Mechanical ventilation mask fit status indication

A respiratory assistance device comprising:

• an indicator display interface;
• a therapeutic gas flow source in pneumatic communication with a patient ventilation interface over a first conduit, the therapeutic gas flow source including a blower for generating a gas flow in the first conduit;
• a first sensor in line with the first conduit for reading gas delivery measurements therefrom, wherein the gas delivery measurements include a first pressure measurement at the blower;
• a second sensor in pneumatic communication with the patient ventilation interface over a second conduit for a second pressure measurement at the patient ventilation interface;
• a fit indication controller connected to the first sensor, the second sensor and the indicator display interface, a leakage value derived from the first and second pressure measurements being correlated by the fit indication controller to a particular sub-range of predetermined leakage value that corresponds to a particular mask fit index, the mask fit index being output to the indicator display interface as a mask fit status;
• wherein the particular sub-range of predetermined leakage values is among a plurality of the sub-ranges which together comprises an overall mask fit range.

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for indicating fit status of a mask in pneumatic communication with a respiratory assistance device, the method comprising:

• initiating a therapeutic gas delivery from the respiratory assistance device over a first conduit to the mask;
• receiving a first pressure measurement at a blower of the respiratory assistance device, the first pressure measurement being received from a first sensor in line with the first conduit;
• receiving a second pressure measurement at the mask, the second pressure measurement being received from a second sensor in pneumatic communication with the mask over a second conduit;
• deriving a leakage value from the received first and second pressure measurements;
• assigning a mask fit index based at least upon a correlation of the leakage value to a particular sub-range of predetermined leakage values that corresponds to the mask fit index, the particular sub-range of predetermined leakage values being among a plurality of the sub-ranges which together comprises an overall mask fit range defined at least by an ideal mask fit region, a loose mask fit region, and a tight mask fit region;
• and
• generating an output of a mask fit status to an indicator interface, the mask fit status being based upon the assigned mask fit index.

A method for indicating fit status of a mask in pneumatic communication with a respiratory assistance device, the method comprising:

• initiating a therapeutic gas delivery from the respiratory assistance device to the mask;
• receiving one or more measurements associated with the therapeutic gas delivery from one or more sensors of the respiratory assistance device;
• deriving a leakage value from the received one or more measurements associated with the therapeutic gas delivery;
• assigning a mask fit index based at least upon a correlation of the leakage value to a particular sub-range of predetermined leakage values that corresponds to the mask fit index, wherein the predetermined leakage values that define a given sub-range corresponding to the mask fit index are variable, the particular sub-range of predetermined leakage values being among a plurality of the sub-ranges which together comprises an overall mask fit range defined at least by an ideal mask fit region, a loose mask fit region, and a tight mask fit region;
• generating a patient comfort modifier from one or more previously assigned values of the mask fit index;
• adjusting the predetermined leakage values that define the given sub-range corresponding to the mask fit index based upon the patient comfort modifier;
• and
• generating an output of a mask fit status to an indicator interface, the mask fit status being based upon the assigned mask fit index.