US 6,981,501 B2
Personal air purifier with integral lanyard
Robert C. Michaels, Santa Barbara, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Santa Barbara Medco, Inc., Santa Barbara, Calif. (US)
Filed on Nov. 17, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/992,396.
Application 10/992396 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/665781, filed on Sep. 19, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0066973 A1, Mar. 31, 2005
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61G 10/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 128—206.11 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A personal air purifier for insertion in a user's nose comprising:
two semi-cylinders of porous foam filter media each having a base with a flat surface and a spherical shape on an end distal from the flat surface and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced flattened surfaces intermediate the base and distal end;
at least one thin flexible tab integrally molded with the semi-cylinders and extending therefrom;
a flexible lanyard attached to the tab for constraining the personal air purifier when not in place in the user's nose;
the semi-cylinders sized such that upon insertion in a nostril the distal, spherical shaped end of each semi-cylinder is located inside the nasal vestibule and the base of each semi-cylinder is tucked in within the nostril just behind the ala, the tab assisting in preventing overinsertion of the semi-cylinders in the user's nose.