Respirator

A respirator, life support mask or breathing apparatus was a portable device that allowed the user to breathe for a short period in unhealthy environments.

Respirators were used by some species in order to serve aboard Federation starships, and helped humans visit some alien planets.

Specifics

Human field equipment

A life support mask filtered out harmful components from most atmospheric conditions. An associated power pack and fresh filter provided about 12 hours of service. (FASA RPG module: Spacelanes: The Magazine of Interstellar Trade)

It adjusted atmospheric pressurize and temperature to class M conditions for the wearer. Commercial variants were available to the public. (FASA RPG modules: Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, 1st edition, 2nd edition)

Federation masks did not augment the oxygen supply in the air, but were a convenient alternative when environmental suits were not required. (FASA RPG module: Cadet's Orientation Sourcebook)

Non-human variants

Aammazarans wore breathing masks that covered more than half of their faces. (TOS movies: The Voyage Home, The Undiscovered Country)

Barzans wore respirators outside of Barzan II. (TNG episode: "The Price", DSC episode: "Project Daedalus")

Benzites wore a type of respirator to prevent asphyxiation when outside of the Benar atmosphere, until 2372. (Decipher RPG modules: Worlds, Aliens) The change occurred from genetic engineering. (Star Trek Adventures RPG module: Beta Quadrant Sourcebook)

The Klingon life support mask was designed as a full helmet with a slot below the chin to insert replaceable oxygen cartridges. It could filter mild toxic gases. (FASA RPG module: Star Fleet Intelligence Manual)

Pacificans wore liquid-filled respirators. (ST - Destiny novel: Gods of Night)

Zaranites wore an environmental mask to supplement their oxygen intake with fluorine-rich microorganisms. (TOS movie: The Motion Picture, TOS novel: Ex Machina)

Examples

Regular uses

In 2020, James T. Kirk (whose mind was in Shaun Christopher's body), Alice Fontana, and Zoe Querez used respirators to breathe after Marcus O'Herlihy intentionally started a fire aboard the USS Lewis & Clark. (TOS novel: The Rings of Time)

In 2155, wearing a respirator would prevent one from contracting the Outlander Virus during a visit to Fosstarian II. (Star Trek Adventures RPG module: Strange New Worlds: Mission Compendium Vol. 2)

In 2257, while being manipulated by Control, Airiam temporarily disabled Nhan by tearing out her respirator. (DSC episode: "Project Daedalus")

In 2267, Karl Jaeger, Leonard McCoy and Vincent DeSalle transported to Gothos wearing respirators, expecting a hostile atmosphere without oxygen. They were surprised to have materialized within an Earth-like oasis on the planet, later discovered to have been created by Trelane. (TOS episode & Star Trek 11 novelization: The Squire of Gothos)

In 2268, while inhabiting the body of Captain James T. Kirk, the Midgwin telepath Yarblis Geshkerroth sabotaged emergency respirators stationed in the USS Enterprise corridors preparatory to sabotaging the ship's life support system and turbolifts to kill the ship's crew. These breathing masks had triangular face shields, a system to filter out carbon dioxide, and small oxygen canisters. (TOS novel: Ghost-Walker)

In 2269, a landing party from the Enterprise wore updated respirator models while exploring a planet that had been drained of life energy by the Hollow Planet entity, filtering out two centuries of dust buildup in the air. (TOS - New Visions comic: "The Hunger")

In 2270, a shuttlecraft crew from the Enterprise wore life support masks while on the surface of Aleph III to visit Genetics Research Station 17. (FASA RPG - Adventure Book module: Again, Troublesome Tribbles)

In 2368, the USS Enterprise-D fired a gold-infused particle beam at a Cyber-ship, which permeated the vessel and weakened many of the Cybermen within. Inside, Jean-Luc Picard donned a respirator to prevent breathing any gold dust. (TNG - Assimilation² comic: "Issue 7")

In 2369, Doctor Beverly Crusher developed special nose-plugs to act as a respirator and filter out hallucination-causing chemicals exhaled by Pelavian ambassadors during their tour of the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG - The Amazing Stories short story: "On the Scent of Trouble")

Emergency uses

In 2268, Chief Engineer Bersh glov Mog ordered everyone in engineering to don respirators during a Tholian attack that breached the hull of the USS Endeavour, unaware that he and his team were fatally exposed to radiation. (VAN novel: Storming Heaven)

In 2285, Peter Preston, Montgomery Scott and other engineer crew quickly put on respirators following an unexpected attack on the Enterprise by the USS Reliant. (TOS movie & novelization: The Wrath of Khan)

An autobreather, respirator unit, or ventilator tube provided respiratory treatment for patients unable to breathe on their own, usually in an intensive care unit of a hospital or sickbay. (TOS episode: "The Naked Time", TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: The Delta Anomaly, SCE eBook: Wounds, VOY - Strange New Worlds 9 short story: "Choices", ST - Typhon Pact novel: Zero Sum Game)