NZ784459B2 - Adjustable headgear tubing for a patient interface - Google Patents

Abstract

patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH2O with respect to ambient air pressure throughout the patient’s respiratory cycle in use, the patient interface comprising: a cushion assembly comprising: a plenum chamber pressurisable to the therapeutic pressure, said plenum chamber including a pair of plenum chamber inlet ports, each of the plenum chamber inlet ports being sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient; a nasal seal-forming structure that is configured to seal around the patient’s nose in use, the nasal seal-forming structure having a nasal hole configured to deliver the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure to the patient’s nares in use; and an oral seal-forming structure that is configured to seal around the patient’s mouth in use, the oral seal-forming structure having an oral hole configured to deliver the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure to the patient’s mouth in use; a positioning and stabilising structure configured to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on a head of a patient, the positioning and stabilising structure comprising: two gas delivery tubes, each of the two gas delivery tubes being connected at a first end to a corresponding one of plenum chamber inlet ports to deliver the flow of air to the entrance to the patient's airways via the cushion assembly, each of the two gas delivery tubes being configured to be positioned on a corresponding lateral side of the patient’s head in use, each of the two gas delivery tubes being constructed and arranged to contact, in use, at least a region of the patient’s head superior to an otobasion superior of the patient’s head, and each of the two gas delivery tubes comprising a tab projecting in a generally posterior direction relative to the patient’s head in use, the tab having a hole; a connection port configured to fluidly connect, in use, the gas delivery tubes with an air circuit to deliver the flow of air to the patient’s airways, the connection port configured to be located, in use, superior to the patient’s head; and a headgear strap assembly comprising: a length-adjustable rear strap, an end of the length-adjustable rear strap being configured to pass through the hole of the tab to removably connect the length-adjustable rear strap to the gas delivery tube and the length-adjustable rear strap being configured, in use, to pass around a posterior portion of the patient’s head; and a length-adjustable lower strap configured to pass behind the patient’s head and below the patient’s ears to indirectly connect to the seal-forming structure.

Claims (20)

1. A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH O with respect to ambient air pressure throughout the patient’s respiratory cycle in use, the patient interface comprising: a cushion assembly comprising: a plenum chamber pressurisable to the therapeutic pressure, said plenum chamber including a pair of plenum chamber inlet ports, each of the plenum chamber inlet ports being sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient; a nasal seal-forming structure that is configured to seal around the patient’s nose in use, the nasal seal-forming structure having a nasal hole configured to deliver the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure to the patient’s nares in use; and an oral seal-forming structure that is configured to seal around the patient’s mouth in use, the oral seal-forming structure having an oral hole configured to deliver the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure to the patient’s mouth in use; a positioning and stabilising structure configured to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on a head of a patient, the positioning and stabilising structure comprising: two gas delivery tubes, each of the two gas delivery tubes being connected at a first end to a corresponding one of plenum chamber inlet ports to deliver the flow of air to the entrance to the patient's airways via the cushion assembly, each of the two gas delivery tubes being configured to be positioned on a corresponding lateral side of the patient’s head in use, each of the two gas delivery tubes being constructed and arranged to contact, in use, at least a region of the patient’s head superior to an otobasion superior of the patient’s head, and each of the two gas delivery tubes comprising a tab projecting in a generally posterior direction relative to the patient’s head in use, the tab having a hole; 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 a connection port configured to fluidly connect, in use, the gas delivery tubes with an air circuit to deliver the flow of air to the patient’s airways, the connection port configured to be located, in use, superior to the patient’s head; and a headgear strap assembly comprising: a length-adjustable rear strap, an end of the length-adjustable rear strap being configured to pass through the hole of the tab to removably connect the length-adjustable rear strap to the gas delivery tube and the length-adjustable rear strap being configured, in use, to pass around a posterior portion of the patient’s head; and a length-adjustable lower strap configured to pass behind the patient’s head and below the patient’s ears to indirectly connect to the seal-forming structure.

2. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein the lower strap is not connected to the two gas delivery tubes.

3. The patient interface of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an elbow including a first end rotatably connected to the positioning and stabilising structure at the connection port and a second end having a swivel configured to be connected to the air circuit, the elbow being rotatable 360° about the connection port, the swivel being rotatable 360° about the second end of the elbow, and the elbow being configured to direct the flow of air from the air circuit to the gas delivery tubes via the connection port.

4. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the length-adjustable rear strap is configured to overlay or lie inferior to the occipital bone of the patient’s head in use.

5. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plenum chamber comprises a plurality of vent holes sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the plenum 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 chamber and configured to allow washout of exhaled gases from within the plenum chamber to ambient.

6. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the nasal seal-forming structure and the oral seal-forming structure are integrally formed.

7. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the nasal seal-forming structure and the oral seal-forming structure are removably attached.

8. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an anti-asphyxia valve configured to allow the patient to breathe from ambient in the absence of the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure.

9. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising an elastic sleeve covering each of the two gas delivery tubes.

10. The patient interface of claim 9, wherein the elastic sleeve is formed from an elastic material.

11. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each of the gas delivery tubes is configured to extend, in use, across the patient’s corresponding cheek region.

12. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein each of the two gas delivery tubes is configured to extend, in use, between the patient’s corresponding eye and the patient’s corresponding ear. 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4

13. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the length-adjustable rear strap comprises a loop material and a hook material portion, the loop material and the hook material portion being configured to removably connect the length-adjustable rear strap to the

14. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each of the two gas delivery tubes varies in width and diameter along the length of each concertina portion.

15. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein each of the two gas delivery tubes tapers along the length of each concertina portion so that the width and diameter of each of the two gas delivery tubes at one end of the concertina portion is smaller than the width and diameter of each of the two gas delivery tubes at the other end of concertina portion.

16. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein each of the two gas delivery tubes is constructed from a relatively flexible material.

17. The patient interface of claim 16, wherein the relatively flexible material is silicone.

18. The patient interface of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein each of the two gas delivery tubes further comprises a plurality of folds.

19. The patient interface of claim 18, wherein the plurality of folds are positioned on each of the two gas delivery tubes so as not to contact the patient’s face during use. 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4

20. The patient interface of claim 18, wherein the plurality of folds are positioned on each of the two gas delivery tubes so as not to contact the patient’s corresponding cheek region during 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4 506131NZDIV3 / P1297NZ4