Mask fitting system and method

• US 8,254,637 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Abourizk, Mark Alexander, Green, Paul Anthony, Henry, Robert Edward, Selvarajan, Karthikeyan, Drew, Joanne Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Tom Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONWAY, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US11/878,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20080060652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0622 having an underlying cushion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0633 with forehead support
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0661 with customised shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0216 Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting a mask system for a patient are provided. Certain example embodiments include generating 3D contours of patients and selecting mask systems based at least on these contours. These contours may be generated by using, for example, a cushion of translatable pins, a nasal cannular scanning device, and/or a shadow stereopsis sensor. Certain other example embodiments allow images and/or videos to be captured and optionally synchronized. Then, images of various mask systems may be overlaid to determine how well a mask system fits. In still other embodiments, a user can hold a transparency corresponding to a mask design in front of the patient'"'"'s face to determine how well a mask system fits.

Claims

1. A mask fitting system for selecting, from a plurality of selection mask systems, at least two mask systems for a patient, comprising:

an image and/or video acquiring device operable to capture plural images and/or a video of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s face;

a processor operable to process the images and/or video to determine a physical characteristic of the patient'"'"'s face based at least on the images and/or video and at least one symbol, the at least one symbol having been applied to the patient'"'"'s face prior to the image and/or video acquiring device capturing the images and/or video;

a display to show the images and/or video and/or each of the selection mask systems;

a head support and camera mount assembly including;

a base;

an upright provided to the base, the upright including a chin support adapted to support the patient'"'"'s chin in use; and

an arm extending outwardly from the upright, the arm having a distal end structured to support the image and/or video acquiring device, the image and/or video acquiring device being configured to capture at least one image of the patient'"'"'s face when the patient'"'"'s chin is resting on the chin support in use; and

servo motors to automate movement of the arm,

wherein the processor is further operable to select the at least two mask systems based at least in part on the physical characteristic of the patient'"'"'s face, and

wherein the processor is further operable to generate scheduling information, the scheduling information suggesting when the patient should rotate among the two or more mask systems.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image and/or video acquiring device is a digital camera and/or web cam.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one symbol comprises a sticker.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one symbol is located on at least one predetermined position on the patient'"'"'s face, the at least one predetermined position corresponding to one or more of the patient'"'"'s nostrils'"'"' sidewalls, the patient'"'"'s nose'"'"'s bottom tip;

the patient'"'"'s nasal bridge, the patient'"'"'s middle of forehead, and the patient'"'"'s chin.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the base is adapted to clamp onto the side of a table or desktop.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is laterally rotatable with respect to the upright.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is rotatable up and down with respect to the upright between an in-use configuration and a collapsed configuration.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is slidable up and down with respect to the upright.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image and/or video acquiring device is movably mounted to the arm.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the base, upright, chin support, and/or arm is constructed of steel, plastic, and/or aluminum.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two mask systems are selected from a plurality of either nose masks or full face masks.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a shadow steropsis sensor configured to generate a signal corresponding to shadow caused by light shined on the patient'"'"'s face, the signal being indicative of a contour of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s face.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is telescoping and lockable in in-use extended and out-of-use collapsed configurations.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one image and/or video includes a portion of the patient'"'"'s face comprising at least the patient'"'"'s nasal area, and

wherein the processor is further operable to (a) generate a contour of at least the patient'"'"'s nasal area, and (b) determine a type and direction of nasal prongs suited to the patient based at least in part on the contour.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least two mask systems are selected based at least in part on the type and direction of nasal prongs suited to the patient.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a routine operable to allow a user of the system to overlay at least one image of at least one mask system and the at least one image and/or video.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the routine is further operable to synchronize a plurality of images and/or videos from a plurality of image and/or video acquiring devices.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to use the at least one symbol to gauge distance of and/or orientation of the patient'"'"'s face, based on fixed dimensions of the at least one symbol.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to use the at least one symbol to obtain a measurement of the patient'"'"'s face.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is laterally rotatable through approximately 90 degrees in both directions from center in order to position image and/or video acquiring device at locations suitable for acquiring side photos of the patient'"'"'s face.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the camera mount assembly includes a button to allow rotation of the arm, the button being detented in at least three positions corresponding to straight ahead, right side, and left side locations for the image and/or video acquiring device, relative to the patient'"'"'s face.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising servo motors to automate movement of the arm.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is rotatable.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a squeeze button at a hinge region between the arm and the upright adapted to allow rotation of the arm when squeezed and to prevent rotation not squeezed.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the hinge is dampened to prevent the arm from banging against the upright if dropped.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the upright includes a telescopic arrangement to control height adjustment of the upright.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein telescopic movement of the upright is controlled by a pneumatic system.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the telescopic arrangement includes a bushing positioned to prevent the patient from squashing his/her finger between telescoping parts.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the telescopic arrangement is raisable by 10% to 500% of its height.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the telescopic arrangement is raisable by 150 mm.

31. A method of selecting, from a plurality of selection mask systems, at least two mask systems for a patient, the method comprising:

applying at least one symbol to the patient'"'"'s face;

capturing at least one image and/or video of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s face; and

determining a physical characteristic of the patient'"'"'s face based at least in part on the at least one image and/or video and the at least one symbol;

displaying the at least one image and/or video and/or the selection mask systems;

selecting the at least two mask systems based at least in part on the physical characteristic of the patient'"'"'s face; and

generating a report that suggests when the patient should rotate among the selected at least two mask systems,

wherein the capturing is practiced after the patient engages with a head support and camera mount assembly including;

a base;

an upright provided to the base, the upright including a chin support adapted to support the patient'"'"'s chin in use; and

an arm extending outwardly from the upright, the arm having a distal end structured to support the image and/or video acquiring device, the image and/or video acquiring device being configured to capture at least one image of the patient'"'"'s face when the patient'"'"'s chin is resting on the chin support in use, and

wherein said capturing is practiced by laterally rotating the arm through approximately 90 degrees in both directions from center in order to position image and/or video acquiring device at locations suitable for acquiring front and side photos of the patient'"'"'s face.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one image and/or video is acquired by a digital camera and/or web cam.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one symbol comprises a sticker.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one symbol is applied at at least one predetermined position on the patient'"'"'s face, the at least one predetermined position corresponding to one or more of the patient'"'"'s nostrils'"'"' sidewalls, the patient'"'"'s nose'"'"'s bottom tip;

the patient'"'"'s nasal bridge, the patient'"'"'s middle of forehead, and the patient'"'"'s chin.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one image and/or video includes a portion of the patient'"'"'s face comprising at least the patient'"'"'s nasal area, and further comprising:

generating a contour of at least the patient'"'"'s nasal area;

determining a type and direction of nasal prongs suited to the patient based at least in part on the contour.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least two mask systems are selected based at least in part on the type and direction of nasal prongs suited to the patient.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the base is adapted to clamp onto the side of a table or desktop.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the arm is laterally rotatable with respect to the upright.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the arm is rotatable up and down with respect to the upright between an in-use configuration and a collapsed configuration.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein the arm is slidable up and down with respect to the upright.

41. The method of claim 31, wherein the image and/or video acquiring device is movably mounted to the arm.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the base, upright, chin support, and/or arm is constructed of steel, plastic, and/or aluminum.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least two mask systems are selected from a plurality of either nose masks or full face masks.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the camera mount assembly includes a button to allow rotation of the arm, the button being detented in at least three positions corresponding to straight ahead, right side, and left side locations for the image and/or video acquiring device, relative to the patient'"'"'s face.

45. The method of claim 31, further comprising enabling a user to overlay at least one image of at least one mask system and the at least one image and/or video.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising enabling the user to synchronize a plurality of images and/or videos from a plurality of image and/or video acquiring devices.

47. The method of claim 31, further comprising calculating a distance to and/or orientation of the patient'"'"'s face, based on fixed dimensions of the at least one symbol.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising obtaining a measurement of the patient'"'"'s face based on the at least one symbol.

49. The method of claim 31, wherein the upright includes a telescopic arrangement to control height adjustment of the upright.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein telescopic movement of the upright is controlled by a pneumatic system.

51. The method of claim 49,

wherein the telescopic arrangement includes a bushing positioned to prevent the patient from squashing his/her finger between telescoping parts.