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 Title: |
WO9818514A1:
NASAL AIR MASK[French]
[ Derwent Title ]
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Country:
Kind: |
WO World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
A1 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED WITH INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT i
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| Inventor: |
COTNER, Ronald, L.; 113 Walnut Hill Road, Derry, NH 03038, United States of America
ASACKER, Thomas, E.; 2 Deer Run Road, Exeter, NH 03833, United States of America
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| Assignee: |
SLEEPNET, CORPORATION, Lockheed Air Center, 1050 Perimeter Road, Manchester, NH 03103, United States of America
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| Published / Filed: |
1998-05-07
/ 1997-10-30
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| Application Number: |
WO1997US0019752
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
A61M 16/06;
IPC-7:
A61M 16/00;
A61M 16/06;
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| ECLA Code: |
A61M16/06; A61M16/06S; K61M210/06C;
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| Priority Number: |
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| Abstract: |
The nasal mask (10) is useful for patients suffering from respiratory ailments such as sleep apnea syndrome. The mask (10) includes a shell (12) having a contoured portion (14) circumscribing the nasal area and side wings (16) through which a retention strap (40) passes. A seal (20) is disposed between the shell (12) and the patient's face providing a large contact area to distribute retention forces and reduce facial pressure. Transmission of external loads to and torques induced in the shell (12) are minimized by orienting inlets (54) proximate side wings (16) and supporting a supply conduit (52) along the strap (40).
[French]
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| Representative Image: |
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
STAMOS, Christopher, W. ;
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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| Designated Country: |
AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY CA CH CN CU CZ DE DK EE ES FI GB GE GH HU ID IL IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MD MG MK MN MW MX NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT UA UG UZ VN YU ZW,
European patent:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE,
OAPI patent:
BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN ML MR NE SN TD TG,
ARIPO patent:
GH KE LS MW SD SZ UG ZW,
Eurasian patent:
AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM
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| Family: |
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First Claim:
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What is claimed is 1. A nasal mask comprising: a shell including: a contoured portion having an interior surface configured to form a chamber around a nose of a patient donning said mask; and at least one side wing extending outwardly from said contoured portion; and a seal disposed between said shell and the patient.
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Description
Expand description |
+ NASAL AIR MASK
Technical Field The present invention relates to respiratory apparatus and more specifically to a nasal mask useful for providing pressurized air or therapeutic gas to a patient suffering from an airflow limitation or other respiratory ailment.
+ Summary of the Invention An improved nasal mask is disclosed useful in a wide variety of applications including, but not limited to, respiratory apparatus employed for treatment of sleep apnea syndrome. In an exemplary embodiment, the nasal mask includes a compliant shell having a contoured portion configured to create a chamber around the nose of the patient. Two symmetrically disposed side wings extend from the contoured portion along the patient's cheeks and include slots at distal ends thereof through which a retention strap passes. A soft silicone filled bladder seals any leakage gap between the contoured portion of the shell and the patient's nasal area. The seal extends along the wings against the patient's cheeks providing a relatively large contact area with the patient's face. This configuration distributes the retention force applied by the strap through the side wings to both the nasal area and the cheeks, thereby reducing local pressure. The large contact area also improves conformance of the mask to the face, substantially eliminating leakage and reducing slippage for a given induced force.
The strap may be manufactured from an elastically compliant material in one or more pieces and forms a continuous loop when worn. The strap passes around the patient's neck, slidingly through the wing slots, and around the patient's head. The head cradling portion of the strap may be bifurcated along a length thereof, with one leg disposed about the rear of the head and the other about the top of the head. A length adjustment feature may be provided so that a single adjustment of the strap simultaneously adjusts both head and neck portions.
+ Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention, in accordance with preferred and exemplary embodiments, together with further advantages thereof, is more particularly described in the following
+ detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the mask in a configuration as would be donned by a patient in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2A is a schematic top plan view of the shell and seal in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2B is a schematic bottom plan view of the shell and seal in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic sectional perspective view of the shell and seal taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4A is a free body diagram model of the mask shell depicting exemplary induced and offsetting loads from a frontal view in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4B is a free body diagram of the mask shell depicting other exemplary induced and offsetting loads and moment arms from a frontal view in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 4C is a free body diagram of the mask shell depicting exemplary induced and offsetting loads and moment arms from a side view in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. ###
+ Detailed Description of the Invention Depicted in FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a nasal mask 10 in a configuration as would be donned by a patient in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The mask 10 includes a compliant shell 12 having a convex contoured portion 14 configured to surround the patient's nose and be spaced therefrom to provide a nasal area chamber 18, as best seen in FIG. 3. The chamber 18 provides a low volume reservoir of breathing gas or air supplied thereto. The shell 12 includes two symmetrically disposed, compliant side wings 16 which extend outwardly from the contoured portion 14. The wings 16 wrap around the side of the patient's face and bear on the cheek bones so that the position of the shell 12 is generally unaffected by movement of the jaw, for instance, caused by speaking, chewing, or yawning.
In order to prevent varying or uncontrolled leakage from the chamber 18 and provide a comfortable conforming fit, a soft seal 20 is provided between the shell 12 and the patient's face. The seal 20 may be manufactured of a low durometer compressible foam or other elastically compliant material; however, it has been determined that reliable sealing and increased comfort may be realized by manufacturing the seal 20 as a hollow bladder filled with a silicone medium. If desired, other mediums may be employed to fill the bladder such as gases or liquids, or emulsions of desired viscosity; however, the silicone may be molded advantageously in a predetermined configuration to provide desired sealing surfaces and contours.
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