Breathing mask arrangement and a forehead support device for same

• US 7,000,614 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ResMed Humidification Technologies GmbH (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MAP Medizin-Technologie GMBH (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vogele, Harald, Madaus, Stefan, Heidmann, Dieter, Lang, Bernd, Biener, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, TEENA KAY
• Application Number:
  US10/221,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20040045550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 128/202.27, 128/205.25, 128/206.11, 128/206.12, 128/206.13, 128/206.16, 128/206.18, 128/206.21, 128/206.23, 128/206.24, 128/206.25, 128/206.26, 128/206.27, 128/206.28, 128/207.11, 128/207.13
• US Class Current: 128/206.21
• 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 16/0638 in the form of a pivot
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/065 in the form of a pivot
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0688 by means of an adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0825 with ball-sockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0216 Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking

Abstract

A breathing mask arranged for feeding a respiratory gas to a patient includes a forehead support device, an arch body, a sealing lip means for bearing against the surface of the patient'"'"'s face, a respiratory gas conduit means for feeding respiratory gas to a mask internal space defined by the arch body and in communication with the nose and/or mouth opening of the patient. The breathing mask arrangement includes an application structure for application of the sealing lip means jointly with the arch body, wherein the application structure has a carrier portion on which a respiratory gas conduit member in the form of a docking port is releasably mounted. The forehead support device includes a contact element provided in the application position of the breathing mask for bearing against the forehead region of the patient, and a holding device for holding the contact element in tiltably movable manner.

Claims

1. A breathing mask arrangement for delivering breathable gas to a patient, comprising:

a frame having a one-piece construction including an arcuate guide portion, a conduit carrier portion, and a mask retaining portion;

a nasal mask having a body portion structured to be removably attachable to the mask retaining portion of the frame and a sealing portion structured to engage a patient'"'"'s face generally along nasal bridge, cheek, and lip regions of the patient'"'"'s face;

a T-shaped forehead support having an upper cross portion and a lower leg portion, the upper cross portion of the T-shaped forehead support having two spaced elastomeric forehead cushion elements removably attached thereto and structured to engage a patient'"'"'s forehead, the lower leg portion of the T-shaped forehead support having a coupling portion that is moveably mounted to the arcuate guide portion of the frame to allow sliding movement of the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion to thereby adjust the position of the forehead support relative to the patient;

a conduit member releasably coupled to the conduit carrier portion of the frame and in fluid communication with the nasal mask to deliver breathable gas into a nasal breathing space of the nasal mask;

a hose connector sleeve rotatably coupled to the conduit member, the hose connector sleeve structured to be connected to a gas delivery tube; and

a manually engageable actuator that is manually movable between a plurality of locked positions and an unlocked position, wherein the forehead support can be slidably moved relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion when the manually engageable actuator is in the unlocked position.

2. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement arrangement including a plurality of engagement recesses and at least one engagement projection, the engagement recesses being adapted to receive the engagement projection when the actuator is in the locked position to prevent movement of the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion.

3. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the engagement arrangement is a tooth arrangement structured to positively lock the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame to prevent movement of the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion.

4. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the actuator is resiliently biased to each of the locked positions, the actuator being manually movable to the unlocked position against biasing thereof.

5. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 4, wherein flow of incoming gas from the gas delivery tube to the nasal breathing space of the nasal mask is deflected through an angle of at least 30°

by the conduit member.

6. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the upper cross portion of the T-shaped forehead support includes a pair of holding clips structured to be removably connectable to an upper band arrangement of a headband and the frame includes a pair of holding clips structured to be removably connectable to a lower band arrangement of the headband for maintaining the mask arrangement in a desired position on the patient'"'"'s face.

7. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the body portion of the nasal mask includes a first interlocking surface that engages a second interlocking surface provided in the mask retaining portion of the frame when the nasal mask and the frame are engaged with one another, the first and second interlocking surfaces interlocking with one another.

8. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the forehead cushion elements include feet that are received within receiving openings provided in the upper cross portion of the T-shaped forehead support.

9. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the manually engageable actuator is provided on the frame.

10. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the conduit member includes an annular flange having a plurality of tongue elements that are elastically deformable towards an axis of the conduit member, each of the tongue elements having a retaining ridge structured to engage the hose connecting sleeve so as to rotatably couple the conduit member to the hose connecting sleeve.

11. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coupling portion of the T-shaped forehead support includes a projection and the arcuate guide portion of the frame includes an arcuate recess, the arcuate recess being adapted to receive the projection when the coupling portion is moveably mounted to the arcuate guide portion to allow sliding movement of the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion.

12. A breathing mask arrangement for delivering breathable gas to a patient, comprising:

a frame having a one-piece construction including an arcuate guide portion, a conduit carrier portion, and a mask retaining portion,

a nasal mask having a body portion structured to be removably attachable to the mask retaining portion of the frame and a sealing portion structured to engage a patient'"'"'s face generally along nasal bridge, cheek, and lip regions of the patient'"'"'s face, the body portion of the nasal mask including a first interlocking surface that engages a second interlocking surface provided in the mask retaining portion of the frame when the nasal mask and the frame are engaged with one another, the first and second interlocking surfaces interlocking with one another;

a T-shaped forehead support having an upper cross portion and a lower leg portion, the upper cross portion of the T-shaped forehead support having two spaced elastomeric forehead cushion elements removably attached thereto and structured to engage a patient'"'"'s forehead, the lower leg portion of the T-shaped forehead support having a coupling portion that is moveably mounted to the arcuate guide portion of the frame to allow sliding movement of the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion to thereby adjust the position of the forehead support relative to the patient;

a conduit member releasably coupled to the conduit carrier portion of the frame and in fluid communication with the nasal mask to deliver breathable gas into a nasal breathing space of the nasal mask;

a hose connector sleeve rotatably coupled to the conduit member, the hose connector sleeve structured to be connected to a gas delivery tube, wherein the conduit member is structured to deflect flow of incoming gas from the gas delivery tube to the nasal breathing space of the nasal mask through an angle of at least 30°

;

a manually engageable that is manually movable between a plurality of locked positions and an unlocked position, wherein the actuator is resiliently biased to each of the locked positions and the forehead support can be slidably moved relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion when the manually engageable actuator is manually moved to the unlocked position against biasing thereof; and

an engagement arrangement including a plurality of engagement recesses and at least one engagement projection, the engagement recesses being adapted to receive the engagement projection when the actuator is in the locked position to prevent movement of the T-shaped forehead support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion,

wherein the upper cross portion of the T-shaped forehead support includes a pair of holding clips structured to be removably connectable to an upper band arrangement of a headband and the frame includes a pair of holding clips structured to be removably connectable to a lower band arrangement of the headband for maintaining the mask arrangement in a desired position on the patient'"'"'s face.

13. A breathing mask arrangement for delivering breathable gas to a patient, comprising:

a frame having a one-piece construction including an arcuate guide portion, a conduit carrier portion, and a mask retaining portion;

a nasal mask having a body portion structured to be removably attachable to the mask retaining portion of the frame and a sealing portion structured to engage a patient'"'"'s face generally along nasal bridge, cheek, and lip regions of the patient'"'"'s face;

a support having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the support having a band receiver structured to be attached to an upper band arrangement of a headband, the lower portion of the support having a coupling portion that is moveably mounted to the arcuate guide portion of the frame to allow sliding movement of the support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion to thereby adjust the position of the support relative to the patient;

a conduit member coupled to the conduit carrier portion of the frame and in fluid communication with the nasal mask to deliver breathable gas into a nasal breathing space of the nasal mask;

a hose connector sleeve rotatably coupled to the conduit member, the hose connector sleeve structured to be connected to a gas delivery tube; and

a manually engageable actuator that is manually movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the support can be slidably moved relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion when the manually engageable actuator is in the unlocked position.

14. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 13, further comprising an engagement arrangement including a plurality of engagement recesses and at least one engagement projection, the engagement recesses being adapted to receive the engagement projection when the actuator is in the locked position to prevent movement of the support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion.

15. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the engagement arrangement is a tooth arrangement structured to positively lock the support relative to the frame to prevent movement of the support relative to the frame along the arcuate guide portion.

16. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the actuator is resiliently biased to the locked position, the actuator being manually movable to the unlocked position against biasing thereof.

17. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the frame includes a pair of band receivers structured to be attached to a lower band arrangement of the headband for maintaining the mask arrangement in a desired position on the patient'"'"'s face.

18. The breathing mask arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the manually engageable actuator is provided on the frame.