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US 11,369,767 B2Granted
Headgear for a respiratory mask and a method for donning a respiratory mask
AssigneeResMed Pty Ltd
InventorsJoel Edward Gibson, Anthony Paul Barbara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Headgear for a respiratory mask includes a strap arrangement including front strap portions adapted to be disposed over a patient's cheeks and having front ends adapted for attachment to an airway interfacing portion. The strap arrangement may also include top strap portions connected to respective front strap portions and adapted to be disposed over the top of a patient's head and to connect to each other. Further, a back strap may extend from and connect respective junctions of the front strap portions and top strap portions or regions adjacent these junctions. The front strap portions may be provided with a sleeve or cover to enhance comfort in use.
Claims30
A respiratory mask for delivering breathable gas to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the respiratory mask comprising:
- an airway interfacing portion configured to engage a patient's face to deliver the breathable gas to an airway of the patient;
- and
- headgear comprising at least one rigidizer, the at least one rigidizer having a curved form and being configured to extend over the patient's cheek and between the patient's eye and ear when the respiratory mask is worn,
- wherein the at least one rigidizer is disposed within an interior portion of a cover, the cover comprising a fabric material, the rigidizer having increased rigidity as compared to the fabric material,
- wherein the at least one rigidizer is positioned between a face contacting side and a non-face contacting side of the cover,
- wherein, in a transverse cross-sectional view of the headgear, the cover extends laterally beyond the rigidizer to form lateral edge portions of the headgear that have reduced rigidity as compared to a central portion of the headgear containing the rigidizer,
- wherein each of the face contacting side and the non-face contacting side of the cover comprises opposing lateral edge portions, each of the lateral edge portions of the face contacting side being directly and fixedly adhered to a respective one of the lateral edge portions of the non-face contacting side to delimit the interior portion of the cover and to form the lateral edge portions of the headgear, and
- wherein the lateral edge portions of the headgear have only a two-layer construction formed by one layer of the face contacting side of the cover and one layer of the non-face contacting side of the cover.
5 more elements
A respiratory mask for delivering breathable gas to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the respiratory mask comprising:
- an airway interfacing portion configured to engage a patient's face to deliver the breathable gas to an airway of the patient;
- and
- headgear to position and stably hold the airway interfacing portion in an operative position with respect to the patient's face when the respiratory mask is worn, the headgear comprising:
- a pair of rigidizers, each rigidizer being configured to extend over the patient's cheek and between the patient's eye and ear on a respective side of the patient's face when the respiratory mask is worn;
- a back strap configured to extend around a rear portion of the patient's head and urge against the patient's occiput when the respiratory mask is worn;
- and
- a pair of top straps configured to extend from a respective side of the patient's head toward a top of the patient's head for length adjustable connection to one another when the respiratory mask is worn,
- wherein each rigidizer has a fabric covering disposed around the rigidizer such that the rigidizer is positioned between a face contacting side and a non-face contacting side of the fabric covering,
- wherein, in a transverse cross-sectional view of the headgear, the fabric covering extends laterally beyond the rigidizer to form lateral edge portions of the headgear that do not include the rigidizer,
- wherein each of the face contacting side and the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering comprises opposing lateral edge portions, each of the lateral edge portions of the face contacting side being directly and fixedly adhered to a respective one of the lateral edge portions of the non-face contacting side to form the lateral edge portions of the headgear, and
- wherein the lateral edge portions of the headgear have only a two-layer construction formed by one layer of the face contacting side of the fabric covering and one layer of the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering.
8 more elements
A respiratory mask for delivering breathable gas to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the respiratory mask comprising:
- an airway interfacing portion configured to engage a patient's face to deliver the breathable gas to an airway of the patient;
- and
- headgear to position and stably hold the airway interfacing portion in an operative position with respect to the patient's face when the respiratory mask is worn, the headgear comprising:
- a pair of rigidizers, each rigidizer being configured to extend over the patient's cheek and between the patient's eye and ear on a respective side of the patient's face when the respiratory mask is worn,
- wherein each rigidizer has a fabric covering disposed around the rigidizer such that the rigidizer is positioned between a face contacting side and a non-face contacting side of the fabric covering,
- wherein, in a transverse cross-sectional view of the headgear, each rigidizer and respective fabric covering have only a three layer arrangement across an entire width of the rigidizer, such that:
- the face contacting side of the fabric covering has 1) a first surface arranged to contact the patient's skin when the respiratory mask is worn and 2) a second surface opposite the first surface,
- the rigidizer has 1) a first surface disposed directly adjacent the second surface of the face contacting side of the fabric covering and 2) a second surface opposite the first surface of the rigidizer, and
- the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering has 1) a first surface disposed directly adjacent the second surface of the rigidizer and 2) a second surface opposite the first surface of the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering that forms an exposed outer surface of the headgear when the respiratory mask is worn,
- wherein, in the transverse cross-sectional view of the headgear, the fabric covering extends laterally beyond the rigidizer to form lateral edge portions of the headgear that do not include the rigidizer,
- wherein each of the face contacting side and the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering comprises opposing lateral edge portions, each of the lateral edge portions of the face contacting side being directly and fixedly adhered to a respective one of the lateral edge portions of the non-face contacting side to form the lateral edge portions of the headgear, and
- wherein, in the opposing lateral edge portions of the face contacting side and the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering, the second surface of the face-contacting side of the fabric covering is directly adhered to the first surface of the non-face contacting side of the fabric covering.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.