# US 10,118,009 B2 · Vent system for CPAP patient interface used in treatment of sleep disordered breathing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,009 B2 - Document ID: US10118009B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/584,401 - Filed: 2017-05-02 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2003-11-25 - Assignees: ResMed Limited - Applicants: ResMed Limited - Inventors: Donald Darkin; Patrick John McAuliffe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118009B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/0816: {Joints or connectors} - A61M 16/0051: {with alarm devices} - A61M 16/0066: {Blowers or centrifugal pumps} - A61M 16/022: {Control means therefor} - A61M 16/06: Respiratory or anaesthetic masks - A61M 16/0616: {with face sealing means comprising a flap or membrane projecting inwards, such that sealing increases with increasing inhalation gas pressure} - A61M 16/0622: {having an underlying cushion} - A61M 16/0825: {with ball-sockets} - A61M 16/08: Bellows; Connecting tubes {(having means for taking samples G01N1/22); Water traps; Patient circuits} - A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} - A61M 16/205: {used for exhalation control} - A61M 2205/3331: Pressure; Flow - A61M 2205/42: Reducing noise - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A vent assembly for use with a mask assembly includes a first vent, a second vent and a selector to switch the flow of exhaled gas from a patient between the first and second vents. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A patient interface for delivery of a flow of pressurized, breathable gas generated by a flow generator at a treatment pressure that is continuously positive with respect to ambient air pressure, while a patient is sleeping, to an entrance to the patient's airways to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing, said patient interface comprising: a patient contacting portion configured to seal against an area surrounding the patient's nostrils to deliver the flow of pressurized, breathable gas to the patient's airways; a cavity bounded at least partly by the patient contacting portion, the cavity configured to be pressurized at the treatment pressure by the flow of pressurized, breathable gas; a swivel elbow configured to be connected to an air delivery conduit to receive the flow of pressurized, breathable gas generated by the flow generator; and a vent assembly comprising: a first vent having a plurality of first holes configured to allow a first flow of gas to pass through the plurality of first holes; and a second vent having at least one second hole configured to allow a second flow of gas to pass through the at least one second hole, wherein the first vent has a first vent characteristic and the second vent has a second vent characteristic that is different from the first vent characteristic, and wherein the vent assembly is configured to allow the first flow of gas to exit through the plurality of first holes to atmosphere and to allow the second flow of gas to exit through the at least one second hole to atmosphere, the first flow of gas and the second flow of gas exiting from the vent assembly to atmosphere simultaneously. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the swivel elbow includes the first vent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the first vent characteristic is a dimension of each of the plurality of first holes and the second vent characteristic is a dimension of the at least one second hole. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the first vent characteristic is a combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of first holes and the second vent characteristic is a combined cross-sectional area of the at least one second hole. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The patient interface of claim 4, wherein the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of first holes is greater than the combined cross-sectional area of the at least one second hole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The patient interface of claim 4, wherein the combined cross-sectional area of the at least one second hole is greater than the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of first holes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first holes is smaller than the at least one second hole. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first holes has a diameter less than 0.5 millimeters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first holes has a diameter less than 0.1 millimeters. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the patient contacting portion is constructed from silicone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the patient contacting portion is configured to seal against the patient's upper lip such that the flow of pressurized, breathable gas is not delivered to the patient's mouth. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, further comprising a rigid frame that at least partly bounds the cavity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first vent and the second vent is configured to allow gas to pass from the cavity to an exterior of the patient interface to minimise rebreathing of exhaled carbon dioxide by the patient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the at least one second hole of the second vent is configured to allow gas to pass from the cavity to an exterior of the patient interface to minimise rebreathing of exhaled carbon dioxide by the patient. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of first holes is smaller than the at least one second hole, the patient contacting portion is constructed from silicone, and the patient contacting portion is configured to seal against the patient's upper lip such that the flow of pressurized, breathable gas is not delivered to the patient's mouth. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The patient interface of claim 15, wherein the first vent characteristic is a combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of first holes and the second vent characteristic is a combined cross-sectional area of the at least one second hole. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The patient interface of claim 16, wherein the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of first holes is greater than the combined cross-sectional area of the at least one second hole, or the combined cross-sectional area of the at least one second hole is greater than the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of first holes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The patient interface of claim 15, wherein the first vent characteristic is a dimension of each of the plurality of first holes and the second vent characteristic is a dimension of the at least one second hole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The patient interface of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of first holes has a diameter less than 0.5 millimeters. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The patient interface of claim 15, wherein the swivel elbow includes the first vent. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The patient interface of claim 15, wherein at least the plurality of first holes of the first vent are configured to allow the first flow of gas to pass from the cavity to an exterior of the patient interface to allow carbon dioxide washout, and wherein the second vent is configured to allow the second flow of gas to pass through the at least one second hole to atmosphere during use. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein at least the plurality of first holes of the first vent are configured to allow the first flow of gas to pass from the cavity to an exterior of the patient interface to allow carbon dioxide washout, and wherein the second vent is configured to allow the second flow of gas to pass through the at least one second hole to atmosphere during use.