Patient interface component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967144-B2
Application number	US-201615274438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present technology relates to a pad for forming a seal forming structure against a user's skin for use with a patient interface, the pad comprising, a base layer, a fibre layer comprising a plurality of fibers for contacting a patient's skin, and a connection layer for connecting the fibers to the base material, wherein the base layer and/or the fibre layer is/are adapted to act as a reservoir for substances. Furthermore, it relates to a set of pads, a kit and a patient interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pad for forming a seal forming structure against a user's skin for use with a patient interface, the pad comprising
a base layer,
a fiber layer comprising a plurality of fibers for contacting a patient's skin,
and a connection layer for connecting the fibers to the base layer,
wherein the base layer and/or the fiber layer is/are adapted to act as a reservoir for at least one substance;
wherein the base layer includes a first base surface and a second base surface, the first base surface configured to be positioned proximate to a cushion of the patient interface, and the second base surface being positioned opposite the first base surface;
wherein the connection layer includes a first connection surface and a second connection surface, the first connection surface being directly coupled to the second base surface, and the second connection surface being positioned opposite the first connection surface; and
wherein each fiber of the plurality of fibers includes a first end and a second end, each first end being directly coupled to the second connection surface and being spaced apart from the base layer, and each second end extending from the connection layer in a direction opposite to the second connection surface, each second end configured and oriented to contact the patient's skin.

2. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer is a membrane layer allowing flail the at least one substance to migrate (1) from the base layer, through the connection layer and to the fiber layer, and/or (2) from the fiber layer, through the connection layer, and to the base layer.

3. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer is a separate layer or an integral layer of the base layer.

4. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer is made of a foam material.

5. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer is made of a resilient foam.

6. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are made from any one from the group consisting of: cotton, wool, viscose, nylon, and cellulose.

7. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are in fluid communication with the base layer.

8. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers and/or the base layer is adapted to release the at least one substance to the skin of a patient.

9. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer has an adjusted permeability to allow controlled speed of substance migration therethrough.

10. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer allows a predefined/limited flow rate of the at least one substance therethrough.

11. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer comprises a micro-porosity, small openings or macro-porosity, or is adapted to allow diffusion at a chemical level.

12. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer and/or the plurality of fibers are adapted to serve as a wick to enable the at least one substance to migrate from the base layer to the patient's skin.

13. The pad according to claim 1 , further comprising flail the at least one substance contained in the fiber layer and/or the base layer.

14. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein there is provided an additional adhesive layer for directly coupling the fibers of the fiber layer to the connection layer.

15. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are flocked onto the connection layer.

16. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers have a length of between about 0.01 and 5.0 mm.

17. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the pad has a thickness of between about 0.5 to 26 mm.

18. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one substance is a powder, having a grain size no larger than 0.1 mm or wherein the at least one substance is an oil or gel having a viscosity of less than 20 mm 2 /s.

19. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a material that has a density in the range from 5 kg/m 3 to 100 kg/m 3 .

20. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a material having a porosity ranging from about 10 to about 50 foam cells per cm.

21. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer having an average pore diameter ranging from about 1 to 0.2 mm.

22. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer has a pore size ranging from about 0.05 mm to about 1.0 mm.

23. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the connection layer has a pore size of about 0.1 μm to about 50 μm.

24. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one substance has a viscosity, at 20° C. ambient temperature, of from about 1.0 mPa*s to about 104 mPa*s.

25. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one substance has a viscosity, at at 20° C. ambient temperature ambient temperature, of from about 0.5 mPa*s to about 113 mPa*s.

26. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein a release rate per mm 2 of a contact surface of the fiber layer is between about 0.01 mg/hr and about 10 mg/hr.

27. A set of pads, preferably according to claim 1 , the set of pads comprising two or more pads.

28. A kit comprising one or more pads according to claim 1 , the pad(s) being free of the at least one substance, the kit further comprising means for applying flail the at least one substance to the pad via its surface, in such case the means being a pipette or brush, or into the base layer, in such case the means being a syringe, wherein the kit further comprises one or more substances of the at least one substance or information on suitable substances of the at least one substance which may be individually selected by the user.

29. A patient interface comprising a pad or set of pads according to claim 1 constituting a sealing structure, the patient interface further comprising, a positioning and stabilising structure to maintain the pad in sealing contact with an area surrounding an entrance to the patient's airways while maintaining a therapeutic pressure at the entrance to the patient's airways; a plenum chamber pressurised at a pressure above ambient pressure in use; a gas washout vent configured to allow a flow of patient exhaled CO 2 to an exterior of the patient interface to minimize rebreathing of exhaled CO 2 by the patient.

30. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the fiber layer does not directly contact the base layer, the connection layer permitting flail the at least one substance to migrate between the base layer and the fiber layer.

31. The pad according to claim 1 , further comprising a backing layer that includes a first backing surface and a second backing surface, the first backing surface configured to contact the cushion of the patient interface, and the second backing surface being directly connected to the first base surface.

32. The pad according to claim 31 , wherein the backing layer contacts the connection layer, and wherein a perimeter of the base layer is enclosed by a combination of the backing layer and the connection layer.

33. The pad according to claim 32 , wherein the backing layer is impermeable and is configured to prevent the at least one substance from migrating toward the cushion.

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Lang Bernd Christoph
• Kirchberger Andreas
• Nickol Johannes
• Rothfuss Jens
• Burz Johann Sebastian
• Eibl Robert
• Bayer Christian
• Reiser Anne Claude Andrée Armelle

Classifications

• A61M15/08 Primary

  Inhaling devices inserted into the nose · CPC title

• A61M16/0633

  with forehead support · CPC title

• A61M16/0605

  Means for improving the adaptation of the mask to the patient · CPC title

• A61M16/06

  Respiratory or anaesthetic masks · CPC title

• B32B9/02

  comprising animal or vegetable substances {, e.g. cork, bamboo, starch} · CPC title