# US 11,998,696 B2 · Patient interface and components thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,696 B2 - Document ID: US11998696B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/253,199 - Filed: 2021-11-30 - Published: 2023-10-26 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-30 - Assignees: ResMed Asia Pte. Ltd. - Applicants: Resmed Asia Pte. Ltd. - Inventors: Amit Arunchandra Jadhav - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998696B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/0622: {having an underlying cushion} - A61M 16/0616: {with face sealing means comprising a flap or membrane projecting inwards, such that sealing increases with increasing inhalation gas pressure} - A61M 16/0683: {Holding devices therefor} - A61M 16/1045: {Devices for humidifying or heating the inspired gas by using recovered moisture or heat from the expired gas} - A61M 16/1055: {bacterial} - A61M 16/0066: {Blowers or centrifugal pumps} - A61M 16/101: {using an oxygen concentrator} - A61M 16/107: {in the inspiratory path} - A61M 16/1095: {in the connecting tubes} - A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} - A61M 16/161: {with means for measuring the humidity} - A61M 2016/0027: {pressure meter} - A61M 2016/0033: {electrical} - A61M 2202/0225: Carbon oxides, e.g. Carbon dioxide - A61M 2205/0205: Materials having antiseptic or antimicrobial properties, e.g. silver compounds, rubber with sterilising agent - A61M 2205/0238: the material being a coating or protective layer - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/3389: Continuous level detection (A61M2205/3393 takes precedence) - 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 The present technology relates to one or more of the screening, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, prevention and amelioration of respiratory-related disorders. The present technology also relates to medical devices or apparatus, and their use. The present technology also relates to components formed from nonwoven composites for use in medical devices or apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A patient interface comprising: a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH2O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including a plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient; a heat and moisture exchanger positioned within the plenum chamber, the heat and moisture exchanger comprising: a body constructed from a permeable, nonwoven composite formed with a fibrous material, the body having a first surface and a second surface; a passageway extending within the fibrous material between the first surface and the second surface and being formed as a through hole, the fibrous material forming a wall of the passageway so that a flow of gas is configured to contact the fibrous material that forms the wall; 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 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; and a positioning and stabilising structure to provide a force to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head; and wherein the body includes a first impedance and the passageway includes a second impedance less than the first impedance; wherein the fibrous material configured to absorb water vapor from exhaled air; wherein the permeable, nonwoven composite of the body configured to transfer the absorbed water vapor to inhaled air and increase the humidity of the flow; and wherein the passageway is elbow shaped and extends along two axes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the body has a disk shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the first surface is a first planar surface and the second surface is a second planar surface opposite to the first planar surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The patient interface of claim 3, wherein the passageway extends along a single axis between the first surface and the second surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the body is a first body, the patient interface further comprising a second body, the first body and the second body being alignable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The patient interface of claim 5, further comprising attachment means for aligning and stacking the first body and the second body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The patient interface of claim 6, wherein the attachment means is a polymer spacer. ### Claim 8 A patient interface comprising: a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH2O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including a plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient; the heat and moisture exchanger positioned within the plenum chamber, the heat and moisture exchanger comprising: a body constructed from a permeable, nonwoven composite formed with a fibrous material, the body having a first surface formed as a first planar surface and a second surface formed as a sidewall oriented substantially perpendicularly to the first surface; a passageway formed as a hole extending within the fibrous material between the first surface and the second surface, the fibrous material forming a wall of the passageway; 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 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; and a positioning and stabilising structure to provide a force to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head; and wherein the body includes a first impedance and the passageway includes a second impedance less than the first impedance; wherein the fibrous material configured to absorb water vapor from exhaled air; wherein the permeable, nonwoven composite of the body configured to transfer the absorbed water vapor to inhaled air and increase the humidity of the flow; and wherein the passageway is elbow shaped and extends along two axes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The patient interface of claim 8, wherein the body has a disk shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The patient interface of claim 8, wherein the body is a first body, the patient interface further comprising a second body, the first body and the second body being alignable and stackable on top of each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The patient interface of claim 10, further comprising attachment means for aligning and stacking the first body and the second body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The patient interface of claim 11, wherein the attachment means is a polymer spacer.