Seal-forming structure for patient interface including textile seal member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12472322-B2
Application number	US-202017623522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A patient interface may have a frame and a seal-forming structure. The frame may at least partially form a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure. The seal-forming structure may be constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's airways, 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. The seal-forming structure may comprise a textile seal member adapted to sealingly engage the patient's face in use.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A patient interface for delivering a flow of air to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, comprising:
a frame including a posterior facing surface and an anterior facing surface opposite to the posterior facing surface, wherein the frame at least partially forms a cavity pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 6 cmH 2 O above ambient air pressure; a seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's airways, said seal-forming structure having a hole therein such that a flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to at least an entrance to the patient's nares for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the cavity throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use; and a connection portion configured to convey pressurized air into the cavity, the connection portion extending through the anterior facing surface and the posterior facing surface; wherein the seal-forming structure comprises a compliant portion provided to the posterior facing surface of the frame, a rigidizing element provided within the compliant portion, and a seal member adapted to sealingly engage the patient's face in use, wherein a width of the entirety of the compliant portion is greater than a thickness of the entirety of the compliant portion, and wherein the frame and the seal member are at least partially constructed from a textile material, and the compliant portion is constructed from a resilient material that is different than the textile material.

2 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the frame is made entirely of the textile material.

3 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a plenum chamber portion, the seal-forming structure is provided to a posterior facing surface of the plenum chamber portion, and the plenum chamber portion extends over a hole of the seal-forming structure through which the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to at least an entrance to the patient's nares.

4 . The patient interface of claim 3 , wherein the frame comprises lateral portions extending beyond the seal-forming structure in a direction away from the hole of the seal-forming structure.

5 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the rigidizing element is exposed to ambient.

6 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the textile material of the textile seal member is configured to sealingly engage the patient's face in use, and wherein the textile seal member is configured to surround the entrance to the patient's airways and sealingly engage the patient's face in use.

7 . The patient interface of claim 6 , wherein a width of the textile seal member changes along its length.

8 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the width of the compliant portion varies between different regions of the seal-forming structure.

9 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the compliant portion varies between different regions of the seal-forming structure.

10 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the compliant portion is made of a foam material having compliant properties.

11 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the seal member comprises an overhanging portion extending from the compliant portion, wherein the overhanging portion of the seal member extends from the compliant portion in a radially inward direction, and wherein the overhanging portion of the seal member provides a pressure assisted seal.

12 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the seal member comprises at least one seal enhancing feature on a posterior facing surface of the seal member, and wherein the seal enhancing feature increases tackiness of the textile seal.

13 . The patient interface of claim 12 , wherein the seal enhancing material is one or more of: a polyurethane, and a silicone.

14 . The patient interface of claim 12 , wherein the seal enhancing feature is provided in a select region or regions along a length of the textile seal.

15 . The patient interface of claim 12 , wherein the seal enhancing feature is provided to a greater extent in a select region in comparison with one or more other regions, and wherein the select region is configured to contact a nasal or nose bridge region or on a nose-ridge region of the patient's face in use.

16 . The patient interface of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning and stabilising structure, wherein the positioning and stabilising structure provides a force to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head.

17 . The patient interface of claim 16 , wherein the positioning and stabilising structure is stitched, bonded or integrally formed with the frame.

18 . The patient interface of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the positioning and stabilising structure is elastic.

19 . The patient interface of claim 1 , further comprising at least one conduit configured to deliver the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by the patient to the cavity.

20 . The patient interface of claim 19 , wherein the at least one conduit is provided to a medial and inferior position on the frame.

21 . The patient interface of claim 19 , wherein the at least one conduit comprises a first conduit and a second conduit, each passing along lateral sides of the patient's head between corresponding ones of the patient's eyes and ears, and wherein the first conduit and the second conduit form a portion of a positioning and stabilising structure configured to provide a force to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head.

22 . The patient interface of claim 1 , further comprising a vent structure to allow a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from the cavity to ambient, said vent structure being sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the cavity in use.

23 . The patient interface of claim 22 , wherein the vent structure comprises vent holes in flexible material of the frame or in a rigid insert provided to the frame.

24 . The patient interface of claim 22 , wherein the vent structure comprises an air permeable portion of the frame and/or the vent structure is provided in a connection port provided to the frame.

25 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the seal member contacts the ridge of the patient's nose and the patient's supramenton, in use, wherein the seal member is disposed proximate to the patient's pronasale and configured to be disposed adjacent to the patient's lateral and/or greater alar cartilage, in use, and wherein an uppermost point of the seal member is configured to be substantially aligned with the patient's Frankfort Horizontal, in use.

26 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the seal member forms a perimeter, and the patient's nasolabial sulcus are configured to be disposed within the perimeter, in use.

27 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the rigidizing element is arranged to not be exposed to therapeutic gas in the cavity during use.

28 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the compliant portion is molded around the rigidizing elem

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Nga Lemmy
• Kirkpatrick Ryan Michael

Classifications

• A61M2205/0216

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

• A61M2016/0661

  with customised shape · CPC title

• A61M16/06

  Respiratory or anaesthetic masks · CPC title

• A61M2207/00

  Methods of manufacture, assembly or production · CPC title

• A61M16/208

  Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves · CPC title