame or the UVC sterilizing unit such that the sample holding frame or the UVC sterilizing unit are alternatively arranged on an XY table located inside the housing, can be introduced into the swapping region traveling through the sample chamber, and can be detached from the XY table in the swapping region.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the XY table has structure for alternatively receiving the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the structure is a clamped connection.
6. The device of claim 3, wherein the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit each include openings in which a cam lever respectively mounted on the XY table can engage from a horizontal clamping position into a vertical release position.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein for purposes of detecting the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit, the sample holding frame and the UVC sterilizing unit are provided with contacts detectable by a programmable microcontroller.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein a 1-wire EPROM is used as the microcontroller.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the UVC sterilizing unit is equipped with low-pressure gas discharge tubes.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein for purposes of supplying the ignition and operating voltage required for the low-pressure gas discharge tubes, the UVC sterilizing unit is provided with contacts.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the contacts are spring contacts, two spring contacts being used for detecting the sample holding frame and UVC sterilizing unit and two contacts being used for supplying voltage to the gas discharge tubes, and wherein an inverter circuit is provided to produce required ignition and operating voltages to the gas discharge tubes.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing of the UVC sterilizing unit has a plurality of cut-outs and a plurality of dividing pieces, the cut-outs being kept relatively large and the dividing pieces being kept relatively small.
13. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for changing a speed of the movement of the UVC sterilizing unit in the travel region of the sample chamber.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein actuation of the means for changing the speed of the movement of the UVC sterilizing unit can be adjusted in an automated (programmed) fashion or can be preset by the user.