Elastic headgear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9974915-B2
Application number	US-201313952165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2013
Priority date	Jul 27, 2012
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Headgear, comprising at least one strap; and at least one rigidizer, the headgear being arranged to position one of the at least one strap and one of the at least one rigidizer, with regard to one another such that the rigidizer imparts a desired shape to at least a portion of the strap while allowing said portion of the strap to move relative to the rigidizer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A patient interface system for providing pressurized breathable gas to a patient's airways to provide Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing (SDB), the patient interface system comprising:
a patient interface including a cushion and a mask frame;
headgear configured to retain the patient interface on the patient's face during therapy, the headgear comprising at least one strap made of an elastic material; and
at least one rigidizer having a first free end opposite to and distal from the mask frame, and the at least one rigidizer having a second free end opposite to the first free end and proximate to the mask frame,
wherein the at least one strap further comprises a free end that encloses and abuts the second free end of the at least one rigidizer to limit movement of the at least one strap relative to the at least one rigidizer at the second free end in use, and
wherein a length of the at least one strap is adjustable to fit a range of head sizes by stretching a first portion of the at least one strap past the first free end of the at least one rigidizer.

2. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer is fixed to the at least one strap in a limited area.

3. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer and the at least one strap have a substantially elongated form, and
wherein the at least one rigidizer extends along at least the first portion of the at least one strap.

4. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer is crescent shaped.

5. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer is shaped to direct the strap away from the patient's eyes and ears and between the patient's eyes and ears.

6. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the headgear is arranged such that the at least one strap is substantially free to move by elastically expanding and/or elastically contracting relative to the at least one rigidizer and along a longitudinal axis of the at least one strap and/or the at least one rigidizer.

7. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein a stretchable length of the at least one strap remains substantially unaltered regardless of positioning and/or fixation of the at least one strap and the at least one rigidizer relative to one another.

8. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein, the at least one strap is elastically expandable from an original shape due to a stretching force applied to the strap, said elastic material being configured to contract to the original shape upon release of the stretching force.

9. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap comprises retaining means, including a loop, a sleeve, and/or a pocket structured to receive and hold the at least one rigidizer in place.

10. A patient interface system according to claim 9 , wherein the retaining means are formed on or in the at least one strap.

11. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer comprises two rigidizers, wherein the at least one strap comprises two pockets, each of the two pockets being configured enclose and abut the second free end of each of the two rigidizers to limit movement of the at least one strap relative to the two rigidizers at the second free end of each of the two rigidizers in use.

12. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap comprises a sleeve arranged to receive and hold the at least one rigidizer, and
wherein the at least one strap is configured to move substantially axially relative to the at least one rigidizer.

13. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap is configured to take the shape of the at least one rigidizer in use, and
wherein the at least one rigidizer is configured to impart the shape of the at least one rigidizer to the at least one strap to direct pressure from the headgear to portions of a wearers' face in use.

14. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer and the strap are affixed in a limited area that is adjacent to a pocket or a sleeve opening of the strap.

15. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap comprises a sleeve arranged to receive and hold the at least one rigidizer.

16. A patient interface system according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one strap is configured to receive and hold the at least one rigidizer by sowing, welding, gluing, heat staking, clamping, buttoning, snapping a cover over the at least one rigidizer, and/or snapping on an external part.

17. A patient interface system according to claim 16 , wherein snapping on an external part is achieved by aligning the at least one strap and the at least one rigidizer and pushing the at least one rigidizer inside the sleeve and fixing both the at least one strap and the at least one rigidizer to the external part.

18. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein a point at which the at least one rigidizer is fixed to the at least one strap is located at one end of the at least one rigidizer.

19. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer is more rigid than the at least one strap.

20. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap is made of an elastomeric material, the elastomeric material comprising elastane, TPE, or silicone, or the at least one strap is made of a combination of any of elastane, TPE, or silicone with one another or with other materials.

21. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the headgear further comprises elastic walls that are woven, knitted, braided, molded, and/or extruded.

22. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rigidizer comprises two or more rigidizers, each arranged to be symmetrically disposed on a corresponding side of the patient's face.

23. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the headgear, including the at least one strap, is made of stretchable textile.

24. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap is removable from the at least one rigidizer.

25. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap maintains its entire operational length and is able to freely stretch along the at least one rigidizer during use.

26. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap is in the form of a sleeve arranged to slip over the rigidizer such that the at least one strap maintains its stretchable length and is able to substantially freely stretch over the at least one rigidizer during use.

27. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one strap comprises more than two straps, a respective end of each strap being arranged for hinged connection to another strap and/or the mask frame.

28. A patient interface system according to claim 1 , wherein the headgear is arranged to support the patient interface on the patient's face during use, said patient interface comprising one of a nasal cannula, nasal prongs, or a respirator

Assignees

• Resmed Ltd

Inventors

• Haskard Kirrily Michele
• Barbara Anthony Paul
• Wells Alicia Kristianne

Classifications

• A61M16/0683 Primary

  Holding devices therefor · CPC title

• A61M16/0666

  Nasal cannulas or tubing (devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02) · CPC title