Headgear tubing for a patient interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11464932-B2
Application number	US-201917426362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2019
Priority date	Jan 29, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A patient interface for treating sleep disorder breathing includes a headgear tube that provides support for the seal forming structure. The headgear tube includes a patient-contacting portion and a non-patient contacting portion that are joined along seams to form a gas passageway. The headgear tube may comprise a textile material and/or a foam material. Portions of the headgear tube may be imparted with greater rigidity than other portions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A positioning and stabilising structure to provide a force to hold a seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on a patient's head for positive pressure airway treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the positioning and stabilising structure comprising:
at least one gas delivery tube to deliver a flow of air to an entrance of the patient's airways via a seal-forming structure, each gas delivery tube being constructed and arranged to contact, in use, at least a region of the patient's head superior to an otobasion superior of the patient's head, each gas delivery tube comprising a tube wall defining a hollow interior through which air is able to flow to the seal-forming structure, each gas delivery tube comprising:
a superior tube portion configured to extend in use from a position on top of the patient's head to a position along the side of the patient's head or face, the superior tube portion comprising 1) a textile material and/or a foam material, and 2) an air-impermeable material provided to the textile material and/or the foam material to make the superior tube portion substantially air-impermeable; and
an inferior tube portion configured to extend from the position along the side of the patient's head or face to a position adjacent the entrance to the patient's airways, the inferior tube portion comprising 1) a textile material and/or a foam material, and 2) an air-impermeable material provided to the textile material and/or the foam material of the inferior tube portion to make the inferior tube portion substantially air-impermeable,
wherein one of the inferior tube portion and superior tube portion has a greater rigidity than the other of the inferior tube portion and superior tube portion, and
wherein each of the superior tube portion and the inferior tube portion comprises a plurality of layers adhered to one another including 1) at least one outer layer and 2) an inner portion with at least one inner layer, wherein the inner portion of one of the superior tube portion or the inferior tube portion has greater rigidity than the inner portion of the other of the superior tube portion or inferior tube portion.

2. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the superior tube portion comprises a first end configured to lie against a superiorly-facing surface of the patient's head in use and a second end configured to lie against a laterally-facing surface of the patient's head in use.

3. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the inferior tube portion comprises a first end configured to lie against a laterally-facing surface of the patient's head in use and a second end configured to connect with the seal-forming structure.

4. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the inferior tube portion is configured to fluidly connect the superior tube portion with the seal-forming structure in use.

5. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the superior tube portion is adapted to receive the flow of air from a source via a crown connector arranged to be positioned on top of the patient's head in use.

6. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , further comprising a crown connector,
wherein the at least one gas delivery tube comprises a pair of gas delivery tubes, and the crown connector is configured to lie on top of the patient's head in use to fluidly connect between the pair of gas delivery tubes, and
wherein the crown connector comprises a hollow interior and a fluid connection opening configured to receive the flow of air into the hollow interior.

7. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein one of the inferior tube portion or the superior tube portion is configured with a first layer of material and a second layer of material, wherein the first layer of material is more rigid than the second layer of material.

8. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the inferior tube portion and/or the superior tube portion is configured with a rigidising element to provide rigidity to the inferior tube portion and/or the superior tube portion.

9. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the inferior tube portion and/or the superior tube portion is configured with a seam.

10. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the inferior tube portion is formed as a first tube and the superior tube portion is formed as a second tube, wherein the first tube is joined to the second tube.

11. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 10 , wherein the first tube is joined to the second tube by thermoforming, ultrasonic welding, stitching, gluing or removably connectable connectors.

12. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein each gas delivery tube has a patient contacting portion configured to contact the patient in use and a non-patient contacting portion positioned away from the patient in use, and
wherein the patient contacting portion and/or the non-patient contacting portion comprises a plurality of layers.

13. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 12 , wherein the patient contacting portion includes a first outer later comprising a textile material or a foam material.

14. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 12 , wherein the non-patient contacting portion includes a second outer layer comprising a textile material or a foam material.

15. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 12 , wherein the patient contacting portion and/or the non-patient contacting portion includes an intermediate layer comprising a foam material or a spacer fabric material.

16. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 1 , wherein the inferior tube portion has greater rigidity than the superior tube portion.

17. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 16 , wherein the inferior tube portion has a wall thickness that is greater than a wall thickness of the superior tube portion to provide greater rigidity to the inferior tube portion.

18. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 17 , wherein the inferior tube portion comprises materials that are less extendible in length than materials of the superior tube portion, thereby providing greater rigidity to the inferior tube portion.

19. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 16 , wherein the inferior tube portion has at least one additional layer not provided to the superior tube portion to provide greater rigidity to the inferior tube portion.

20. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 16 ,
wherein a rigidising element is provided to one of the plurality of layers to provide greater rigidity to the inferior tube portion.

21. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 16 , wherein the inferior tube portion comprises a greater number of layers than the superior tube portion, thereby providing greater rigidity to the inferior tube portion.

22. The positioning and stabilising structure of claim 16 , wherein the superior tube portion and inferior tube portion each comprises a textile layer, the textile layer in the inferior tube portion having a woven structure that is different than a woven structure of the textile layer in the superior tube portion,
wherein the woven structure of the inferior tube portion provides greater rigidity to the inferior tube portion as compared to the superior tube portion.

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Barlow Adam Francis
• Braund David James
• Chan Andrew
• Formica Justin John
• Rummery Gerard Michael
• Wells Matthew Robin
• Watson Paul Derrick

Classifications

• A61M16/0622 Primary

  having an underlying cushion · CPC title

• A61M16/0683 Primary

  Holding devices therefor · CPC title

• A61M16/0833

  T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece · CPC title

• A61M2205/0216

  Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking · CPC title

• A61M16/109

  the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent · CPC title