Powered Air Purifying Respirators

Unlike traditional respirators including half masks or full face masks, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) use a battery-powered blower unit to force ambient air through a filter to the user. Thanks to the blower assistance, the breathing resistance is virtually imperceptible making PAPR more comfortable for long-term use and suitable for demanding tasks environments and climates. The constant flow mode also allows use of the system with loose-fitting headpieces such as hoods or helmets, which provide additional comfort or protection for the head and face.

The X-plore 8000 series from Dräger is designed with user-friendliness in mind, offering several features that contribute to its ease of use and also making it a good choice for novice users:

• Intuitive handling: 
  The device is built for safe and intuitive operations, colour coding of exchangeable components makes assembly and disassembly quick and easy and the blower unit features an easy to understand control panel and status indicators. 
  This digital display features clear symbols for key data: air flow level, filter saturation and battery charge can be easily checked and monitored. 
  The error-proof hose connector prevents operation if the hose is not connected correctly ensuring user safety. These design choices help to minimize the chance of user errors and reduce strain on the operator.
  
  
• Intelligent design: 
  No calibration is required at start up the unit is started by holding the on/off button, work can be begun simply and quickly. The blower unit automatically detects connected headpiece and the device sets the correct minimum flow rate for the respective type of headpiece (loose-fitting or tight-fitting) without any manual intervention required by the user.
  
  Learn how to set up and operate the Dräger X-plore 8000 series:

The X-plore 8000 Powered Air Purifying System can be used with loose fitting headpieces that negate the need for fit testing. As a tight seal to the face isn’t required, loose fitting headpieces accommodate workers with diverse head sizes and face shapes, as well as those with prominent scars or wrinkles and piercings, without meeting the legal requirement to face fit test. 
In addition, loose fitting head pieces don’t need a seal and are suitable use with facial hair.
Workers with facial hair, stubble or beards can wear loose fitting head tops without having to be clean shaven to create a seal to the face.

In general, filters should be replaced when they reach their expiry date or become saturated. The breathing resistance of particle filters increases when saturation increases. 
The Dräger X-plore 8000 system is equipped with an integrated optical sensor that detects the filter being used, and displays the saturation of the particle filter and the filter life remaining this helps users to monitor the filter status and notifies them about the need for timely replacement when the filter saturation reaches a threshold. The indicator included in the X-plore 8500 blower units offers visual and acoustic clues, as well as vibration feedback. The residual capacity of gas cartridges and gas cartridge components of combination filters cannot be specified in a similar manner and depend on a number of factors. 
_{For more information, please refer to the official instructions for use of the respective filter.}

A powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) is a type of respirator that relies on a battery-powered blower to draw ambient air through a particle, gas or combined filter to remove contaminants and delivers purified air to the user. PAPR systems can therefore only be used in environments where there is a sufficient concentration of breathing gases. The Dräger X-plore 8000 series PAPR system from Dräger offers a high level of respiratory protection with virtually no breathing resistance thanks to the continuous flow of clean air and impresses with an overall high wearing comfort.

An air-fed respirator is a type of respirator that supplies clean air to the user from a remote source, such as a compressed air tank or via an airline connected to a compressor. Unlike PAPR systems, air-fed respirators operate independently from the ambient air thanks to their connection to an independent air source.

However, both respiratory protection solutions also share similarities, such as a high level of protection and the commonality of headgear that can be used, ranging from half masks and full face masks to hoods, helmets and visors.