Gasping for Rebreath
Written by KENYA MCCULLUM
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REBREATHERS KEEP MILITARY PERSONNEL SAFE IN CHEMICALLY AND BIOLOGICALLY POLLUTED ENVIRONS.
For those in the military who work around hazardous materials, the use of a rebreather—or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)—is an essential part of remaining safe. In addition to protecting users from chemical and biological toxins on the outside of the unit, a rebreather also keeps the air on the inside of the unit safe. Through the use of a carbon dioxide scrubber, rebreathers recycle exhaled air so that it does not accumulate and cause carbon dioxide poisoning.
This is particularly important when users are in an atmosphere—sometimes for extended periods of time—that is unknown, unsafe or oxygen deficient. Because safety is paramount, it’s important that military personnel know what kind of products are available in order to ensure that the right rebreather is used for a given mission.
Building a Better Protective Mask
Manufacturers of protective equipment are not the only part of the equation in getting this vital safeguard to military personnel—the acquisitions process is also plays a large role in this process. And thanks to those at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), the products are getting into the hands, and onto the faces, of those who need them. For example, ECBC is in the process of fielding a Joint Service General Purpose Mask—which is expected to be approved in the summer of 2007—that will protect infantry and mechanized infantry troops against chemical agents. This hood-shaped mask, which is designed to only be used for escape purposes, is designed to be a snug fit for a variety of face sizes.
“Fit is very important to a protective mask because you don’t want any leaks around where it seals against your face. You want the air to come to the filter, which is part of the mask,” said Randolph Laye, leader of the protective engineering group at ECBC.
This is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of research—including looking at many mask designs and taking a lot of measurements—to accomplish this task. Laye notes that the nuances of individual faces make this challenging, saying, “it would be like trying to fit everybody in the United States with two pairs of shoes. It’s not that easy to do, but we do a pretty good job.”
But even as one product is about to be approved, ECBC—which also acts as a military testing facility for commercial masks—is in the process of looking for the next best product that will meet the military’s needs.
“We’re very methodical about how we go through all of these phases of the acquisition process to make sure the product that comes out at the other end is what we want it to be,” said Laye. “We’re really pushing the state of the art when it comes to what we like to call a ‘hunk of rubber stuck on somebody’s face.’ We’ve been using the same sort of technologies for a number of years. We have made subtle improvements—our filters now are made to protect against a wider variety of potential threat compounds.”
In order to ensure that the products being acquired can keep users safe, a battery of tests are conducted that take every possible contingency into account.
“We build it, we test it, we find out where it’s good, we find out where it’s bad, we make changes and improvements, we build some more, and we test some more. Not only technical tests—like the threat compounds that we expect to see—but we test it against extreme environments. We also do operational testing where we take the items and put them on an actual soldier in the field to get user feedback.”
THE LITTLE REBREATHER THAT COULD
Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to rebreathers. The bulkier the system, the more likely users will be slowed down during a mission and put further at risk.
In order to address this weighty issue, Pennsylvania-based Ocenco, Inc. manufactures a semi-closed rebreather that is light and compact—only 6 inches long, 3 inches thick, and 3.3 pounds. The Ocenco M-20.2 is the smallest rebreather on the market today and can provide protection for about a half hour.
“It’s the smallest and lightest weight breathing apparatus available,” said company Vice President Stephen Burning. “This small package provides more duration and longer protection than the comparable size of any other technology.”
KEEPING YOUR COOL
Because rebreathers use ice to keep the air flowing inside of them cool, it’s imperative that the ice does not melt during a mission—which would result in the user breathing in hot air and possibly becoming ill.
“One of the main negative factors that we’re finding about an SCBA is that you have to apply ice inside of it, and because it’s electronic, it builds up heat,” said Greg Bryan, civil support skills course director in the Army’s Incident Response Training Department (IRTD). “After a certain amount of time, you’ll start breathing heat and that makes a lot of people nauseous. Replenishing the ice is probably the most negative portion of that piece of equipment.”
But now users can work on long missions and still keep their cool, thanks to Pennsylvania-based Neutronics Inc. The company has created the Biomarine BioPak 240 Revolution rebreather, which includes a freezable cooling canister that can easily be replaced while the user is still wearing it. In addition, this four-hour SCBA provides users with extra protection because its design prevents accidental carbon dioxide leaks.
“Our Biomarine BioPak 240 Revolution was developed with direct input from the people who put their lives on the line in dangerous and demanding conditions, such as a mine or tunnel rescue, industrial accidents, hazmat clean up, search and rescue, and military or homeland security actions,” said product manager Doug Anderson in a company press release. “We relied on their ideas throughout our design, engineering, and field-testing phases to create a rebreather that provides exactly what users want: easier breathing, better ergonomics, enhanced safety, faster development, and lower service costs.”
Although the Biomarine BioPak 240 Revolution rebreather has gone a long way toward advancing the technology, Anderson said that the company is consistently working toward new solutions and developments.
“Our company is specifically researching new ways to scrub carbon dioxide, new ways to provide cooling, and new ways to supply oxygen—all with the idea of reducing maintenance, reducing size, reducing weight and hopefully also reducing cost,” said Anderson. “The ultimate goal for the future is lighter, smaller, lest costly and easier-to-use rebreathers.”
THE EXTRA BREATH
For a little bit of extra support with SCBAs, Draeger Safety, Incorporated produces the PAPR-G, which works as an air purifier and escape air supply in case the user faces an emergency. If users find themselves in compromising and dangerous situations, this system provides 12-minutes of compressed air that could be the difference between life and death. In addition to lifesaving, the PAPR-G is also user friendly and affordable.
“Our products are very simple to use and they’re designed to be very compact,” said George Black, Draeger’s marketing manager for protection products. “They’re designed to have a low cost of ownership, so we don’t require overhauls and periodic maintenance.”
THE BREATH OF BOTH WORLDS
For longer missions that are done in chemically and biologically contaminated areas, there is the Patriot—a hybrid system manufactured by Wilcox Industries Corp. that combines features of both open- and closed-circuit breathing systems, allowing users to switch back and forth between modes depending on their needs. Unlike closed-circuit breathing systems, open-circuit breathing systems contain compressed air in a breathing bag that is inhaled by the user and expelled from the system—thus draining the air supply. Because the Patriot gives users the choice of open- and closed-circuit systems, users can power it by using their own air, or they can use the air stored in its 2.5 liter breathing bag. Additionally, the Patriot can perform for up to eight hours in contaminated environments without needing service.
Navy veteran Mark A. Hansen, Wilcox Industries’ respiratory life systems specialist, said he designed the Patriot in order to give users a tactical edge. For Hansen, his military experience underscored the necessity for a hybrid system.
“We started out with regular SCBAs, and by the time we got to a target, some guys would have full tanks of air, some guys would have half a tank of air, and some guys would have no air,” said Hansen. “We knew at that point that because of the way the technology is, if we wanted to succeed in a mission everybody had to be able to go in with the same amount of self-contained air. The only way we could do that was basically to allow them to be in different breathing patterns.”
Additionally, Hansen noted that many rebreathers designed for use in the civilian world are not appropriate—or, in some circumstances, safe—for military use.
“One of the reasons that a regular SCBA for a firefighter doesn’t work for a military guy is because of all the bells and whistles on there. They have lights that flash and reflective tape on it, all that stuff doesn’t work in the tactical world. You need something that’s quiet, so what we did on our system is put in a vibrator that is next to the cheek, which is the most sensitive spot on this system,” said Hansen, “With the Patriot, the tactical advantage goes back to the operator, because he’s not identifying to the enemy that ‘I’m here and my bell’s going off telling me I’m low on air,’ which would make him a target.”
Hansen does, however, believe that advancing the SCBA technology will be a huge benefit to both the military and civilian worlds, particularly since—as the September 11th terrorist attacks illustrated—civilians and soldiers are now often working side-byside in a dangerous area during an emergency.
“The bottom line is, if technology from the civilian side, and from the military side get together and start communicating on this issue, we’re going to end up with an even better system some day. And that’s what’s important. It’s about moving forward to get even better equipment out there to our operators,” Hansen added. “It’s just not us fighting this battle anymore. We’re all in this together.”
But whichever system is chosen for a specific mission, the most important factor is the safety and peace of mind of the user.
“It’s very important to protect the soldier. And that’s what this is all about—protection. The soldier may only work an hour or an hour and a half, but we want to make sure he has enough time to survive.” said Dan Arden, technical director at IRD. “Rebreathers help you to realize that you’re not going to run out of air, so they give you that safety and confidence factor.” ♦