Mask and mask cushion therefor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A mask cushion to sealingly connect a mask to a wearer'"'"'s face, the cushion comprising:
- a frame of resilient material having a rim to at least partially surround the wearer'"'"'s nose; and
a membrane also of resilient material and defining an aperture sized to receive the wearer'"'"'s nose, said membrane being thinner than and relatively more flexible than said frame, said membrane being fixed to and extending away from said frame so as to be spaced from said rim by a gap, said membrane having an outer surface forming a face contacting seal portion that is pre-shaped to generally match the contours of the wearer'"'"'s face, wherein the face contacting seal portion is structured such that it is not required to turn in on itself to conform with the wearer'"'"'s face, in use;
wherein;
the cushion at least partly forms a breathing chamber to receive pressurized breathable gas, for delivery to at least a nasal passage of the wearer, the breathing chamber being accessible by the wearer via the aperture of the membrane;
the rim and the membrane are commonly curved towards the breathing chamber,the cushion is structured so that the pressurized gas in the chamber assists in maintaining a seal between the membrane and the wearer in use;
the frame and rim are structured to resist deformation so as to form a support structure for the membrane,said membrane is resiliently deformable towards said gap to abut said rim in use of said cushion; and
the rim and the membrane have a pre-formed co-located notch to accommodate the bridge of the wearer'"'"'s nose.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cushion comprises a substantially triangularly shaped frame from which extends a membrane. The membrane is spaced away from the rim of the frame, and its outer surface is of substantially the same shape as the rim. The seal forming portion thus contacts both the surface of the wearer'"'"'s nose and a portion of the wearer'"'"'s face. The shape of the seal forming portion is particularly suited to effectively seal the difficult region of the facial contour that is the crease between the sides of the nose and the face.
183 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A mask cushion to sealingly connect a mask to a wearer'"'"'s face, the cushion comprising:
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a frame of resilient material having a rim to at least partially surround the wearer'"'"'s nose; and a membrane also of resilient material and defining an aperture sized to receive the wearer'"'"'s nose, said membrane being thinner than and relatively more flexible than said frame, said membrane being fixed to and extending away from said frame so as to be spaced from said rim by a gap, said membrane having an outer surface forming a face contacting seal portion that is pre-shaped to generally match the contours of the wearer'"'"'s face, wherein the face contacting seal portion is structured such that it is not required to turn in on itself to conform with the wearer'"'"'s face, in use; wherein; the cushion at least partly forms a breathing chamber to receive pressurized breathable gas, for delivery to at least a nasal passage of the wearer, the breathing chamber being accessible by the wearer via the aperture of the membrane; the rim and the membrane are commonly curved towards the breathing chamber, the cushion is structured so that the pressurized gas in the chamber assists in maintaining a seal between the membrane and the wearer in use; the frame and rim are structured to resist deformation so as to form a support structure for the membrane, said membrane is resiliently deformable towards said gap to abut said rim in use of said cushion; and the rim and the membrane have a pre-formed co-located notch to accommodate the bridge of the wearer'"'"'s nose. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A mask for connection to a wearer'"'"'s face comprising:
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a mask body for connection with a supply of breathable gas; a cushion, the body and cushion defining a nose-receiving cavity adapted to receive pressurized gas for breathing by the wearer in use; at least one securing strap to secure the mask body and cushion to the wearer'"'"'s head, the strap being structured to be tensioned to balance force due to the pressurized gas that tends to lift the mask off of the wearer'"'"'s face; and at least one vent opening by which gas expired by the wearer is exhausted to atmosphere; wherein the cushion includes; a frame of resilient material having a rim to surround at least a portion of the wearer'"'"'s nose; a membrane also of resilient material, said membrane being thinner than and relatively more flexible than said frame, the membrane being fixed to and extending away from said frame so as to be spaced from said rim by a gap, said membrane having an outer surface forming a face contacting seal portion that is pre-shaped to generally match the contours of the wearer'"'"'s face, wherein the face contacting seal portion is structured such that it is not required to turn in on itself to conform with the wearer'"'"'s face, in use; wherein; the rim and frame are curled inwardly towards the nose-receiving cavity and structured to resist deformation so as to form a support structure for the membrane, and said seal portion is resiliently deformable towards said gap to abut said rim in use of said mask, depending on the facial contours of the wearer and/or strap tension applied the at least one securing strap; and said membrane and said rim each have a co-located notch to accommodate the bridge of a nose. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A mask cushion to sealingly connect a mask to a wearer'"'"'s face, the cushion comprising:
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a frame of resilient material having a rim shaped to generally match facial contours at least in the region of facial tissue around the sides of the nose, and between the base of the nose and the top lip; a membrane also of resilient material, the membrane being thinner than and relatively more flexible than the frame, said membrane being fixed to and extending away from the frame so as to be spaced from the rim by a gap, said membrane having an outer surface forming a face contacting seal portion that is pre-shaped to generally match the contours of the wearer'"'"'s face, the membrane including a pre-formed notch to accommodate the wearer'"'"'s nose bridge, wherein the face contacting seal portion is structured such that it is not required to turn in on itself to conform with the wearer'"'"'s face, in use; and
wherein the rim and the membrane are inwardly curled in a common orientation towards the wearer'"'"'s nose in use, anda strap structured to secure the cushion to the wearer'"'"'s face, wherein, before application of strap tension, the seal portion is spaced from the rim of the cushion by the gap, and as a result of application of strap tension and/or to accommodate the wearer'"'"'s facial contours, the seal portion is resiliently deformable into said gap to abut against the rim, said membrane resiliently returning to its original position, spaced from said rim by said gap, when the mask cushion is not in use.
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15. A mask cushion for sealingly connecting a mask to a patient'"'"'s face during the administration of positive airway pressure, the cushion including:
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a frame of resilient material, said frame having a rim to surround at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s face; a membrane of resilient material and fixed to and extending away from the frame so as to be spaced from the rim, in at least one region of the frame, so as to include a gas-filled gap between the membrane and the rim before the cushion is in use, said membrane fully covering or overlying the rim as seen in cross section, wherein each of the rim and the membrane includes a distal end that is unsupported, the distal ends curled inwardly and terminating in a substantially common orientation, a seal forming portion on an outer surface of said membrane, said seal forming portion being provided only on said membrane such that only the membrane forms a seal with the patient'"'"'s face in use;
the membrane being pre-shaped to generally match the contours of the patient'"'"'s face including a preformed contoured notch to accommodate the bridge of the patient'"'"'s nose,wherein the seal forming portion is structured such that it is not required to turn in on itself to conform with the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the frame and the membrane at least partly define a breathing cavity to receive pressurized gas for delivery to at least a nasal airway of the patient, the membrane having an aperture comprised to receive the patient'"'"'s nose and allow the pressurized gas to flow from the breathing cavity to the patient'"'"'s nasal airway. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification