CUSHION ASSEMBLY FOR A RESPIRATORY MASK

• US 20120132208A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Judson, Daniel Robert, Formica, Justin John, Flower, Renee Frances, Darkin, Donald, Kwok, Philip Rodney, Pidcock, David Anthony, Davidson, Aaron Samuel, Mazzone, Damien Julian, Moiler, Grant, Peake, Gregory Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,238,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.25
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0622 having an underlying cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0216 Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking

Abstract

A mask cushion or a mask assembly therewith provides a comfortable and effective seal for provision of a gas therapy by a respiratory treatment apparatus. The mask cushion (102) may be integrated with or coupled to a mask frame. The mask cushion typically includes an inner cushion component (104). The mask cushion also includes a patient facial-contact side portion with a chamber (108) and a barrier (106) to form the chamber that may be flexible. The chamber may serve as an outer layer with respect to the inner cushion component. The chamber may be partially or completely filled with a gas, fluid or gel. The inner cushion may be formed with a soft flexible material such as an elastomer or foam, etc. The barrier may be a membrane and may also be soft flexible material.

Claims

1. A cushion for a respiratory mask to provide an interface for contacting a facial feature of a patient, the cushion comprising:

an inner cushion component;

a patient contact side portion, the patient contact side portion comprising a chamber and a barrier to form the chamber, the chamber comprising an outer layer with respect to the inner cushion component.

2. The cushion of claim 1 wherein the barrier comprises a membrane.

3. The cushion of claim 1 wherein the chamber is a flexible chamber.

4. The cushion of claim 1 wherein the chamber includes a gas therein;

5. The cushion of claim 1 wherein the chamber includes a fluid therein.

6. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the fluid is water.

7. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the fluid is a gel.

8. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the cushion comprises a top facial-contact portion, an inner side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion and an outer side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion, and wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along a limit of the top facial-contact portion.

9. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the cushion comprises a top facial-contact portion, an inner side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion and an outer side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion, and wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along a limit of the top facial-contact portion and inner side wall portion.

10. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the cushion comprises a top facial-contact portion, an inner side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion and an outer side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion, and wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along a limit of the inner side wall portion, the top facial-contact portion and the outer side wall portion.

11. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along and around a perimeter of the inner cushion component.

12. The cushion of claim 5 further comprising an inner barrier membrane to separate the inner cushion component from the fluid.

13. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the inner cushion comprises a soft foam.

14. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the inner cushion comprises balls or pellets.

15. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the inner cushion comprises a three-dimensional spacer fabric.

16. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the inner cushion component comprises a porous structure formed by an elastomeric material.

17. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the barrier membrane comprises an elastic material.

18. The cushion of claim 5 further comprising a mask frame interconnect coupled with at least one of the inner cushion component and the barrier membrane.

19. The cushion of claim 18 wherein the mask frame interconnect comprises a cap integrally formed with the inner cushion component.

20. The cushion of claim 5 wherein the patient contact side portion is shaped to conform to the face of a patient to seal with the patient'"'"'s nose.

21. The cushion of claim 20 wherein the patient contact side portion is shaped to conform to the face of a patient to seal with the patient'"'"'s mouth.

22. The cushion of claim 1 further comprising a chamber supply orifice.

23. A mask assembly for a respiratory treatment apparatus comprising:

a mask frame, the mask frame including a port for coupling with a gas supply tube; and

a cushion coupled with the mask frame, the cushion comprising an inner cushion component and a patient contact side portion, the patient contact portion comprising a chamber and a barrier to form the chamber, the chamber comprising an outer layer with respect to the inner cushion component.

24. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the barrier comprises a membrane.

25. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the chamber is a flexible chamber.

26. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the chamber includes a gas therein.

27. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the chamber includes a fluid therein.

28. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the fluid is water.

29. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the fluid is a liquid gel.

30. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the cushion comprises a top facial-contact portion, an inner side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion and an outer side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion, and wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along a limit of the top facial-contact portion.

31. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the cushion comprises a top facial-contact portion, an inner side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion and an outer side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion, and wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along a limit of the top facial-contact portion and inner side wall portion.

32. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the cushion comprises a top facial-contact portion, an inner side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion and an outer side wall portion adjacent to the top facial-contact portion, and wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along a limit of the inner side wall portion, the top facial-contact portion and the outer side wall portion.

33. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the barrier membrane and chamber are formed to extend along and around a perimeter of the inner cushion component.

34. The mask assembly of claim 23 further comprising an inner barrier membrane to separate the inner cushion component from the fluid.

35. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the inner cushion comprises a soft foam.

36. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the inner cushion comprises balls or pellets.

37. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the inner cushion comprises a three-dimensional spacer fabric.

38. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the inner cushion component comprises a porous structure formed of an elastomeric material.

39. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the barrier membrane comprises an elastic material.

40. The mask assembly of claim 23 further comprising a mask frame interconnect coupled with at least one of the inner cushion component and the barrier membrane.

41. The mask assembly of claim 40 wherein the mask frame interconnect comprises a cap integrally formed with the inner cushion component.

42. The mask assembly of claim 23 wherein the patient contact side portion is shaped to conform to the face of a patient to seal with the patient'"'"'s nose.

43. The mask assembly of claim 42 wherein the patient contact side portion is shaped to conform to the face of a patient to seal with the patient'"'"'s mouth.

44. The mask assembly claim 23 wherein the cushion further comprises a chamber supply orifice.

45. The mask assembly of claim 44 wherein the mask frame further comprises a chamber supply duct coupled for gas flow to the chamber supply orifice.