Interface comprising a nasal sealing portion and a rolling hinge
AssigneeFisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
InventorsPeter David Alexander Bearne, Roheet Patel, Kirstin Elizabeth Middelkoop, Michael John Henri Cox, Fadi Karim Moh'd Mashal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interface for positive pressure therapy includes a mask assembly. The mask assembly includes a mask seal that is adapted to underlie the nose. The mask seal extends up the lateral sides of the nose. The mask seal has a primary seal below the nose and a secondary seal alongside the nose. The mask seal includes a rolling hinge that permits one portion of the mask seal to deform relative to another portion of the mask seal. In one configuration, the portion of the mask seal that underlies the nose is configured to deform relative to a lower portion of the mask seal.
Claims18
An interface for use in providing positive pressure respiratory therapy, the interface comprising:
- a mask assembly comprising a mask seal and a mask base, the mask assembly configured to be fully positioned lower than a bridge of a nose of a face of a user and the mask assembly configured to provide an exposed tip of the nose of the user;
- the mask base comprising a central portion and a pair of wings sweeping rearwardly of the central portion, an opening for a connector being formed on the mask base in the central portion;
- the mask seal being connected to the mask base, the mask seal comprising at least one oral opening on a lower portion and at least one nasal opening on an upper portion, the at least one oral opening being positioned opposite of the opening for the connector and the at least one nasal opening being positioned between the opening for the connector and the at least one oral opening in a front to back direction;
- and
- the mask seal comprising a first paddle and a second paddle, an upper support surface being positioned between the first paddle and the second paddle such that an upwardly-open valley is defined by the first paddle, the upper support surface and the second paddle, at least a portion of the at least one nasal opening being positioned on the upper support surface within the valley, the first paddle comprises a first pocket and the second paddle comprises a second pocket and the first and second pockets are configured to extend upwards along lateral sides of the nose in use and are in fluid communication with a chamber defined within the mask assembly;
- wherein the upper portion of the mask seal is deformable relative to the lower portion of the mask seal along a deformation region that extends in a lateral direction and that has a length that is at least one-half of a maximum width of the mask seal, the deformation region being bounded by a first boundary and a second boundary, wherein the first boundary and the second boundary have an increased stiffness relative to a stiffness of the deformation region and the first boundary is defined by a portion of the upper portion of the mask seal positioned between the opening for the connector and the at least one oral opening in a front-to-back direction and the second boundary is defined by a portion of the upper portion of the mask seal positioned between the opening for the connector and the deformation region, wherein the first boundary is separated from the at least one nasal opening, wherein the deformation region permits the upper portion of the mask seal to deflect in a forward direction relative to the mask base and/or the lower portion of the mask seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.