Headgear for a patient interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11338103-B2
Application number	US-201917269916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Aug 20, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A positioning and stabilising structure comprising at least one gas delivery tube to receive the flow of air from a connection port on top of the patient's head and to deliver the flow of air to the entrance of the patient's airways via the seal-forming structure, the at least one gas delivery tube comprising a tube wall having an extendable concertina structure comprising a plurality of folds in the tube wall alternatingly forming a plurality of ridges and a plurality of grooves, the folds able to be at least partially unfolded to increase a separation of the ridges to elongate the extendable concertina structure; and one or more ridge connecting portions provided to the tube wall, each of the one or more ridge connecting portions connecting two or more adjacent ridges of the plurality of ridges and being configured to resist the separation of the ridges.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A patient interface comprising:
a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 6 cmH 2 O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including a pair of plenum chamber inlet ports sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient;
a seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's airways for sealed delivery of the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use, said seal-forming structure having a hole therein such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to at least an entrance to the patient's nares, the seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use;
a positioning and stabilising structure configured to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head during use, the positioning and stabilising structure comprising:
a connection port configured to be positioned superior to the patient's head in use and configured to be connected to an air delivery circuit to receive the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure;
a pair of gas delivery tubes connected to the connection port to receive the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure, each of the gas delivery tubes being connected to a corresponding one of the plenum chamber inlet ports to deliver the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure to the entrance of the patient's airways via the plenum chamber and the seal-forming structure, each of the gas delivery tubes being constructed and arranged to contact, in use, at least a region of the patient's head superior to an otobasion superior on a corresponding side of the patient's head, and each of the gas delivery tubes comprising:
a tube wall forming a flow path along the length of the gas delivery tube;
a tab connected to an exterior surface of the tube wall at a position so as to be located superior to the otobasion superior on the corresponding side of the patient's head and so as to extend in a posterior direction relative to the patient's head in use;
a slit formed in the tab and spaced from the tube wall, the slit comprising a first slit end and a second slit end configured to be positioned inferior to the first slit end relative to the patient's head in use;
a trough formed in the tab and extending from the slit away from the tube wall, the tab having a reduced thickness at the trough,

wherein the first slit end is spaced farther from the tube wall than the second slit end, and
wherein the slit follows an arcuate shape from the first slit end to the second slit end; and

a length-adjustable strap constructed and arranged to contact, in use, a region of the patient's head inferior to or overlaying an occipital bone of the patient's head, the length-adjustable strap having a first strap end and a second strap end, each configured to removably connect to a corresponding tab by passing through a corresponding slit; and

a vent structure comprising a plurality of holes formed on the plenum chamber to allow a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of the plenum chamber to ambient, said vent structure being sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber in use,
wherein the patient interface is configured to allow the patient to breath from ambient through their mouth in the absence of a flow of pressurised air through the plenum chamber inlet port, or the patient interface is configured to leave the patient's mouth uncovered.

2. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein each tab is integrally formed with a respective tube wall.

3. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein each tab has a superior edge and an inferior edge, the superior edge being longer than the inferior edge.

4. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the second slit end is spaced from the tube wall by at least 5 mm.

5. The patient interface of claim 4 , wherein the second slit end is spaced from the tube wall at least 7 mm.

6. The patient interface of claim 5 , wherein the second slit end is spaced from the tube wall at least 8 mm.

7. The patient interface of claim 1 , the first slit end is spaced from the tube wall by at least 8 mm.

8. The patient interface of claim 7 , wherein the first slit end is spaced from the tube wall by at least 10 mm.

9. The patient interface of claim 8 , wherein the first slit end is spaced from the tube wall by at least 12 mm.

10. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein a midpoint along the slit is spaced from the tube wall by a spacing within the range of 5 to 30 mm.

11. The patient interface of claim 10 , wherein the spacing is within the range of 7 to 20 mm.

12. The patient interface of claim 11 , wherein the spacing is within the range of 8 to 15 mm.

13. The patient interface of claim 12 , wherein the spacing is within the range of 9 to 11 mm.

14. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein each of the gas delivery tubes comprises:
an extendable tube section configured to be located superior to the tab of the respective gas delivery tube relative to the patient's head in use; and
a non-extendable tube section configured to be located inferior to the tab of the respective gas delivery tube relative to the patient's head in use.

15. The patient interface of claim 14 , wherein each tab is joined to the tube wall of the respective gas delivery tube at the non-extendable tube section.

16. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the length-adjustable strap comprises loop material, and
wherein a piece of hook material is positioned on the length-adjustable strap at each of the first strap end and the second strap end to releasably attach to the loop material to removably connect each of the first strap end and the second strap end to a corresponding tab.

17. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the trough shaped and dimensioned to allow the length-adjustable strap to be recessed into the trough when attached to the tab.

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Blanch Emily Elizabeth
• Kooij Michiel
• Wagner Stewart Joseph
• White Hadley
• Watson Paul Derrick
• Kirkpatrick Ryan Michael

Classifications

• A61M2205/75

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• A61M2205/42

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• A61M2016/003

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• A61M2016/0027

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• A61M16/0066

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