Vent system for CPAP patient interface used in treatment of sleep disordered breathing
AssigneeResMed Limited
InventorsDonald Darkin, Patrick J. McAuliffe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vent assembly for use with a mask assembly includes a first vent and a second vent having at least one different flow characteristic wherein the vent assembly can be switched between the first vent and the second vent to alter flow of exhaled gas from a patient.
Claims30
A patient interface configured to deliver a flow of breathable gas at a continuously positive treatment pressure with respect to ambient air pressure, while a patient is sleeping, to an entrance to the patient's airways to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing, said patient interface comprising:
- a frame forming a cavity configured to be pressurised at the treatment pressure by the flow of breathable gas;
- a patient contacting portion connected to the frame and configured to seal against an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways to deliver the flow of breathable gas to the patient's airways;
- and
- a gas washout vent configured to allow a vent flow of gas to pass to an exterior of the patient interface to minimise rebreathing of exhaled CO2 by the patient, the gas washout vent comprising an orifice, a first vent, and a second vent, the gas washout vent having a first position wherein the orifice is in pneumatic communication with the first vent, and the gas washout vent having a second position wherein the orifice is in pneumatic communication with the second vent,
- wherein a first visual indicator is associated with said first position and a second visual indicator is associated with said second position, and
- wherein the gas washout vent is configured to allow gas to pass freely out of and into the cavity via the gas washout vent.
A patient interface for delivery of a flow of breathable gas at a continuously positive treatment pressure with respect to ambient air pressure, while a patient is sleeping, to an entrance to the patient's airways to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing, said patient interface comprising:
- a frame forming a cavity configured to be pressurised at the treatment pressure by the flow of breathable gas;
- a patient contacting portion connected to the frame and configured to seal against an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways to deliver the flow of breathable gas to the patient's airways;
- and
- a gas washout vent configured to allow a vent flow of gas to pass from the cavity to an exterior of the patient interface to minimise rebreathing of exhaled CO2 by the patient, the gas washout vent comprising a first tubular member and a second tubular member,
- wherein the first tubular member comprises an orifice and the second tubular member comprises a first vent and a second vent, and
- wherein the first tubular member has a longitudinal axis, and the first tubular member and the second tubular member are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis to align the first vent or the second vent with at least a portion of the orifice to allow the vent flow of gas to pass to the exterior of the patient interface during use.
A patient interface for delivery of a flow of breathable gas at a continuously positive treatment pressure with respect to ambient air pressure, while a patient is sleeping, to an entrance to the patient's airways to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing, said patient interface comprising:
- a frame forming a cavity configured to be pressurised at the treatment pressure by the flow of breathable gas;
- a patient contacting portion connected to the frame and configured to seal against an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways to deliver the flow of breathable gas to the patient's airways;
- and
- a gas washout vent configured to allow a flow of gas to pass from the cavity to an exterior of the patient interface to minimise rebreathing of exhaled CO2 by the patient, the gas washout vent comprising a first tubular member and a second tubular member,
- wherein the first tubular member comprises an orifice and the second tubular member comprises a vent, the orifice and the vent being alignable to allow the flow of gas to pass through the gas washout vent to the exterior of the patient interface during use, and
- wherein the first tubular member has a longitudinal axis, and the first tubular member and the second tubular member are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis to vary a cross-sectional area of a flow path of the flow of gas through the gas washout vent to the exterior of the patient interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.