CUSHIONING STRUCTURE

• US 20110088699A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MAP Medizin-Technologie GMBH (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brambilla, Enrico, Doherty, Renee Frances, Biener, Achim, Nickol, Johannes, Reid, Michael John, Hitchcock, Robin Garth, Selvarajan, Karthikeyan, Solis, Victor Eduardo, Gudiksen, Joshua Adam, Wang, Teresa, Lee, Murray William, Peake, Gregory Robert, Wells, Alicia Kristiane, Burz, Johann Sebastian, Moiler, Grant, Meadows, David Robert, Spruell, Mattew David, Veliss, Lee James, Howard, Scott Alexander, Carroll, Fiona Catherine, Skipper, Christopher Scott, Lang, Bernd Christoph, Cariola, Melanie Lucia
• Granted Patent: US 9,132,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/206.26
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0605 Means for improving the adaptation of the mask to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0616 with face sealing means comprising a flap or membrane projecting inwards, such that sealing increases with increasing inhalation gas pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0622 having an underlying cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0638 in the form of a pivot
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0001 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/028 making use of inherent heat, i.e. the heat for the joining comes from the moulding process of one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/324 Avoiding burr formation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/246 Moulding high reactive monomers or prepolymers, e.g. by reaction injection moulding [RIM], liquid injection moulding [LIM] casting monomers B29C39/006, mixing construction B29B7/74
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 69/004 making articles by joining parts moulded in separate cavities, said parts being in said separate cavities during said joining B29C45/006, B29C51/267 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0061 Gel or sol
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2283/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon only, in the main chain, as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/025 : Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4835 : Masks

Abstract

A cushion assembly for use with a respiratory mask includes a bladder filled with the combination of a gel having a first indentation hardness and a gel having a second indentation hardness.

Claims

1. A patient interface, comprising:

a cushioning structure including at least one hollow chamber filled first and second discrete and/or layered filling materials; and

a seal forming structure formed in one piece with the cushioning structure, the seal forming structure including a thin membrane flap that is structured to provide a seal to the patient'"'"'s face, the thin membrane flap including a free end that is spaced from the cushioning structure in its substantially relaxed, unstressed state and is adapted to be responsive to a difference between mask pressure and ambient pressure to effect a seal with a face region of a patient.

2. A patient interface according to claim 1, wherein spacing between the free end of the thin membrane flap and the cushioning structure is different in different regions of the patient interface.

3. A patient interface according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning structure and the thin membrane flap include adjacent surfaces that face one another and are spaced apart from one another by a gap.

4. A patient interface according to claim 1, wherein the first and second filling materials are gel or gel-like materials.

5. A patient interface according to claim 1, wherein the first filling material is softer and/or more comformable than the second filling material to provide patient comfort in use.

6. A patient interface according to claim 5, wherein the second filling material provides support and structure to the first filling material.

7. A patient interface according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning structure and seal forming structure are molded of LSR.

47. A patient interface according to claim 1, wherein a width of each of the first and second filling materials is the same as a width of the chamber.

8-46. -46. (canceled)