Cuff for air delivery conduit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11953012-B2
Application number	US-202017131870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2020
Priority date	Sep 17, 2008
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A cuff for an air delivery conduit includes a first end portion provided to a tube and a second end portion adapted to engage a tubular connector. The second end portion includes an annular bead for sealing and retention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air delivery conduit for use with a positive airway pressure (PAP) system to deliver pressurized breathable air to a patient, the air delivery conduit comprising:
a tube having a first tube end and a second tube end, the tube having spiral ribbing and a plurality of wires supported by the spiral ribbing;
a first cuff fixedly attached at the first tube end, the first cuff comprising:
a fixture protruding radially inward from an internal surface of the first cuff;
a thermistor electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of wires and being enclosed within the fixture so as to be supported within a flow path for pressurized breathable air through the first cuff; and
an end portion configured to engage an exterior surface of a tubular connector of a patient interface; and

a second cuff fixedly attached at the second tube end, the second cuff comprising an electrical connector connected to the plurality of wires to provide an electrical connection with the PAP system,
wherein the plurality of wires consists of three wires, and
wherein the electrical connector of the second cuff includes three terminals configured to electrically connect to corresponding electrical contacts of the PAP system, each of the three terminals being electrically connected to a corresponding one of the three wires.

2. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the first cuff has a retention bead that extends radially inward therefrom and is configured to engage an exterior surface of a tubular connector of a patient interface.

3. The air delivery conduit according to claim 2 , wherein the first cuff comprises a first stop surface positioned between the fixture and the retention bead in an axial direction relative to the first cuff, the first stop surface extending radially inward to form a first hole having a smaller diameter than the retention bead such that the first stop surface is configured to contact an end of the tubular connector of the patient interface.

4. The air delivery conduit according to claim 2 , wherein the end portion of the first cuff is constructed from a resilient material and is configured to engage an exterior surface of a tubular connector of a patient interface.

5. The air delivery conduit according to claim 4 , wherein an internal diameter of the end portion is smaller at the retention bead than a remainder of the end portion, the retention bead being positioned, in an axial direction relative to the end portion, between an outermost edge of the end portion and the fixture.

6. The air delivery conduit according to claim 4 , wherein an external surface of the end portion of the first cuff comprises finger grip portions to facilitate manual attachment and detachment of the first cuff to and from the tubular connector of the patient interface.

7. The air delivery conduit according to claim 6 , wherein each of the finger grip portions is a U-shaped projection extending radially outward from the end portion of the first cuff.

8. The air delivery conduit according to claim 4 , wherein the first cuff further comprises a pre-block constructed from a different material than the resilient material of the end portion, the end portion being molded onto the pre-block.

9. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wires include a heated wire configured to generate heat.

10. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the fixture of the first cuff is molded around the thermistor.

11. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the fixture is longer in a direction parallel to a flow direction of pressurized breathable air through the first cuff than in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of pressurized breathable air through the first cuff.

12. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the fixture is configured to convectively transfer heat from pressurized breathable air flowing through the first cuff to the thermistor over a range of flow rates.

13. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the first cuff further comprises lead frames that electrically connect the thermistor to the plurality of wires.

14. The air delivery conduit according to claim 13 , wherein the lead frames are partially enclosed by the fixture.

15. The air delivery conduit according to claim 13 , wherein the lead frames are partially enclosed by the end portion of the first cuff.

16. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of wires is configured to transmit a signal based on a temperature sensed by the thermistor to a controller of the PAP system.

17. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the second cuff comprises a sealing lip structured to engage and resiliently deform against an exterior surface of a tubular connector of the PAP system.

18. The air delivery conduit according to claim 17 , wherein the second cuff includes a second stop surface positioned inward of the sealing lip in an axial direction relative to the second cuff, the second stop surface extending radially inward to form a second hole such that the second stop surface is configured to contact the tubular connector of the PAP system.

19. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the first cuff includes an entry surface that is curved or chamfered from an axially outward edge of the end portion such that a diameter of the end portion decreases in an axial direction into the first cuff from the axially outward edge of the end portion.

20. A PAP system for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the PAP system comprising:
a PAP device configured to pressurize breathable air;
a humidifier pneumatically connected to the PAP device to humidify pressurized breathable air; and
the air delivery conduit of claim 1 .

21. The air delivery conduit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the end portion of the first cuff has a retention bead that extends radially inward therefrom and is configured to engage an exterior surface of a tubular connector of a patient interface,
the first cuff comprises a first stop surface positioned between the fixture and the retention bead in an axial direction relative to the first cuff, the first stop surface extending radially inward to form a first hole having a smaller diameter than the retention bead such that the first stop surface is configured to contact an end of the tubular connector of the patient interface,
the plurality of wires include a heated wire configured to generate heat,
the fixture of the first cuff is molded around the thermistor,
the fixture is longer in a direction parallel to a flow direction of pressurized breathable air through the first cuff than in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of pressurized breathable air through the first cuff,
one of the plurality of wires is configured to transmit a signal based on a temperature sensed by the thermistor to a controller of the PAP system,
the second cuff comprises a sealing lip structured to engage and resiliently deform against an exterior surface of a tubular connector of the PAP system,
the second cuff includes a second stop surface positioned inward of the sealing lip in an axial direction relative to the second cuff, the second stop surface extending radially inward to form a second hole such that the second stop surface is configured to to contact the tubular connector of the PAP system, and
the end portion of the

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Row Nathan John
• Virr Alexander
• Earl Nicholas Andrew

Classifications

• F04D1/00 Primary

  Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps (adapted for pumping specific fluids F04D7/00; priming or boosting F04D9/00) · CPC title

• A61M16/0816 Primary

  Joints or connectors · CPC title

• A61M16/0875

  Connecting tubes · CPC title