Face chamber

• US 4,989,596 A
• Filed: 02/14/1989
• Issued: 02/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allen G. Macris, Harry L. Vaughan, Stothe P. Kezios
• Original Assignee: Allen G. Macris, Harry L. Vaughan, Stothe P. Kezios
• Inventors: Macris, Allen G., Kezios, Stothe P., Vaughan, Harry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): EICKHOLT, EUGENE H
• Application Number:
  US07/311,128
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 128/201.12, 128/201.22, 128/201.23, 128/201.24, 128/201.25, 128/201.28, 128/204.18, 128/204.26, 128/205.17, 128/205.25 , 128/206.15, 128/206.22, 128/206.24, 128/206.26, 128/206.27, 128/206.28, 128/207.11, 128/207.12
• US Class Current: 128/201.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• 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 16/0633 with forehead support
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor

Abstract

A face chamber for use with a continuous positive airways pressure apparatus to treat a patient comprising a housing with a pressure chamber and a face receiving opening to fit over the patient'"'"'s face, a seal to seal the patient'"'"'s face to the housing so that the patient breathes into said pressure chamber, an inlet connector for connecting the output of the continuous positive airways pressure apparatus to the pressure chamber, and control valves for controlling the discharge of gases from the face chamber.

Claims

1. A face chamber for use with a continuous positive airways pressure source to treat a patient with the pressurized output gasses therefrom comprising:

a generally cylindrical, substantially rigid annular sidewall having a central axis, said sidewall having opposed ends, an upper portion and a lower portion;

one of said ends being open and defining a sealing edge thereon contoured to generally conform to the patient'"'"'s face;

said sidewall having a diameter such that the sidewall extends around the patient'"'"'s face from the chin to the forehead;

an end wall joined to and closing that end of said sidewall opposite said sealing edge;

said end wall having a first substantially transparent portion oriented generally normal to the sidewall central axis and closing the upper portion of the open end of said sidewall so that the patient may see therethrough when said face chamber is in place on the face of the patient;

a face seal along said sealing edge of said sidewall adapted to seal the sealing edge to the face of the patient;

means for holding said sidewall on the face of the patient and maintain said seal in sealing contact with the patient'"'"'s face,

said sidewall and said end wall defining a closed pressure chamber about the patient'"'"'s face while said face chamber is seated against the patient'"'"'s face so that the patient'"'"'s face contacts said face chamber only along said seal to free the patient'"'"'s face and permit the patient to talk and eat without having to remove said face chamber; and

inlet connection means mounted on said face chamber for connecting the output gasses of the continuous positive airways pressure source to said pressure chamber.

2. The face chamber of claim 1

wherein said end wall further includes a lower portion closing the lower portion of the end of said sidewall opposite the sealing edge and defining an acute angle with the central axis of said sidewall, said lower portion of said end wall defining an access opening therethrough sized to permit manual access to the patient'"'"'s mouth and nose when said face chamber is installed on the patient'"'"'s face;

and,

closure means for selectively closing said access opening to permit the continuous positive airways pressure source to pressurize the pressure chamber.

3. The face chamber of claim 2 wherein said closure means further includes a reservoir assembly comprising:

a reservoir connector mounted on said end wall around said access opening; and

an inflatable reservoir bag removably mounted on said reservoir connector exteriorly of said housing so that said reservoir bag communicates with said pressure chamber through said access opening to act as a reservoir for the gases in said pressure chamber to permit the patient to inhale from said pressure chamber without drawing atmospheric air thereinto.

4. The face chamber of claim 3 wherein said inlet connection means is located in the upper portion of said sidewall and further includes a discharge portion defining an outlet therefrom oriented generally parallel to the central axis of said side wall, said discharge portion pivotal about an axis generally radially oriented with respect to said sidewall to change the position at which the incoming gasses from the continuous positive airways pressure source are directed onto the patient'"'"'s face.

5. The face chamber of claim 4 wherein said discharge portion on said connection means is further movable along a positioning axis generally radially with respect to said sidewall so that the position at which the incoming gasses from the continuous positive airways pressure source are directed onto the patient'"'"'s face can be moved.

6. The face chamber of claim 2 wherein said face seal includes:

a resilient sealing flap connected to said sidewall about said sealing edge and adapted to lie against the patient'"'"'s face; and

an inflatable member extending substantially completely along said sealing edge and lying between said sealing flap and said sidewall so that inflation of said inflatable member serves to press said sealing flap against the patient'"'"'s face to effectuate a seal between the face chamber and the patient.

7. The face chamber of claim 5 further including a pressure regulating valve mounted in the upper portion of said sidewall and communicating with said pressure chamber to control the discharge of gases from said pressure chamber to the atmosphere through said pressure regulating valve so as to regulate the pressure maintained in said pressure chamber.

8. The face chamber of claim 1

wherein said lower portion of said sidewall defines an access opening therethrough sized to permit manual access to the patient'"'"'s mouth and nose when said face chamber is installed on the patient'"'"'s face;

and,

closure means for selectively closing said access opening to permit the continuous positive airways pressure source to pressurize the pressure chamber.

9. A face chamber for connection to the pressurized gas outlet of a continuous positive airways pressure source to treat a patient with the gas mixture output therefrom comprising:

a generally cylindrical, substantially rigid and substantially transparent annular sidewall having a central axis, said sidewall having opposed ends, an upper portion and a lower portion;

one of said ends being open and defining a sealing edge thereon contoured to generally conform to the patient'"'"'s face;

said sidewall having a diameter such that the sidewall extends around the patient'"'"'s face from the chin to the forehead;

an end wall joined to and closing that end of said sidewall opposite said sealing edge;

said end wall being substantially transparent;

said end wall including an upper portion oriented generally normal to the sidewall central axis so that the patient may see therethrough when said face chamber is in place on the face of the patient;

said end wall further including a lower portion oriented at an acute angle with the central axis of said sidewall and defining an access opening therethrough sized to permit manual access to the patient'"'"'s mouth and nose when said face chamber is installed on the patient'"'"'s face;

closure means for selectively closing said access opening to permit the continuous positive airways pressure source to pressurize the pressure chamber;

a face seal along said sealing edge of said sidewall adapted to seal the sealing edge to the face of the patient;

means for holding said sidewall on the face of the patient and maintain said seal in sealing contact with the patient'"'"'s face,

said sidewall and said end wall defining a closed pressure chamber about the patient'"'"'s face while said face chamber is seated against the patient'"'"'s face so that the patient'"'"'s face contacts said face chamber only along said seal to free the patient'"'"'s face and permit the patient to talk and chew without having to remove said face chamber; and

inlet connection means mounted on the upper portion of said face chamber for connecting the output of the continuous positive airways pressure source to said pressure chamber, said inlet connection means including;

an L-shaped inlet tube including an inlet leg and a discharge leg joined to one end of and perpendicular to said inlet leg, said inlet and said discharge legs each having a projecting end thereon, said inlet and discharge legs defining a common passage therethrough; and

,

a sealing bushing mounted in the upper portion of said sidewall and defining an opening therethrough slidably receiving said inlet leg of said inlet tube therethrough so that said discharge leg is located in said pressure chamber and so that the projecting end on said inlet leg is located exteriorly of said pressure chamber for connection to the continuous positive airways pressure source, said sealing bushing locating said inlet leg generally radially with respect to said sidewall so that said inlet tube can be moved radially with respect to the sidewall and rotated in said sealing bushing to so that the position at which the gas mixture from the continuous positive airways pressure source is directed onto the patient'"'"'s face can be moved.