Patient interface device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420047-B2
Application number	US-202217937741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing may include: a seal-forming structure to form a pneumatic seal with the entrance to the patient's airways; a positioning and stabilising structure to maintain the seal-forming structure in sealing contact with an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways; a plenum chamber pressurised at a pressure above ambient pressure in use; a connection port for the delivery of the flow of breathable gas into the patient interface; and a device positioned within a breathing chamber defined, at least in part, by the seal-forming structure and the plenum chamber, wherein the device divides the breathing chamber into a posterior chamber and an anterior chamber, and wherein the device comprises a plurality of apertures such that turbulence of the air in the posterior chamber is less than turbulence in the air in the anterior chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's airways including at least an entrance of the patient's nares, wherein the patient interface is configured to maintain a therapy pressure in a range of about 4 cmH2O to about 30 cmH2O above ambient air pressure in use, throughout the patient's respiratory cycle, while the patient is sleeping, to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing, said patient interface comprising:
a seal-forming structure constructed from silicone and configured to contact and seal against the patient's face at an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways;
a plenum chamber configured to be pressurised at a pressure above ambient pressure in use, the seal-forming structure and the plenum chamber forming, at least in part, a breathing chamber when the seal-forming structure is in sealing contact with the area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways, and a connection port positioned on the plenum chamber and configured to deliver the flow of air to the breathing chamber;
a positioning and stabilising structure comprising a strap configured to maintain the seal-forming structure in sealing contact with the area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways;
a vent configured to wash out gas from the breathing chamber, the vent comprising a plurality of holes; and
a device having a plurality of apertures, the device being positioned within the breathing chamber such that, in use, the flow of air entering the breathing chamber passes through the plurality of apertures before reaching the entrance to a patient's airways, the device being shaped, dimensioned, and positioned within the breathing chamber such that, in use, a superior side of the device is spaced inferior to an inferior side of the patient's nose, each of the apertures forming a path through the device, and the device being constructed from a material that is resistant to absorption of moisture.

2. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are uniform in size and shape.

3. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprise a first group having a first size and a first shape and a second group having a second size and a second shape.

4. The patient interface of claim 3 , wherein the second size is different from the first size.

5. The patient interface of claim 3 , wherein the second shape is different from the first shape.

6. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device has a first side that is configured to face the patient in use and a second side that is configured to face away from the patient in use.

7. The patient interface of claim 6 , wherein each of the apertures has a first size on the first side and a second size on the second side that is different from the first size.

8. The patient interface of claim 7 , wherein the first side has a concave shape to avoid contact with the patient's face in use.

9. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein a first region of the device has different density of apertures than a second region of the device.

10. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are circular in shape.

11. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are hexagonal in shape.

12. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device has a thickness and a width that is greater than the thickness.

13. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is less than 1 cm thick.

14. The patient interface of claim 13 , wherein the device is less than 0.5 cm thick.

15. The patient interface of claim 14 , wherein the device is less than 1 mm thick.

16. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device has a uniform thickness.

17. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is constructed from a material that is resistant to absorption of heat.

18. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is constructed from any one of the group consisting of Nylon, polycarbonate, silicone, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer, and hydrophobic polymer.

19. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is removably attached to at least one of the seal-forming structure and the plenum chamber.

20. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is removably attached to an interior surface of the plenum chamber with a friction fit, a press fit, a snap fit, adhesive, molding, and/or clips.

21. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is formed in one piece with the plenum chamber such that the device and the plenum chamber comprise a single piece of homogenous and continuous material.

22. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is constructed from a single, continuous, and homogeneous piece of material.

23. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein, in use, the vent and the connection port are positioned opposite the entrance to the patient's airways relative to the device.

24. The patient interface of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-asphyxia valve.

25. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to reduce the velocity of the flow of air entering the breathing chamber.

26. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to reduce the turbulence of the flow of air entering the breathing chamber.

27. The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the path formed through the device by each of the apertures has a linear axis.

28. The patient interface of claim 27 , wherein the paths formed by the plurality of apertures are parallel.

29. A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's airways including at least an entrance of the patient's nares, wherein the patient interface is configured to maintain a therapy pressure in a range of about 4 cmH2O to about 30 cmH2O above ambient air pressure in use, throughout the patient's respiratory cycle, while the patient is sleeping, to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing, said patient interface comprising:
a seal-forming structure constructed from silicone and configured to contact and seal against the patient's face at an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways;
a plenum chamber configured to be pressurised at a pressure above ambient pressure in use, the seal-forming structure and the plenum chamber forming, at least in part, a breathing chamber when the seal-forming structure is in sealing contact with the area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways, and a connection port positioned on the plenum chamber and configured to deliver the flow of air to the breathing chamber;
a positioning and stabilising structure comprising a strap configured to maintain the seal-forming structure in sealing contact with the area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways;
an elbow having a first end connected to the connection port and a second end configured to be connected to an air delivery tube; and
a device having a plurality of apertures, the device being positioned such that, in use, the flow of air entering the breathing chamber passes through the plurality of apertures before reaching the entrance to a patient's

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Holley Liam
• Connell Emma Anne

Classifications

• A61M16/22

  Carbon dioxide-absorbing devices {; Other means for removing carbon dioxide}(cartridges with absorbing substances for respiratory apparatus A62B19/00) · CPC title

• A61M2205/3389

  Continuous level detection (A61M2205/3393 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M16/0066

  Blowers or centrifugal pumps · CPC title

• A61M16/16

  Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A61M2205/3365

  Rotational speed · CPC title