Although the first official US patent for the respirator belonged to Lewis P. Haslett for inventing the ‘Haslett’s Lung Protector’ yet it was as early as the 16th century when the concept of respirators was put forth by Leonardo da Vinci. He invented a toxic weapon that was made of powder and suggested that sailors ought to wear cloth dipped in water over the heads for protection. In 1799, a primitive design of respirators was created by Alexander Von Humboldt who was a mining engineer. Most early respirators were worn over their heads and fastened around the necks. It was Haslett who created a purifying respirator with valves and semi-porous material like moist wool to filter dust particles. The respirator, as we know it today, was the result of a cup-shaped respirator that was invented by Hutson Hurd in 1879. In the following years, absorbents like charcoal, lime and glycerine began to gain popularity after the invention of the fireman’s respirator by John Tyndall.
Respirator
