Patient interface with forehead support system

A gas delivery mask comprising:

• a mask shell;
• a forehead support having a support arm associated with the mask shell and a forehead support bracket coupled to the support arm;
• and
• an adjustment assembly for adjusting a relative position of the forehead support and the mask shell such that the forehead support is moveable in at least two dimensions relative to the mask, and wherein the adjustment assembly includes an arcuate attaching member coupled to the mask shell, and wherein a first portion of the support arm is slideable along the arcuate attaching member to adjust a position of the forehead support relative to the mask shell.

A gas delivery mask comprising:

• (a) a mask shell;
• (b) a forehead support comprising:
• (1) a support arm associated with the mask shell,
• (2) a forehead support bracket, and
• (3) a coupling system attaching the support arm to the forehead support bracket such that the forehead support bracket is detachable from the support arm while the mask is being worn by a patient;
• (c) a gas carrying conduit coupled to the mask shell and not to the forehead support;
• and
• (d) a headgear coupled to the forehead support bracket, wherein detaching the forehead support bracket allows the mask shell and gas carrying conduit to be decoupled from the patient as a unitary assembly, while the headgear and the forehead support bracket remain coupled to the patient.

A method of donning a gas delivery mask having a mask shell and support arm coupled thereto comprising providing a headgear having upper headgear straps, a forehead support bracket coupled to the upper headgear straps, and lower headgear straps;

• donning the upper headgear strap on a head of a patient;
• orienting the gas delivery mask, after the donning step, such that a mask shell is spaced apart from a face of a patient and a forehead support is proximate to the forehead support bracket;
• connecting the forehead support to the forehead support bracket, after the orienting step;
• rotating the gas delivery mask into place on the face of a patient, after the connecting step;
• and
• connecting the lower headgear straps to the gas delivery mask.

A method of removing a gas delivery mask from a patient, comprising:

• disconnecting lower headgear straps of a headgear from the gas delivery mask;
• rotating the gas delivery mask, after the disconnecting step, by moving a mask shell away from a face of a patient while a support arm of the gas delivery mask remains coupled to a forehead support bracket associated with an upper headgear strap being worn by such a patient;
• and
• disconnecting the support arm of the gas delivery mask from the forehead support bracket, after the rotating step.