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1. Can the BioPak be worn within a Level A suit?
2. In what applications can the BioPak be utilized?
3. Can the BioPak be utilized for diving applications?
4. Can the BioPak be used for 1 or 2 hours then taken off the user and reused at a later time without changing the CO2 scrubbers?

Can the BioPak be worn within a Level A suit?
It is physically possible to wear a BioPak under a Level A suit but the user is cautioned that the BioPak will enrich the internal suit atmosphere with oxygen. This is due to imperfect facepiece seals around the user face and periodic BioPak venting into the suit. This problem will exist for any close-circuit respirator as it is impossible to provide a perfect seal on the user face, and any excess oxygen volume in breathing loop is vented from the respirator into the suit. Biomarine has run tests where the BioPak venting gas was fully captured and routed out of the suit; however, the internal suit oxygen levels would still become enriched due to faceseal leaks. A typical level A suit will see internal suit oxygen levels rise to approximately 40% in under one-hour of BioPak use. The issue of enriched oxygen levels is only of concern to a user should the user also locate electronic equipment within the suit that is not rated as intrinsically safe for enriched oxygen atmospheres in proximity to a fuel source.

In what applications can the BioPak be utilized?
The BioPak is suitable for applications where there is a potential IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Health and Life) exposure for long periods of time such as decontamination, urban search and rescue, rail car accidents, tunnel extrication, mine rescue or confined space entry. It should be noted that the BioPak is not approved for direct exposure to chemical agents (such as Sarin, Mustard or Nerve agents) or biological agents (such as viruses, bacteria or germs). A custom-coated version of the BioPak 240R that will reflect radiant heat is currently being utilized in actual fire-fighting applications in Europe.

Can the BioPak be utilized for diving applications?
The BioPak is not intended for diving applications (although the BioPak can be utilized under water in emergency situations) and several aspects of the BioPak design will not make the BioPak a viable diving rig as follows:

• The use of an oxygen enriched respirator in environments of greater than 1-atmosphere pressure will result in oxygen toxicity that could lead to user death.
• The BioPak is not designed to be neutrally buoyant and is actually positively buoyant. Therefore it would very difficult to keep the BioPak submerged without constantly floating on the surface of the water.
• The facepiece utilized with the BioPak is of a curved lens design that will provide a distorted view underwater.

Can the BioPak be used for 1 or 2 hours then taken off the user and reused at a later time without changing the CO2 scrubbers?
To provide absolute safety the BioPak should always be subjected to the full turn around maintenance procedures as stated in Benchman Manual. In the event of an emergency where it is absolutely necessary to use-store-reuse the BioPak without conducting the full turn around maintenance procedure, it is permissible only under the conditions stated below:

• The oxygen cylinder is closed and the storage plug has been installed into the facepiece adapter.
• The BioPak is totally sealed with the breathing chamber lid fully closed and the breathing chamber lid can not have been opened after use.
• That the BioPak is reused within a period not exceeding 24-hours by the SAME user.
• That the oxygen cylinder has not been refilled or topped off to provide additional oxygen.

These restrictions are put in place to prevent loss of oxygen stores, conserve carbon dioxide scrubber capacity, prevent the internal growth of mold and bacteria and to prevent the transmission of any user-borne viruses or germs.