RESPIRATORY APPARATUS

• US 20170128689A1
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Law, Kam Man, Scheiner, Rupert Christian, Wells, Matthew Robin, Eves, Matthew, Nga, Lemmy, Rummery, Gerard Michael, Guney, Memduh, Day, Shannon
• Granted Patent: US 10,987,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0069 the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation
• 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 16/0616 with face sealing means comprising a flap or membrane projecting inwards, such that sealing increases with increasing inhalation gas pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0622 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 16/0825 with ball-sockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1055 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1095 in the connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0225 Carbon oxides, e.g. Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/42 Reducing noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0618 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0625 : Mouth

Abstract

A mask apparatus for a respiratory treatment can permit delivery of breathable gas to a user. In one example, the mask may employ a frame and cushion to form a seal for both mouth and nose. The frame may be adapted for coupling with a respiratory treatment apparatus so as to permit communication of a pressurized gas from the respiratory treatment apparatus. The cushion, which may be foam, may have a substantially under the nose configuration or over the nose configuration. The mask may have a common plenum chamber for both nose and mouth. The cushion may further define a centrally open lip superior region. The cushion may be adapted to couple with the frame directly or to the frame in conjunction with a cushion support clip. Various features of the cushion may further promote sealing and comfort for the under the nose design.

Claims

1. A foam cushion assembly for a patient interface for providing a pressurised air to a user'"'"'s airway, the foam cushion assembly comprising:

a foam cushion portion configured to, in use, seal around at least a portion of the user'"'"'s nose in use; and

a flexible supporting portion extending along a periphery of the foam cushion portion so as to support the foam cushion portion,

wherein the foam cushion portion comprises a sealing surface, at least a portion of the sealing surface including a radially flat region, wherein the sealing surface has a three-dimensional surface contour arranged so that the radially flat region in at least a portion of the sealing surface'"'"'s periphery is inwardly inclined, with respect to a mid-contact plane of the patient interface, for embracing and conforming to a shape of the user'"'"'s face in use, and

wherein the sealing surface includes a portion for sealing above a pronasale portion of the user'"'"'s nose in use.

2. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the radially flat region is generally radially flat.

3. The foam cushion assembly of claim 2 wherein the radially flat region is in one or both of a side of mouth region and a side of nose region.

4. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional surface contour is generally radially flat about the entire sealing surface'"'"'s periphery.

5. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the sealing surface includes a planar surface region, wherein the three-dimensional surface contour is arranged so that the planar surface region in at least a portion of the sealing surface'"'"'s periphery is inwardly inclined, with respect to a mid-contact plane of the patient interface, for embracing and conforming to a shape of the user'"'"'s face in use.

6. The foam cushion assembly of claim 5 wherein the planar surface region is generally planar.

7. The foam cushion assembly of claim 5 wherein the sealing surface includes a first planar sealing surface region and a second planar sealing surface region on respective sides of a sagittal plane of the foam cushion, the first planar sealing surface region and the second planar sealing surface region being inwardly inclined with respect to the mid-contact plane of the foam cushion assembly.

8. The foam cushion assembly of claim 7 wherein planes parallel to the planar sealing surface regions at each side of the sagittal plane form an angle in a range of approximately 70 to 110 degrees.

9. The foam cushion assembly of claim 7 wherein the first planar sealing surface region is a side of nose planar region.

10. The foam cushion assembly of claim 7 wherein the planar sealing surface regions are at both sides of the user'"'"'s nose in use and form an angle of approximately 75 to 95 degrees.

11. The foam cushion assembly of claim 5 wherein the foam cushion assembly is arranged to seal around at least a portion of the user'"'"'s mouth in use and wherein the surface contour comprises side of mouth planar regions.

12. The foam cushion assembly of claim 11, wherein the surface contour comprises a side of mouth planar region that is generally co-planar with a side of nose planar region of the surface contour.

13. The foam cushion assembly of claim 9 wherein the second planar sealing surface region is a side of mouth planar region.

14. The foam cushion assembly of claim 13 wherein a plane parallel to the first planar sealing surface at a side of nose region and a plane parallel to the second planar sealing surface at a side of mouth region on an opposing side of the mid-contact plane form a second angle in a range of approximately 70 to 110 degrees.

15. The foam cushion assembly of claim 14 wherein the second angle is an angle of approximately 80-100 degrees.

16. The foam cushion assembly of claim 5 wherein the surface contour comprises a sealing surface extending along an entire periphery of a plenum chamber, the sealing surface being generally radially flat in at least some portions of the entire periphery.

17. The foam cushion assembly of claim 16 wherein at least a portion of the foam cushion has a cross sectional shape forming a trapezium with rounded corners on each opposing side of a generally flat sealing surface portion.

18. The foam cushion assembly of claim 17 wherein the planar surface region of the sealing surface has a sealing width in a radial direction at side of nose regions in a range of 8 to 12 mm.

19. The foam cushion assembly of claim 18 wherein a sealing surface of the surface contour comprises a cresting surface region at each side of nose region near a nasal bridge region, the cresting surface region being characterised by a region of negative curvature flanked on both sides by adjacent regions of positive curvature to define a surface rise increasing in a normal direction from the sealing surface, flanked by adjacent surface decreases in an anti-normal direction.

20. The foam cushion assembly of claim 19 wherein a cresting surface region in the cushion assembly is imparted onto the cushion by the flexible support portion.

21. The foam cushion assembly of claim 19 wherein each of the cresting surface regions forms a bulbous contour portion on a respective side of the sagittal plane of the foam cushion assembly.

22. The foam cushion assembly of claim 19 wherein the cresting surface regions decrease into a generally part-conical depression of a nasal bridge region of the foam cushion assembly defined by generally small positive curvatures in both radial and peripheral direction.

23. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the surface contour of the foam cushion comprises a generally conical depression at a nasal bridge region.

24. The foam cushion assembly of claim 23 wherein a rounded ridge forms a semi-peripheral boundary about the conical depression.

25. The foam cushion assembly of claim 24 wherein the peripheral boundary of the rounded ridge forms a semi-circular periphery in a range of 140 to 220 degrees about the generally conical depression.

26. The foam cushion assembly of claim 24 wherein the rounded ridge of the semi-peripheral boundary about the conical depression extends into a rounded corner edge of the surface of a planar sealing surface region or a cresting sealing surface region.

27. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein a sealing surface of the surface contour in a bottom of mouth region forms a semi-cylindrical surface between side of mouth regions.

28. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein, the flexible support portion comprises a membrane attached to the foam cushion portion that imparts at least a portion of the surface contour to the foam cushion by creating bend regions of foam compression in different regions along the periphery.

29. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the foam cushion assembly further comprises a rigid shell with a plenum chamber, the rigid shell coupled to the flexible support portion.

30. The foam cushion assembly of claim 27 wherein a membrane of the flexible support portion is more flexible in a nasal bridge region than in a bottom of mouth region.

31. The foam cushion assembly of claim 28 wherein the flexible support portion comprises a flexible buttress approximately perpendicular to the surface of the membrane of the flexible support portion, the flexible buttress supporting a side of nose region of the foam cushion assembly in use.

32. The foam cushion assembly of claim 31 wherein the buttress supports the cushion in the region of the cresting formations.

33. The foam cushion assembly of claim 28 wherein the foam cushion comprises a planar fixing surface for adhering to the flexible support portion, the planar fixing surface being on a side of the foam cushion that is opposite a planar sealing surface, the foam cushion having a trapezoidal cross sectional shape along at least a portion of its periphery.

34. The foam cushion assembly of claim 33 wherein a fixing surface of the foam cushion and a sealing surface contour of the foam cushion are separated by a generally constant foam thickness about its perimeter in sides of nose regions, sides of mouth regions and a bottom of mouth region.

35. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the foam cushion portion is arranged to directly contact the user'"'"'s face in use.

36. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the surface contour of a bottom of mouth region is generally flat in a radial direction and has an edge in a cross section made by a sagittal plane of the foam cushion assembly that is generally parallel to a mid-contact plane of the foam cushion assembly.

37. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the foam cushion has a rectangular or square shape along at least a portion of its periphery.

38. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein a surface contour of a contact area of a patient contact side of the foam cushion comprises one or more of:

a bottom of mouth region characterized by a small positive curvature surface in a peripheral direction and approximately zero curvature in a radial direction;

sides of mouth regions on both sides of a sagittal plane, which are relatively flat surfaces in both radial and peripheral directions;

sides of nose regions on both sides of the sagittal plane, which are relatively flat in both radial and peripheral directions;

cresting surface regions on both sides of a sagittal plane that are characterized by a relatively small negative curvature surface flanked on both sides by relatively small positive curvature surfaces; and

a nasal bridge region characterized by a relatively large positive curvature surface in a peripheral direction, and a relative small positive in a radial direction.

39. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein a surface contour of an outer surface side of the foam cushion comprises one or more of:

a bottom of the mouth region characterized by a relatively small negative curvature surface and a central portion near the sagittal plane being a relatively flat surface;

side of the mouth regions characterized by a relatively large negative curvature that tapers down towards a lower side of nose region,

a relatively small positive curvature surface transition from the lower-to-mid nose regions to the upper side of nose and nasal bridge regions; and

a large negative curvature surface of a radius of about 10 to 20 mm in the outer side of the CSDR region.

40. The foam cushion assembly of claim 39 wherein a surface contour of an inner surface side comprises a mirror image of the surface of the outer surface side, with curvatures of opposite signs.

41. The foam cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein a flat patient contact side of the cushion at both right and left sides of a sagittal plane are tilted strictly towards the sagittal plane.

42. The foam cushion assembly of claim 41 wherein the flat patient contact side of the cushion at both right and left sides are tilted symmetrically relative to the sagittal plane.