Breathing apparatus

A breathing apparatus was a piece of equipment that allowed an individual to breathe their own form of air while in an alien atmosphere.

Jadzia Dax recalled the story of a hydrogen-breathing Lothra and an Oxygene who fell in love and yet could only be in the same room for forty minutes a day without their breathing apparatus, nonetheless staying together for fifty-seven years. She gave Melora Pazlar this example to convince her that a relationship with Julian Bashir wouldn't be impossible despite the differences between them. (DS9: "Melora")

Barzans had to wear breathing devices when leaving their homeworld Barzan II. The device provided them with the gases that were found in the atmosphere of their homeworld and that were toxic to other species. (TNG: "The Price"; DIS: "Project Daedalus")

Some Benzites were unable to breathe a standard oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, and therefore had to wear a breathing apparatus in those environments during the early 2360s. By the early 2370s, however, they had fallen into disuse. (TNG: "Coming of Age"; DS9: "The Ship")

It has never been clearly stated in dialogue what the breathing apparatuses worn by the Benzites were truly used for or what happened to them. Mike Okuda explained the absence of the apparatus in "The Ship" by pointing out "there's been some advances in Benzite technology!" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

Mordock's respiration device was originally conceived as being "a special suit using circulating gas tubes." Mendon's device was later described as being "a special device at his chest which converts the oxygen level to his use."

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Breathing apparatus

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