Mask for delivery of respiratory therapy to a patient

• US 8,757,157 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Price, Andrew Martin, Scheiner, Rupert Christian, Kwok, Philip Rodney, Lubke, Steven John, Veliss, Lee James, Ng, Eva
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Jackie T
• Assistant Examiner(s): DITMER, KATHRYN ELIZABETH
• Application Number:
  US12/155,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20090032026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 128/206.21, 128/206.24, 128/206.28, 128/207.11, 128/207.18, 128/206.27, 128/207.17, 242/00, 244/58, 245/22, 245/951, 246/66, 246/69, 241/7, 241/8, 242/1, 245/2, 218/3, 219/52, 219/54
• US Class Current: 128/206.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• 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 16/0611 with a gusset portion
• 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 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0825 with ball-sockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0618 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0625 Mouth

Abstract

A mask for delivery of respiratory therapy to a patient may include one or more of the following improvements: rigidizer provided to headgear strap, locking clip/clip receptacle headgear connection, keyed headgear buckles, lotion dispenser on frame, rotatable prongs to adjust orientation, alignment indicators provided to prong, cushion and/or frame, chin flap with bellows arrangement, vent holes positioned away from gas entry port, and vent holes to direct washout gas at an angle.

Claims

1. A mask comprising:

a frame;

a facial and nasal interface provided to the frame; and

headgear provided to the frame to maintain the mask in a desired position on the patient'"'"'s face,

the headgear including at least one strap and a buckle provided to the strap, the buckle including an opening adapted to receive a mushroom-shaped post provided on the frame,

wherein the opening and the mushroom-shaped post both comprise keyed portions structured to rotationally lock the mushroom-shaped post when the keyed portions of the opening and the mushroom-shaped post are engaged.

2. The mask according to claim 1, wherein the buckle is rotatable relative to the mushroom-shaped post to set a desired position, and when the desired position is set, the buckle is rotationally locked against the mushroom-shaped post.

3. The mask according to claim 1, wherein a perimeter of the opening is defined by a first portion and a second portion, the opening and the mushroom-shaped post being structured so that a lateral movement of the mushroom-shaped post from the first portion to the second portion rotationally locks the mushroom-shaped post within the opening.

4. The mask according to claim 3, wherein the mushroom-shaped post is provided on a lower part of the frame, and the first portion of the opening is larger than the second portion of the opening to allow the buckle to be disengaged and removed from the mushroom-shaped post.

5. The mask according to claim 3, wherein the mushroom-shaped post is structured so that the mushroom-shaped post cannot be received by the second portion of the opening without first being received by the first portion of the opening.

6. The mask according to claim 5, wherein the first portion of the opening is larger than the second portion of the opening.

7. The mask according to claim 6, wherein the opening is structured so that when rotation of the buckle with respect to the mushroom-shaped post is prevented by an interaction between the opening and the mushroom-shaped post, the mushroom-shaped post is positioned completely within the second portion.

8. The mask according to claim 7, wherein the second portion of the opening is the keyed portion of the opening.

9. The mask according to claim 3, wherein the first portion is structured to receive the mushroom-shaped post and permit rotation of the buckle with respect to the mushroom-shaped post while the mushroom-shaped post is within the first portion and the second portion is structured to engage the mushroom-shaped post and prevent rotation of the buckle with respect to the mushroom-shaped post when the mushroom-shaped post is engaged with the second portion.

10. The mask according to claim 9, wherein the first portion is structured to fully receive the mushroom-shaped post when the mushroom-shaped post is in any rotational orientation.

11. The mask according to claim 10, wherein the second portion is structured to fully receive the mushroom-shaped post from the first portion only when the mushroom-shaped post is rotationally oriented at certain discrete orientations.

12. The mask according to claim 3, wherein the first portion of the opening is structured to permit rotation of the mushroom-shaped post within the opening and the second portion of the opening is structured to prevent rotation of the mushroom-shaped post within the opening.

13. The mask according to claim 1, wherein the opening and the post are structured so that when the post is received within the opening, movement of the buckle relative to a front portion of the frame rotationally locks the post within the opening.

14. A mask comprising:

a frame;

a facial and nasal interface provided to the frame; and

a lotion dispenser proximate to the nasal interface and adapted to dispense lotion retained within the dispenser for lubricating and/or moisturizing the facial and/or nasal interface,

wherein the frame includes the lotion dispenser.

15. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the facial interface includes a cushion adapted to form a seal around an exterior of the patient'"'"'s mouth in use.

16. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the nasal interface includes nasal prongs adapted to form a seal with the patient'"'"'s nasal passages in use.

17. The mask according to claim 16, wherein the lotion dispenser is positioned between the prongs.

18. The mask according to claim 14, further comprising headgear provided to the frame to maintain the mask in a desired position on the patient'"'"'s face.

19. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the frame includes a gas entry port adapted to connect to an elbow assembly.

20. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the frame includes supplemental oxygen ports.

21. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the frame includes vent holes for CO₂ washout.

22. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the lotion dispenser comprises a pocket from which said lotion is dispensed.

23. The mask according to claim 22, wherein the pocket comprises a reservoir on the frame.

24. The mask according to claim 14, wherein the lotion dispenser is centrally located on the frame.

25. A mask comprising:

a frame;

a cushion provided to the frame and adapted to form a seal around an exterior of the patient'"'"'s mouth in use; and

nasal prongs provided to the cushion and adapted to form a seal with the patient'"'"'s nasal passages,

wherein each of the nasal prongs is adapted to change an angle at which its own longitudinal axis extends with respect to the cushion by rotating around said longitudinal axis.

26. The mask according to claim 25, wherein each of the nasal prongs includes a sloped end that engages a sloped base provided to the cushion such that rotation of the nasal prong is adapted to rotate the sloped end relative to the sloped base which changes the angle at which the prong extends with respect to the cushion.

27. The mask according to claim 26, wherein the sloped end of each nasal prong is sloped with respect to the nasal prong'"'"'s longitudinal axis and the sloped base is sloped with respect to a surface of the cushion surrounding the base, and rotation of the nasal prong is adapted to rotate the sloped end relative to the sloped base which changes the angle at which the prong extends with respect to the surface of the cushion surrounding the base.

28. The mask according to claim 25, wherein each prong includes a stalk extending from the cushion and a head provided to a distal end of the stalk, the stalk being adapted to rotate to change the angle at which a longitudinal axis of the stalk extends relative to the cushion.

29. The mask according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the prongs includes an alignment indicator to aid in alignment of the prong relative to the cushion.