Respiratory mask having washout vent and gas washout vent assembly for a respiratory mask
First Claim
1. A respiratory mask, the respiratory mask comprising:
- (i) a patient interface structured for communication with a patient'"'"'s airways;
(ii) a gas inlet in the form of a rotatable elbow to supply pressurized breathable gas at a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure to the patient interface; and
(iii) a gas washout vent insert on the rotatable elbow, the gas washout vent insert having a plurality of holes, said holes being structured to allow adequate CO2 washout from the patient interface,wherein said plurality of holes is arranged in a plurality of rows, each of said rows having at least 3 of said holes, andwherein each of the holes has a first end positioned on an inside surface of the gas washout vent insert and a second end positioned on an outer surface of the gas washout vent insert, and wherein the first end of each hole has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second end of each hole.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a vent assembly suitable for use with a respiratory mask of the type used in CPAP treatment. In one embodiment the vent is made of a thin air permeable membrane. Generally, the membrane is thinner than 0.5 mm. The membrane can be made of a hydrophobic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The membrane can also be fabricated from expanded PTFE. The expanded PTFE membrane is mounted on a polypropylene scrim. The pores of the membrane have a reference pore size of 10 to 15 microns. In an alternative embodiment, the vent assembly includes a vent constructed from stainless steel. In another embodiment the membrane has a superficial cross-sectional area of approximately 500 mm2. In another embodiment the vent assembly comprises a membrane attached to a vent frame, the vent assembly forming an insert which can be removeably attached to a mask frame.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A respiratory mask, the respiratory mask comprising:
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(i) a patient interface structured for communication with a patient'"'"'s airways; (ii) a gas inlet in the form of a rotatable elbow to supply pressurized breathable gas at a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure to the patient interface; and (iii) a gas washout vent insert on the rotatable elbow, the gas washout vent insert having a plurality of holes, said holes being structured to allow adequate CO2 washout from the patient interface, wherein said plurality of holes is arranged in a plurality of rows, each of said rows having at least 3 of said holes, and wherein each of the holes has a first end positioned on an inside surface of the gas washout vent insert and a second end positioned on an outer surface of the gas washout vent insert, and wherein the first end of each hole has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second end of each hole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A CPAP respiratory mask, the CPAP respiratory mask comprising:
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(i) a full face patient interface structured for communication with a patient'"'"'s airways, further comprising a full face cushion connected to a full face rigid plastic shell; (ii) a gas inlet in the form of a rotatable elbow that has a first portion coupled to the shell and a second portion, formed at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the first portion, to supply pressurized breathable gas at a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure to the patient interface, wherein the rotatable elbow is formed separately from the shell and rotatably connected thereto; and (iii) a gas washout vent insert on the rotatable elbow and is positioned more on the first portion of the rotatable elbow, the gas washout vent insert having at least 20 holes, said holes being structured to allow adequate CO2 washout from the patient interface, wherein the at least 20 holes are arranged in at least 6 rows, each of said rows having at least 3 of said holes, and wherein each of the holes has a first end positioned on an inside surface of the gas washout vent insert and a second end positioned on an outer surface of the gas washout vent insert, and wherein the first end of each hole has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second end of each hole and each of the holes is tapered in cross-section.
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26. A respiratory mask for use in CPAP treatment, the respiratory mask comprising:
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(i) a full face shell structured for communication with a patient'"'"'s airways, (ii) a separately formed rotatable gas inlet elbow to deliver pressurized breathable gas into the full face shell at a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure; (ii) a full-face cushion connected to the shell, the cushion and the shell defining a pressurized breathing cavity; (iii) an insert having a plurality of gas washout through holes inserted into an opening on the separately formed rotatable gas inlet elbow, wherein each of the holes has a first end oriented towards an inside surface of the separately formed rotatable gas inlet elbow and a second end oriented towards an outer surface of the separately formed rotatable gas inlet elbow, wherein the first end has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second end, and wherein the plurality of through holes are arranged in a plurality of lines, each of said lines having at least 3 of said holes. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A respiratory mask, the respiratory mask comprising:
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a patient interface structured for communication with a patient'"'"'s airways, the patient interface including a swivel elbow; said patient interface including a cushion, the cushion at least partly defining a breathing cavity adapted to be pressurized to a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure; said patient interface including only a single gas washout vent insert that is selectably detachable from the swivel elbow, wherein the single gas washout vent insert has an array of through holes extending from an inside of the swivel elbow to an outside of the swivel elbow, said array of through holes, in use, allowing CO2 washout from the breathing cavity to atmosphere, each of said holes having a generally tapered shape such that an inside diameter of each hole that is positioned on the inside of the swivel elbow is larger than an outside diameter of each hole that is positioned on the outside of the swivel elbow, wherein the array of through holes includes at least 30 holes, and wherein all of said at least 30 holes are provided on said single gas washout vent insert. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A respiratory mask, the respiratory mask comprising:
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(i) a full-face mask shell; (ii) a full-face cushion attached to the shell, the cushion and the shell defining a breathing cavity adapted to be pressurized to a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure; (iii) a separately formed breathable gas inlet rotatably attached to the shell and adapted to conduct gas through the shell to the breathing cavity; (iv) a gas washout vent provided in the gas inlet, the gas washout vent having a plurality of holes therein, said holes arranged in a plurality of lines, and wherein each of the holes has a first end proximate an inside surface of the gas inlet and a second end proximate an outer surface of the gas inlet, and wherein the first end has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second end, wherein the plurality of lines includes at least 4 lines including at least 3 of said holes. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A CPAP respiratory mask, the CPAP respiratory mask comprising:
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(i) a full-face mask shell; (ii) a full-face cushion attached to the shell, the cushion and the shell defining a breathing cavity adapted to be pressurized to a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure; (iii) a separately formed breathable gas inlet rotatably attached to the shell and adapted to conduct gas through the shell to the breathing cavity; (iv) a single gas washout vent provided in the gas inlet, the single gas washout vent having a plurality of holes therein, said holes arranged in a plurality of rows, and wherein each of the holes has a first end proximate an inside surface of the gas inlet and a second end proximate an outer surface of the gas inlet, and wherein the first end has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second end, wherein the single gas washout vent includes at least 40 through holes, and wherein all of said at least 40 through holes are provided on said single gas washout vent. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification