WEARABLE PERSONAL PROTECTION DEVICE

Abstract

A wearable personal protection device for protecting a wearer against airborne pathogens comprises a battery-powered electronic circuit and components for controllable operation of at least one piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer which is configured to intermittently simultaneously generate and shoot droplets of a biocide fluid into the wearer's proximal airspace to contact and inactivate at least some of the pathogens which may be present; a reservoir for containing the biocide fluid therein; and a fluid delivery apparatus for conveying said biocide fluid to an uptake location of the piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer.

Claims

1. A wearable personal protection device for protecting a wearer against airborne pathogens comprising: a battery-powered electronic circuit and components for controllable operation of at least one piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer which is configured to controllably intermittently simultaneously generate and shoot droplets of a biocide fluid into the wearer's proximal airspace to contact and inactivate at least some of the pathogens which may be present; a reservoir for containing the biocide fluid therein; and a fluid delivery apparatus for conveying said biocide fluid to an uptake location of said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer; and at least one attachment element adapted for removable attachment of the device to a wearer or the wearer's garment.

2. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein said fluid delivery apparatus is chosen from a (a) wicking element, (b) pump, and (c) gravity mechanism for conveying said biocide fluid to an uptake location of said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer.

3. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein said at least one attachment element is chosen from: (a) a magnet and a co-attractive element, (b) a clothing pin, (c) a resilient clip, (d) a hanging hook, (e) a necklace, and (f) a neck string.

4. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said biocide fluid droplets are shot into the wearer's airspace such that said droplets enjoin the wearer's inspired airstream to travel into the wearer's respiratory system to contact with and inactivate at least a portion of pathogens which may be in the said inspired air stream.

5. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said biocide fluid droplets are shot at the face and/or mucosa of the wearer's face so at least some of said droplets strike and inactivate at least a portion of said pathogens which may be thereon, and which may subsequently deposit thereon.

6. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said biocide fluid droplets enter the wearer's respiratory system and deposit on surfaces therein to inactivate at least a portion of said pathogens which may have deposited thereon, and which may subsequently deposit thereon.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said biocide fluid droplets are given either (a) a positive electrical charge, or (b) a negative electrical charge, to increase collision-coalescence efficiency with neutral or oppositely charged droplets and particles.

10. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein said biocide fluid droplets contain (a) Triethylene glycol, (b) H2O2, (c) Propylene glycol, (d), an aromatic oil, (e) any suitable biocide, or (f) combinations thereof, diluted to a level known to be safe for use by humans while remaining efficacious for inactivation of at least some pathogens contacted.

11. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 comprising: a central processing unit chip (CPU); a wireless receiver and transmitter component, which communicates with and detects the proximity of wireless devices, wherein the electronic circuit co-acts with said CPU and said wireless receiver and transmitter component to allow (a) setting of device status, (b) control of device status, (c) viewing of device status, (d) viewing notifications and reports, or (e) combinations thereof with a software application (app) on a mobile device.

12. (canceled)

13. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 a haptic feedback component which is used to alert the wearer, via different pulses, of (a) biocide fluid level, (b) battery charge level, (c) estimated pathogen levels, (d) various statuses of the device, (e) likely presence of specific pathogens and irritants or a class of pathogen or irritant, or (f) combinations thereof.

14. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 comprising: a gyroscope-accelerometer sensitive to the wearer's chest movements and adapted to enable synchronization of bursts of said biocide fluid droplets from said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer with (a) the wearer's exhalation, (b) wearer's inhalation, (c) the pause between the wearer's inhalation and exhalation, or (d) combinations thereof.

15. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 comprising: artificial intelligence software (AI) which uses data from said electronic components to autonomously operate the personal protection wearable so as to facilitate customizing protection to the physiology, breathing rate, tidal volume, and/or behaviour of the wearer and usage of the minimum quantity of biocide fluid needed to inactivate a majority of pathogens computed to be likely present in the wearer's said proximal breathing air space.

16. The wearable personal protection device of claim 15 comprising: (a) a barometric pressure sensor, (b) a temperature and humidity sensor, or (c) combinations thereof, which supplies data to said (a) CPU, (b) app, (c) AI software, or (d) combinations thereof, which uses the data to determine the probability of pathogen presence in said proximal breathing air space, and to determine the likely viability of a specific pathogen or type, said viability being known to be dependent on barometric pressure, air temperature and humidity, said air barometric pressure, temperatures and humidity levels relative to at least some of known pathogens being made assessable by said CPU, app, AI software, or combinations thereof.

17. The wearable personal protection device of claim 15 comprising: a camera component, to detect proximal people; a microphone, to allow the said wearable device to respond to the sound of coughs, sneezes and speech of said proximal people, which sounds are known to coincide with emissions of respective levels of respiratory mucous droplets which are a source of pathogens; said components, together with data from other said sensors support computation of risk level and computation of an effective immediate protective response by said wearable personal protection device, and as decided by either the CPU or AI the device takes the following action(s): (a) generates biocide fluid droplets commensurate with computed threat level, (b) generates haptic feedback warnings of various pulses signalling signaling various states, (c) issues a notification via said wirelessly linked mobile device app, or (d) combinations thereof.

18. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 wherein said app is used on a mobile device and said app uses data from (a) a global position system component (GPS), (b) mobile device location by triangulation of cell tower locations, (c) wi-fi location positioning, or (d) combinations thereof, to compute the wearer's geographical location, and together with data from other sensors which include (a) a camera, (b) a gesture sensor (c) barometric pressure sensor, (d) humidity and temperature sensor, (e) wireless transmitter and receiver, (f) an accelerometer-gyroscope, (g) a microphone, or (h) combinations thereof, whereby the pathogen threat level may be computed and communicated to the wearer by (i) a haptic feedback signal on said personal protection wearable, (ii) an app-initiated sound emitted from said wearable, said mobile device, or both, (iii) images displayed by said app on said mobile device, (iv) text displayed by said app on said mobile device, (v) an audio speech virtual assistant on said mobile device, or (vi) combinations thereof; and the wearable will also automatically generate biocide fluid droplets, or not generate biocide fluid droplets commensurate with said computed threat level.

19. The wearable personal protection device claim 15 wherein data recorded by the wearable is used by (a) said app, (b) said AI software, or (c) combination thereof to prepare periodic threat and threat mitigation action reports, which the wearer may access and view displayed by the said app on said mobile device; said prepared reports enable the wearer to learn of high threat times, locations and situations to allow for proactive minimization of exposure to high pathogen loads.

20. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1, wherein said biocide fluid reservoir includes a biocide fluid filling port comprising; a hollow boss integral with a wall of said biocide fluid reservoir; a hollow form with an open end shaped to accept a Luer-slip type or otherwise nozzle therein and having a closed end, said hollow form being slidably mounted within said hollow boss; further comprising; a coil spring captured between an annular ring at said open end of said slidably mounted hollow form and an opposite annular ring near the end of said hollow boss; said slidably mounted hollow form and said spring is captured within said hollow boss by an O-ring in an annular trench; said slidably mounted form further having at least one inwardly directed hole in its wall to allow biocide fluid ingress to said reservoir, and at least one outwardly directed hole to allow air venting from said reservoir during biocide fluid ingress when the spring is fully compressed by forceful insertion of said filling nozzle; closure of said ingress hole and said air venting hole is effected when a nozzle is removed and said spring resiliently returns said slidably mounted hollow boss to a rest position; and whereby said O-ring is simultaneously forcedly re-seated by said spring in an internal annular recess at the open end of said hollow boss.

21. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 wherein said biocide fluid reservoir includes a biocide fluid filling port comprising: a tapered orifice having at the narrow end a fluid egress prevention valve; said tapered orifice sized to accept a reciprocal said nozzle fitted to a separate biocide fluid refill pack; which refill pack co-acts with said orifice to effect fast, easy refill of said personal protection wearable.

22. (Canceled)

23. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 further comprising: at least one ring-shaped electrode positioned above said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer; a ground electrode in said biocide fluid reservoir, said ring-shaped electrode and said ground electrode adapted to impart a positive or negative electrical charge to at least some of the biocide fluid droplets generated and propelled by said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer, which increases the collision-coalescence rate of said droplets with (a) respiratory mucus droplets containing pathogens, (b) pathogens not contained in mucus droplets, or (c) combinations thereof, wherein mucus droplets and pathogens are either negatively or positively charged.

24. (canceled)

25. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 wherein said app uses said mobile device to wirelessly access a database that supplies information relative to the locations of known sources of pathogens and uses said information together with other data to effectively operate the said wearable personal protection device.

26. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 further comprising at least one motion sensor component, so that on and off and various functions of the device may be controlled by hand gestures of the wearer communicating with said motion sensor.

27. The wearable personal protection device of claim 11 further comprising at least one microphone component and an audio processor for sound and/or speech recognition, which enables (a) on and off control, (b) various functions, or (c) combinations thereof, by the wearer's utterances.

28. (canceled)

29. The wearable personal protection device of claim 1 further comprising a releasable front cover, comprising: at least one aperture or indent in a first wall and at least one aperture or indent in a second wall that is opposite the first wall, which apertures or indents are reciprocal to short protrusions in the body of said personal wearable device; said walls being formed of sufficiently resilient material to allow said walls to flex outward from said protrusions and flex back to releasably capture said protrusions in said apertures or indents when said front cover is forced against said protrusions; whereby the wearer may release the cover and replace it with another or differently designed cover.

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. A method of personal protection from airborne pathogens, comprising the steps of: (i) providing an assembly of a wearable comprising a biocide fluid in a reservoir, a battery-powered electronic circuit, and at least one electronically powered piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer to shoot biocide fluid droplets; (ii) providing a fluid delivery apparatus for conveying said biocide fluid to an uptake location of said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer; (iii) providing at least one attachment element adapted for removable attachment of the wearable to a user; (iv) orientating said assembly such that said assembly when activated controllably shoots said biocide fluid droplets into the proximal breathing air space and face of the wearer; (v) whereby said biocide fluid droplets may contact with and inactivate pathogens in the following manner(s): (a) collision within said breathing air space, (b) interception by Brownian motion and/or electrical attraction in the wearer's inspired air, (c) deposition on at least a portion of surfaces of the wearer's respiratory system, (d) deposition on at least a portion of the mucosa of the wearer's face, or (e) combinations thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0180] Preferred embodiments of the present inventions will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0181] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a wearable personal protection device and a smartphone with related app screen shown.

[0182] FIG. 2 is a perspective view with a part of a wearer's shirt cutaway, showing how the wearable personal protection device of FIG. 1 is removably located magnetically to a thickness of clothing.

[0183] FIG. 3 is a sketch showing the wearable personal protection device of FIG. 1 removably located on clothing on the chest area of a woman and the shoulder of a man, shooting biocide fluid droplets into the airspace forward of the face of the wearer.

[0184] FIG. 4 is a perspective sketch of a human head showing a dotted area of a volume contiguous with the wearer's face extending back a little past the ear canal, which volume is referred to in this specification and the claims as the wearer's airspace.

[0185] FIG. 5 is a perspective sketch of a human upper body showing a dotted area where the wearable personal device may be removably located.

[0186] FIG. 6 is a view of the wearable personal protection device FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, with a cutaway showing the PCB and magnetic removable location means.

[0187] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective of the chassis of the wearable personal protection device of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 6 showing attached components, circuit board and cover.

[0188] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective of the wearable personal protection device of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 showing the assembled body and the removable front cover.

[0189] FIG. 9 shows a magnetic USB charging cable and charging port of the device.

[0190] FIG. 10 shows orthographic views (front, top, side, bottom and back) of the wearable personal protection device of 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

[0191] FIG. 11 shows section views of the wearable personal protection device of FIG. 10 along section lines A-A, B-B.

[0192] FIG. 12 is a section view of the wearable personal protection device of FIG. 10 along section lines C-C, showing the biocide fluid filling port and air release valve.

[0193] FIG. 13 is a front view of an alternative filling port with an integral air vent and two section views at line A-A showing i) the valve closed and ii) the valve open during filling.

[0194] FIG. 14 shows the biocide fluid reservoir of the device being refilled with a standard plastic syringe having a Luer-slip type tapered nozzle.

[0195] FIG. 15 shows the biocide fluid reservoir of the device being refilled with a sachet having a Luer-slip type tapered nozzle.

[0196] FIG. 16 shows the biocide fluid reservoir of the device being refilled with biocide fluid packaged in a plastic ampoule having a shortened Luer-slip type tapered nozzle.

[0197] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of a wearable personal protection device, using a piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer, supplied biocide fluid by gravity.

[0198] FIG. 18 is a front view and a section view of the device of FIG. 17.

[0199] FIGS. 19 to 23 are perspective sketches of preferred means of attaching the personal protection device to the clothing of the wearer, additional to the first preferred magnetic attachment means shown of removably locating the wearable personal protection device on the front area of a wearer: FIG. 19 shows a clothespin, FIG. 20 shows a resilient clip, FIG. 21 shows a hook, FIG. 22 shows a neck-chain, FIG. 23 shows a necklace.

[0200] FIG. 24 is a third preferred embodiment of a wearable personal protection device of the present 45 invention wherein the device is generally circular in form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0201] The base concept of the present invention allows for many embodiments. With reference to FIGS. 1 to 24, three preferred embodiments are herein presented:

A First Preferred Embodiment

[0202] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a wearable personal protection device 300 comprising; a device body 200, a mobile device 100 with a software application (app) 101, and a separate mounting element 150.

[0203] As best shown in FIG. 7, said device body 200 comprises; a chassis-reservoir assembly 10, an electronics assembly 60, a chassis-reservoir assembly cover 110, a releasable front cover 130.

[0204] Said device body interfaces with said mobile device software application (app) 101 which co-acts with an artificial intelligence software application (AI) in a central processor unit (CPU) 62 component of said electronics assembly 60.

[0205] Said mobile device app 101, may include at least one of (a) selection options of device function modes, (b) wearer notification: visual and or audio of biocide fluid level, battery level, current threat level for various pathogens.

[0206] Said AI uses an algorithm to react to real-time data from sensor components of said electronics assembly 60 to determine the most effective action to protect the wearer and or proximal others from a probable pathogen load in any environment. The most effective action determined by AI may include at least one of (a) haptic feedback signalling the wearer to leave an area which AI has determined likely has a dangerously high level of pathogens, (b) increased biocide fluid shot time length and frequency of generation of shots, (c) reduced shot time length and frequency of shots of biocide fluid droplets, (d) synchronization of shots of biocide fluid droplets with the wearer's breath intake, (e) synchronization of shots of biocide fluid droplets with the wearer's exhalations when the user decides to protect others (a proximal person such as an elderly person for example) from the probability of pathogens emitted in the wearer's exhalations, (f) no action.

[0207] Further, said AI may be updated wirelessly from a remote server to periodically enhance AI effectiveness. Updates may include at least one of (a) edits to AI data-set re various pathogens, (b) data re new pathogens (c) enhanced AI algorithms.

[0208] Said chassis-reservoir assembly 10 is formed by ultrasonic welding of chassis-reservoir back moulding 11, and chassis-reservoir front moulding 12 to provide a fluid reservoir 13 to contain a biocide fluid 14 as shown in FIG. 10.

[0209] Referring to FIG. 7, chassis-reservoir front moulding 12 provides mounting locations 16, 17, 18, 19 for said electronics assembly 60.

[0210] As best shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, said back moulding 11 has magnets 20 fixedly attached to co-act with magnets 152 of mounting element 150.

[0211] The device 300 includes an electronics assembly 60 that is contained within a chassis cover (an outer protective housing) 110 that is in electrical communication with one or more piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducers 63 to selectively control the release of biocide fluid 14.

[0212] As best shown in FIG. 7, said electronics assembly 60 comprises a PCB 61, three piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducers 63 which convert said biocide fluid 14 into ≈7 μm droplets 15 and shoot said droplets upwardly into the wearer's airspace shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The electronics assembly 60 further comprises three electrode rings 64 and co-acting ground electrode 65, a battery 66, and a charging port 67. Components on the PCB include; a CPU 62 which CPU includes at least one of (a) Random-access memory (RAM) (b) integrated non-volatile storage, (c) separate non-volatile storage, a camera 68, four RGB LEDs 69, to indicate status, a gesture sensor 70, barometric pressure, humidity and temperature sensor 71, wireless transmitter and receiver 72, a haptic feedback element 73, an accelerometer-gyroscope 74, a microphone 75, an on-off/pairing button 76, and a piezoelectric pulse generator, high voltage generator, and charging circuit (not shown). It is to be noted that said wireless transmitter and receiver 72 may be utilized to also detect proximity and estimate the distance of Bluetooth enabled devices from the transmitter and receiver 72 to detect the likely proximity of people (those people having Bluetooth or like wireless technology enabled devices such as smartphones, computer tablets, smartwatches, fitness trackers and the like) from the wearer.

[0213] The present invention acquires GPS data from the wearer's mobile device (smartphone, tablet and the like). Said data informs the device's operating system of the wearer's location. The app and or AI software may determine whether the wearer is indoors, outdoors, in a specific public or private space, in a space with air known to have a high pathogen load (a hospital or a doctor's waiting room for example) or in proximity to persons known to have an infectious respiratory disease, etc. Depending upon the estimated risk level, the AI software may temporality cease, decrease, increase or otherwise optimize output of the protective biocide fluid droplets 15 generated by the wearable personal protection device 200.

[0214] The mobile device software app 101 can use at least one of (a) a global position system component (GPS), (b) mobile device location by triangulation of cell tower locations, (c) wi-fi location positioning, utilized by the app 101 so the wearer's geographical location may be computed, and together with data from other sensors including at least one of (a) camera, (b) a gesture sensor (c) barometric pressure sensor, (d) humidity and temperature sensor, (e) wireless transmitter and receiver, (f) an accelerometer-gyroscope (g) a microphone, the pathogen threat level may be computed and communicated to the wearer by at least one of (i) haptic feedback signal on the said wearable personal protection device, (ii) app initiated sound emitted from the said wearable device and or from the said mobile device, (iii) imaged displayed by said app on said mobile device (iv) text displayed by said app on said mobile device (v) an audio speech virtual assistant on said mobile device, and the personal protection device 300 may also automatically generate biocide fluid droplets commensurate with said computed threat level.

[0215] Data recorded by the personal protection device 300 is used by at least one of (a), said app 101 (b), said AI software to prepare periodic threat and threat mitigation action reports, which the wearer may view displayed by the said app 101 on said mobile device 100. The prepared reports enable the wearer to learn of high threat times, locations and situations to allow for proactive minimization of exposure to high pathogen loads.

[0216] The said three electrode rings 64 together with a co-acting ground electrode 65 are used to impart a positive electrical charge to the emitted (shot) droplets 15 to increase collision efficiency with pathogen carrying mucous droplets which researchers have recently discovered carry a net negative charge. Alternatively, the emitted biocide fluid droplets 15 may be imparted with a negative electrical charge according to the nature of the pathogen or pathogens being targeted.

[0217] Said gesture sensor 70 interfaced with the CPU 62 and AI software allows the wearer to control the device 200 with various hand gestures.

[0218] Said accelerometer-gyroscope 74 is sensitive to the wearer's chest movement and is used to monitor breathing rate; which enables the AI software, also informed by said other sensors, to synchronize the generation of droplets 15 with at least one of (a) breath intake, (b) breath exhalation, (c) the pause between breath intake and exhalation to vary and optimise protection.

[0219] Said microphone 75 with software enables said AI software program to react to the wearer's and other people's speech, coughing or sneezing caused emission of mucus droplets and to make decisions to operate the wearable personal protection device 200 accordingly.

[0220] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 said electronics assembly 60 is connected via said wireless transmitter-receiver 72 to said mobile device app 101, as depicted on a smartphone screen 100.

[0221] Said AI software program is interfaced with a mobile device app 101 compatible with Android, macOS, IOS and Microsoft Windows and like operating systems. As said, AI uses said CPU 62 to process all data provided by all said electronic components and sensors to autonomously operate the device 200; including operating said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducers 63, to optimize burst time and rate of generation of biocide fluid droplets 15 in accord with real-time computed pathogen threat level. Preferably, burst time may be from 0.1 to 60 seconds or more.

[0222] Further, said AI informs the wearer of various conditions by operating at least one of (a) the haptic feedback element 73, (b) audio or display of said mobile device.

[0223] Referring again to said reservoir 13, as can be best seen in FIG. 10, the reservoir 13 comprises three holes 23 in the upper wall, three wicks 24 which feed the biocide fluid in the reservoir 13 to the underside of said three piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducers 63, said electrode 65 to ground and provide electrical resistance information to allow said CPU 62 to compute the level of biocide fluid and send same to said app 101, a filling port with a one-way valve 25 shaped to accept a tapered nozzle 26 on a syringe 27 or a soft sachet refill pack 29, or on a plastic ampoule refill 30, and a pressure release valve 28 to allow air to vent when filling the reservoir 13.

[0224] As best shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 11 chassis cover 110 fixedly attaches to said chassis-reservoir assembly 10 encasing the electronics assembly 60 and forming the device main unit 125 (without releasable front cover 130).

[0225] Said chassis cover is a plastic injection moulding 110 which comprises; an opening in the top face 111 45 which captures a bezel element 112 between said chassis-reservoir assembly 10, piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducers 63, said electrode rings 64 and said chassis cover moulding 110; said bezel element 112 best shown in FIG. 8 which protrudes at least part of the wall thickness of the releasable front cover 130 above the surface of said chassis cover moulding 110; and further comprises four openings 113 in the front face which accommodates a captured infill panel 114 moulded in translucent plastic material through which said RGB LEDs 69 may controllably emit light. Further, the chassis cover moulding 110 has a number of openings; an opening 66 coincident with the barometric pressure, humidity and temperature sensor 71, said opening 115 has a protrusion 116 which protrudes downwardly a least a portion of the wall thickness of the releasable front cover 130. Said chassis cover moulding 110 also has one small opening 117 in a side face which accommodates a plastic moulded button cap 118, which is reciprocal to said on-off/pairing button 76, and further has two openings 119, 120 on the front face, reciprocal to said camera 68 and said gesture sensor 70.

[0226] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, said releasable front cover 130 is a plastic injection moulding which comprises; an opening in the top face 131 reciprocal to said protruding bezel element 112 and an opening or indent 132 in the bottom face reciprocal to said protrusion 116. Said front cover 130 is moulded in transparent plastic and its inner surface is painted, with areas 133, 134 reciprocals to said chassis cover openings 119, 120, and area 135 reciprocal to said chassis infill panel 114 masked to remain transparent.

[0227] As best shown in FIG. 11, said front cover 130 is releasably attached to and from the said device main unit 125 by forcing the resilient top and bottom walls of the front cover 130 over said bezel element 112 and said protrusion 116.

[0228] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, said mounting element 150 has a plastic frame 151 with neodymium magnets 152 fixed thereon which co-act with said magnets 20 of said device main unit 125, coming into attractive contact to releasably sandwich a thickness of clothing for attachment of the device as shown in FIG. 2 to a wearer's upper body area shown in FIG. 5, with two preferred locations depicted in FIG. 3.

[0229] Preferably, as shown in FIG. 7, the battery 66 within the device main unit 125 is recharged by use of a magnetic contact charging cable 180 which contacts said charging port 67. During charging said LEDs 69 are activated to illuminate various colours and portions of said clear infill panel 114 to indicate device status.

[0230] In this first preferred embodiment said biocide fluid 14 is a 5% solution of Triethylene Glycol in distilled water, but any of said preferred biocides may be used.

A Second Preferred Embodiment

[0231] A second form of the device 250 shown in FIGS. 17, and 18, comprises; a front plastic injection moulding 251 and a rear plastic injection moulding 252 which are ultrasonically welded together to form a device body that provides a biocide fluid reservoir 253, an electronics compartment 254, and an upper rear cavity 255 for fixedly capturing various removable location means.

[0232] Said biocide fluid reservoir 253 contains a majority of a biocide fluid 256 above a piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer 257 so that gravity may keep said biocide fluid 256 in contact with the underside of said piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer 257.

[0233] Further, in this preferred embodiment, the front injection moulding provides status LEDs 258, on-off button 259 and clear portions 260 so that the level of the biocide fluid 256 may be visually checked by the wearer.

[0234] Said electronics compartment 254 contains a battery 261 and an electronic circuit and components 262 for the operation of the device; which components may include at least one of said components of said first embodiment 200.

[0235] In this preferred form the piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer shoots larger ≈50 μm droplets; having a bias for inertial impact with pathogen containing respiratory droplets which may be in the wearer's airspace and which may have deposited on the wearer's face.

[0236] As shown in FIGS. 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, this second form has various means for removably locating the device on the upper portion of the wearer's body shown in FIG. 5. These means include at least one of (a) a clothing pin formed of resilient metal wire having one end pivotable or flexibly captured behind an opening 264 in said upper rear cavity 255 and having a pointed end 265 which is passed through a thickness of clothing and releasably captured in an undercut area 266 shown in FIG. 18, (b) a clip formed of resilient material (metal or plastic) having an elongate body 267 and a top end 268 captured behind an opening 269 in said upper rear cavity 255, said elongate body 267 being free to flex outwardly so as to resiliently capture a thickness of clothing between said elongate body 267 and a back surface 270 of the device, (c) a downwardly oriented elongate member 271 having a top portion 272 captured behind said opening 269 in said upper rear cavity 255, said elongate member 271 being used to hook over a thickness of clothing at the neckline or pocket of a garment, (d) a jewellery chain or necklace cord passed through an eyelet 273 or a pair of openings 274 in said upper rear cavity 255 to allow hanging of the device 250 around the wearer's neck.

[0237] It is to be appreciated that any one of said removable location means may be used for any embodiment of the present invention.

[0238] In this second preferred form, a Cinnamomum zeylanicum solution is the preferred biocide, however, any of said preferred biocides may be used.

A Third Preferred Embodiment

[0239] A third form of the invention 280 shown in FIG. 24, has the functionality of said first and second preferred forms, and comprises; a chassis-reservoir 281 a chassis cover (not visible), and releasable front cover 282 of a generally circular shape. This form comprises; one piezoelectric vibrating mesh transducer which generates and simultaneously shoots ≈5 μm droplets through an opening 283 in the top of the device.

[0240] Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the reservoir of any of the aforesaid embodiments, may have a biocide fluid filling port 284 with integral air venting which comprises; a hollow boss 285 integral with the rear wall of said chassis-reservoir; a valve element 290 having an opening 291 shaped to accept a Luer-slip type tapered nozzle 26 and which is slidably mounted within said hollow boss 285 and biased to a closed position by a coil spring 292 which forcibly seats an O-ring 293 in an inner annular recess 286 at the end of said hollow boss 285.

[0241] Said coil spring 292 is captured between an inward annular flange 287 of said hollow boss 285 and an outward annular flange 294 of said valve element 290. Said valve element 290 is captured within the hollow boss 285 by said O-ring 293 seated in an annular groove 295, and has holes 296 to allow biocide fluid ingress, and slotted holes 297 to allow air egress when the coil spring 292 is fully compressed by forceful insertion of a Luer-slip type nozzle 26.

[0242] As shown in FIG. 13, said filling port 284 is spring-loaded closed and sealed by forceful seating of the O-ring 293 in said inner annular recess 286 at the end of said hollow boss 285.

[0243] When filling, said nozzle 26 is snugly fitted into said opening 291 pushed inward and said valve element 290 slides inward and said coil spring 292 is fully compressed said O-ring 293 is unseated and said holes 296 are free to ingress biocide fluid and said slotted holes 297 are free to egress air.

[0244] It will be appreciated that immediately upon withdrawal of said nozzle said spring returns the valve element to the closed position as shown, and the O-ring 293 is forcibly re-seated in said inner annular recess 286 and the refill port closed.

[0245] It is to be appreciated that said biocide fluid filling port 284 with integral air venting may be used in any embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that said filling nozzle may be of any practicable shape.

[0246] It will be appreciated that the device is preferably a ‘smart’ wearable personal protective device, however, various forms of the device, without a mobile device app, without AI, and having few or no sensors, although less effective, are also anticipated. For example, the wearable personal protection device may have as a simplified form of said electronics assembly, with a simple on/off button (not shown) linked to said piezoelectric pulse generator, high voltage generator, and charging circuit (not shown), enabling the timed discharge of said biocide fluid.

[0247] Furthermore, while the foregoing wearable personal protection device is primarily intended for the inactivation of airborne pathogens, it will be appreciated that said wearable personal protection device will also be used to inactivate pathogens on the wearer's face and the wearer's respiratory system surfaces; which pathogens may come to be on said surfaces by other than airborne route.

[0248] Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.