Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Face mask covering a breathing passage
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-24
2004-01-20
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Face mask covering a breathing passage
C128S205250, C128S206120, C128S206210, C128S206240
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679261
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an improved comfort device to be used with a nasal mask. In particular, the device is useful in combination with masks which are used for the treatment of respiratory conditions and assisted respiration. The invention assists in fitting the mask to the face as well.
2. General Background
Nasal masks are commonly used in the treatment of respiratory conditions and sleep disorders by delivering a flow of breathable gas to a patient to either assist the patient in respiration or to provide a therapeutic form of gas to the patient to treat sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. These nasal masks typically receive a gas through a supply line which delivers gas into a chamber formed by walls of the mask. The mask is generally a semi-rigid mask which has a face portion which covers at least the wearer's nostrils. Additionally, the mask may be a full face mask. The mask is normally secured to the wearer's head by straps. The straps are adjusted to pull the mask against the face with sufficient force to achieve a gas tight seal between the mask and the wearer's face. Gas is thus delivered to the mask and the wearer's nasal passages and/or mouth.
One of the problems that arises with the use of the mask is that in order for the straps to be tight, the mask is compressed against the wearer's face and may push unduly hard on the wearer's nose. Additionally, the mask may move around on the wearer's face. Thus, there has been provided a forehead support, which provides a support mechanism between the mask and the forehead. This forehead support prevents both the mask from pushing too strongly against the wearer's nose and/or facial region as well as minimize movement of the mask with the addition of a contact point between the mask and the wearer's head as well as minimize uncomfortable pressure points of the mask. Additionally, the forehead support may prevent the airflow tube from contacting the wearer's forehead or face.
FIG. 1
shows a general perspective view of a related art forehead support
10
. The forehead rest or support
10
is attached to an airflow tube
12
extending from the mask
14
. The mask
14
and forehead support
10
are shown with headgear
16
which secures the mask
14
to the head of a patient. As can be seen in
FIG. 1
, the headgear
16
loops through the forehead support
10
at loops
18
and
20
. This pulls the forehead support
10
against the forehead, thus creating a snugly fitted mask
14
and also provides a stabilizing member for the mask
14
.
FIG. 2
discloses the construction of the related art forehead support
10
. The forehead support
10
has pads
24
and
26
, a back side of which can be seen in greater detail in FIG.
10
. These pads
24
and
26
are the actual contact points of the forehead support
10
to the forehead. The support pads
24
and
26
are mounted to the bridge
32
. Arms
34
and
36
are secured to bridge
32
by an adjustable locking mechanism which is better illustrated in the figures below. The bridge
32
provides three purposes to the forehead support
10
. First, it acts as a securing means for pads
24
and
26
. Second, it has loops
18
and
20
which receive the optional headgear
16
shown in FIG.
1
. Finally, it receives arms
34
and
36
, which may be adjusted, as described below. The bridge
32
and arms
34
and
36
operate in a cantilever fashion and are made of a polymeric material, which may be easily molded. Additionally, arms
34
and
36
join together to create an annular space
38
to receive airflow tube
12
which is connected to a flow generator to generate breathable air or some type of therapeutic gas. Arms
34
and
36
create an operational hinge. The tube
12
is an axis of this hinge.
FIG. 3
is an exploded view of FIG.
2
and shows the forehead support
10
in greater detail. Bridge engaging pins
56
,
58
,
60
and
62
are shown in FIG.
3
. As will be more apparent in the figures below, these engaging pins provide for the adjustability of the forehead support
10
. Bridge
32
includes slots
76
,
78
,
82
,
84
,
86
,
88
and
90
(see
FIG. 9
) and a mirror set of slots on the upper portion of bridge
32
(not visible in
FIG. 9
) for selectively receiving pins
56
,
58
,
60
and
62
. These slots open to the forehead side of the bridge. Additionally, there is a space or recess at arms
34
and
36
shown on arm
34
as
64
. The purpose of this space
64
is so that the user may compress arm
34
and thus press pins
56
and
58
together by pressing on surfaces
66
and
68
. The purpose of the compression is to decrease the distance between pins
56
and
58
such that they may be selectively inserted and locked into the desired pair of slots on bridge
32
. The length of the pins
56
and
58
is such that even when the pins are pressed together, they do not clear the slots in the bridge sufficiently to allow the arms to be dissasembled from the bridge without further action.
FIG. 4
is a side view of the mask
14
and forehead support
10
. The mask is shown as
14
with a dotted line showing the nose of a wearer
70
and the dotted line showing the forehead
72
of the wearer. Pad
26
is shown compressed by the forehead of the individual wearing the mask.
FIG. 5
is a top view of the forehead support
10
taken along lines
5
of FIG.
4
. Also, the mask
14
is not shown in FIG.
5
. This figure illustrates the forehead support
10
in a position wherein the forehead support is in the closest position to the tube
12
(shown as merely a space in FIGS.
5
-
6
). The bridge
32
is shown essentially in contact with tube
12
. The pins
56
,
58
,
60
and
62
are shown in their furthest position from the center of the bridge
32
, engaging slot pairs
88
and
90
. This position may be utilized by someone with a large, protruding or bulbous forehead, or a high nasal bridge, or someone who prefers the airflow tube to be snug against their forehead.
FIG. 6
shows the same forehead support in the next position, wherein the bridge
32
is moved away from tube
12
such that there is a gap
74
between bridge
32
and tube
12
. Here, pins
56
,
58
,
60
and
62
engage slot pairs
76
and
86
. As is visible from the figure, the forehead support
10
is now moved away from tube
12
, and is positioned differently than in FIG.
5
. This may be configured to fit someone with a less protruding forehead, or someone who wants the flexible tube further from their head than is possible in FIG.
5
.
FIGS. 7 and 8
show the third and fourth position for the forehead support.
The related art arm
34
is shown in greater detail in
FIGS. 11-13
. As can be seen in the top view of the arm
34
shown in
FIG. 11
, the arm
34
includes a semicircular portion
100
, on an interior of which the annular space
38
is situated. An extending portion
102
extends from the semicircular portion
100
. Surfaces
66
and
68
, space
64
and engaging pins
56
and
58
are positioned on the extending portion
102
. Each surface
66
and
68
includes a generally oval depression
106
and
108
, respectively, positioned near the pins
56
and
58
. These oval depressions
106
and
108
can be felt by the wearer of the mask and assist the wearer in properly positioning his or her fingers near the pins
56
and
58
when it is desired to adjust the forehead support. This is especially important when the mask and forehead support are positioned on the wearer's head because at such time, the wearer cannot easily see where to place his or her fingers to adjust the forehead support. The oval depressions not only assist the wearer in properly positioning his or her fingers for adjusting the support, by virtue of the fingers engaging the depressions, the depressions also help maintain the fingers in the appropriate position.
FIG. 12
is a side view of the arm shown in FIG.
11
. As can be seen there, the semicircular portion
100
only exte
Kwok Philip R.
Lithgow Perry D.
Styles Robert E.
Ziolkowski Zdzislaw A.
Erezo Darwin P
Lo Weilun
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Resmed Limited
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