It is still a further object of the present invention to monitor the location of personnel in hazardous environ- ments.

65 It is a further object of the present invention to indicate to an inpidual in a hazardous situation a current physiologic status.

It is still a further object of this present invention to monitor the physiologic status and location of a variety of inpiduals operating in a hazardous environment.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to guide

an inpidual out of a hazardous situation. 5

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) mask that incor- porates  a series of physiologic  sensors. These physiologic 10

sensors are mounted  on the  interior  of  the SCBA mask in

such a way as to contact the facial skin of an inpidual wearing the mask. The physiologic sensors monitor, among other things, heart rate and carbon monoxide and oxygen saturation  levels.  The  SCBA mask  also  includes  a  local 15

processor that receives signals from the physiologic sensors

and creates a condition signal indicative of whether a hazard condition exists. The local processor sends the  condition signal to a display integrated into the  SCBA  mask. The display indicates to the inpidual his physiologic status. The 20

display incorporates indicator lights that are integrated into

the mask of the SCBA to indicate, for example, when bottled air must be switched on, to indicate the emergency situation of the wearer and/or to indicate the direction that the wearer

of  the  SCBA is  going.  The  physiologic  sensors  are  also 25

connected to a transmitting apparatus attached to the SCBA.

The SCBA transmitter sends output data  from  the physi- ologic sensors to a remote processor. The SCBA transmitter also sends location information of the inpidual wearing the SCBA mask to the remote processor. The remote processor 30

compiles the physiologic and location data for the wearer of

the SCBA and transmits a signal back to the SCBA receiver which, in turn, sends a signal to the display. The remote processor associated with the  transmitter  also  monitors groups of inpiduals wearing the SCBA masks. In this way, 35

the particular status of several inpiduals in the  hazardous

environment can be monitored at once and their situation known over a period of time in the hazardous conditions. Specifically, the physiologic condition of the group can be monitored to track the changes in the group condition  over 40

the time that the group is exposed to the hazardous envi-

ronment.

DESCRIPTION   OF  THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates a self-contained breathing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention as it 45 is used by an inpidual.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a self-contained breathing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention as it is used by an inpidual. 50

FIG. 3 illustrates a mask body of a self-contained breath-

ing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagramtic illustration of a pulse oximeter sensor for use in a self-contained breathing apparatus 55

according to one embodiment of the present  invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a processor used in conjunc- tion with a pulse oximeter in a self-contained breathing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.