An active decompression breathing mask and method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of respiratory mask technology, providing an active decompression respiratory mask and method. The active decompression respiratory mask includes a mask body, a soft pad, and a decompression assembly. The decompression assembly includes an insulating soft sleeve and several piezoelectric actuators capable of outputting linear displacement. The soft pad has a semi-enclosed annular groove, and the insulating soft sleeve is embedded inside the annular groove. The piezoelectric actuators are located inside the insulating soft sleeve, with their fixed ends rigidly supported by the mask body and their output ends abutting against the insulating soft sleeve. The output ends are equipped with pressure sensors for collecting contact pressure at corresponding positions. Through pressure feedback, the output ends of the piezoelectric actuators at the target positions are controlled to actuate, thereby achieving pressurization or decompression at the corresponding positions. This invention facilitates precise local decompression in high-risk areas such as the bridge of the nose and cheekbones; it also provides rapid response, eliminating the need for external air sources, air pumps, air tanks, and complex air pipelines, resulting in a compact structure and reduced size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of respiratory mask technology, and more specifically, to an active decompression respiratory mask and method. Background Technology

[0002] In non-invasive ventilation, continuous positive pressure ventilation, and related respiratory support treatments, medical respiratory masks need to be in close contact with the patient's face for extended periods to maintain a relatively sealed airway environment. Existing medical respiratory masks typically consist of a rigid mask body and a soft pad (such as a silicone or gel pad) that comes into contact with the patient's skin. The headband tension helps maintain the padding layer's fit against the facial contours. However, in scenarios involving higher ventilation pressures, nighttime sleep, critical care, and prolonged treatment, areas such as the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, cheeks, and perioral region are prone to developing persistent high-pressure points, leading to localized redness, blisters, pressure sores, and even pressure injuries.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, existing active decompression solutions primarily rely on the inflation and deflation of airbags. However, the airbag cavities follow the principle of communicating vessels, resulting in pressure uniformity within the same zone and an inability to provide precise localized decompression to high-risk areas such as the bridge of the nose and cheekbones. Furthermore, the response speed of airbag decompression is constrained by the inflation and deflation process, and an external air source and complex air circuits are required, leading to a complex system structure and large size. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an active decompression breathing mask and method to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: An active decompression breathing mask includes a mask body, a soft pad, and a decompression assembly. The decompression assembly includes an insulating soft sleeve and several piezoelectric actuators capable of outputting linear displacement. The soft pad has a semi-enclosed annular groove, and the insulating soft sleeve is embedded inside the annular groove. The piezoelectric actuator is located inside the insulating soft sleeve, with its fixed end rigidly supported by the mask body and its output end abutting against the insulating soft sleeve. The output end is equipped with a pressure sensor for collecting the contact pressure at the corresponding position, so as to control the operation of the piezoelectric actuator output end at the target position through pressure feedback, thereby realizing the pressurization or decompression at the corresponding position.

[0006] Furthermore, the mask body is equipped with a temperature sensor and / or a humidity sensor.

[0007] Furthermore, the output end of the piezoelectric actuator is provided with a force transmission head.

[0008] Furthermore, a rigid support pad is provided between the insulating soft sleeve and the fixed end of the piezoelectric actuator.

[0009] Furthermore, the density of piezoelectric actuators in the nasal bridge region is greater than that in other regions.

[0010] Furthermore, the pressure-reducing component is detachably embedded in the annular groove.

[0011] The present invention also provides an active decompression method, applied to any of the active decompression breathing masks described above, comprising the following steps: S1. Wearing Initialization: Collect the initial pressure distribution after the patient wears the device, and establish a baseline pressure model or personalized parameter configuration; S2. Real-time acquisition: Acquire pressure data at each location according to a set cycle; S3. High-pressure risk assessment: Determine whether the local pressure exceeds the safety threshold, or whether the cumulative value of pressure over time exceeds the safety threshold. S4. Local active pressure reduction: If the pressure at a certain position is too high, the corresponding piezoelectric actuator is controlled to reduce the pressure at the corresponding position.

[0012] Furthermore, following step S4, the following steps are also included in sequence: S5, Neighbor Area Compensation and Sealing Maintenance: While reducing local pressure, pressure compensation is performed on the surrounding area to maintain overall fit and sealing. S6. Rotational depressurization: Depressurization is performed sequentially in different areas.

[0013] Furthermore, in step S2, temperature and / or humidity data are also collected.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S6, the pressure relief is carried out in rotation according to a time strategy, a cumulative pressure strategy, or a temperature and humidity strategy.

[0015] The technical solution of this invention has at least the following advantages and beneficial effects: In this invention, several piezoelectric actuators are used instead of traditional airbags. Each piezoelectric actuator in each area of ​​the face can independently output linear displacement, facilitating precise local decompression of high-risk areas such as the bridge of the nose and cheekbones. Simultaneously, the response speed of the piezoelectric actuators is much faster than the inflation and deflation speed of the airbags, enabling rapid response during pressure adjustment and improving the timeliness of decompression. Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuators only require voltage to generate displacement, eliminating the need for external air sources, air pumps, air tanks, and complex air pipelines. The entire decompression assembly can be completely embedded within the annular groove of the cushion, resulting in a compact structure and reduced volume. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an active decompression breathing mask provided by the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an active decompression breathing mask provided by the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the mask; Figure 4 This is a partial sectional view of the main body of the mask; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the pressure-reducing component; Reference numerals: 1-Mask body, 2-Soft pad, 201-Ring groove, 3-Insulating soft sleeve, 4-Piezoelectric actuator, 5-Force transmission head, 6-Rigid support pad, 7-Temperature and humidity sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Example 1 refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides an active decompression breathing mask, including a mask body 1, a soft pad 2, and a decompression component.

[0018] The mask body 1 is a rigid shell structure made of plastic (such as medical-grade polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, ABS, etc.). In practical applications, the mask body 1 should have accessories such as connecting air tubes and airflow check valves. The improvement of this invention does not lie in the mask body 1. Its structure can adopt any mask body 1 in the prior art. Those skilled in the art should be able to know its actual structure and function, which will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0019] refer to Figure 5 The pressure reduction includes an insulating soft sleeve 3 and several piezoelectric actuators 4 capable of outputting linear displacement. Those skilled in the art should know that the piezoelectric actuators 4 are also commonly referred to as piezoelectric actuators or piezoelectric actuators. They are devices that utilize the inverse piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric materials to directly convert electrical energy into precision mechanical motion or micro-displacement. Driven by applying an electric field, the piezoelectric material is deformed. In this embodiment, the piezoelectric actuators 4 can output linear displacement, preferably a stacked piezoelectric actuator (also called a stacked piezoelectric ceramic actuator, which can be cylindrical or square) to meet the pressure reduction displacement requirements.

[0020] The cushion 2 can be made of silicone, gel, etc. (See reference) Figure 3 and Figure 4 It is fixed together with the mask body 1 and has a semi-closed annular groove 201. The opening of the annular groove 201 faces the center of the mask body 1, and its cross-section is "C" or "U". The insulating soft sleeve 3 is embedded in the annular groove 201. In a preferred embodiment, the insulating sleeve is directly embedded in the annular groove 201 of the soft sleeve 2 by tight fit, without connection, and can be disassembled and assembled as needed.

[0021] Refer again Figure 5The piezoelectric actuator 4 is housed inside the insulating sleeve 3, which has an oblong cross-section to provide insulation and sealing for the piezoelectric actuator 4. The fixed end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 is rigidly supported by the mask body 1. Specifically, a rigid support pad 6 is provided between the fixed end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 and the inner wall of the insulating sleeve 3 facing away from the patient's face. The rigid support pad 6 can be bonded and fixed to both the insulating sleeve 3 and the fixed end of the piezoelectric actuator 4. It should be understood that after the pressure-reducing component is embedded in the annular groove 201 of the pad 2, the rigid support pad 6 is supported by the mask body 1, ensuring that the fixed end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 does not shift when it operates, thereby transmitting all displacement output to the output end.

[0022] The output end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 abuts against the insulating sleeve 3. It is easy to understand that when worn, the pad 2 directly contacts the patient's face, and the output end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 is located near the part of the pad 2 that contacts the face. The output end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 is equipped with a pressure sensor (not shown) for collecting the contact pressure at the corresponding location. In a preferred embodiment, the output end of the piezoelectric actuator 4 is equipped with a force transmission head 5. The side of the force transmission head 5 closest to the face can be designed in a hemispherical, flat disc, frustum, or arc-shaped protrusion, etc., to increase the contact area and prevent stress concentration that could cause discomfort. Based on this, the pressure sensor is positioned between the force transmission head 5 and the output end of the piezoelectric actuator 4.

[0023] This invention employs several piezoelectric actuators 4 instead of traditional airbags. Each piezoelectric actuator 4 in each area of ​​the face can independently output linear displacement. During actual wear, pressure feedback from a pressure sensor controls the output of the piezoelectric actuator 4 at the target location, achieving pressure increase or decrease at the corresponding location. This facilitates precise localized decompression in high-risk areas such as the bridge of the nose and cheekbones. The response speed of the piezoelectric actuators 4 is much faster than the inflation and deflation speed of the airbag, enabling rapid response during pressure adjustment and improving the timeliness of decompression. Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuators 4 only require voltage to generate displacement, eliminating the need for external air sources, air pumps, air tanks, and complex air pipelines. The entire decompression assembly can be completely embedded inside the annular groove 201 of the cushion 2, resulting in a compact structure and reduced size.

[0024] In practical applications, the insulating sleeve 3 is divided into multiple areas according to its position relative to the wearing position, such as the bridge of the nose area, the left cheek area, the right cheek area, and the perioral area. Each area is equipped with several piezoelectric actuators 4. Figure 1 and Figure 2 To illustrate the arrangement of the piezoelectric actuators 4, the force transmission head 5 is shown as protruding outside the insulating sleeve 3 in the figure (it should be understood that in actual application it is inside the insulating sleeve 3). As a preferred embodiment, the density of the piezoelectric actuators 4 in the bridge of the nose area is greater than that in other areas, which facilitates more precise pressure regulation in this high-risk area of ​​the bridge of the nose.

[0025] In this embodiment, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor are provided inside the mask body 1 to monitor changes in temperature and humidity within the microenvironment of the mask body 1. In other embodiments, only a temperature sensor or only a humidity sensor may be provided. Those skilled in the art should understand that temperature and humidity sensors 7 capable of simultaneously measuring temperature and humidity are already available on the market. In this embodiment, the independent temperature and humidity sensors can also be replaced by an integrated temperature and humidity sensor 7, which can be fixed to the inner wall of the mask body or to the lead wire of the electrical component in the pressure-reducing assembly (see reference). Figure 2 ).

[0026] Based on the above, those skilled in the art should understand that, in practical applications, the mask body 1 should also be equipped with a microcontroller (not shown) and a power module (not shown) on the outside or inside to receive pressure, temperature and humidity signals, and control the piezoelectric actuator 4 to achieve closed-loop control for pressure regulation.

[0027] Example 2 The present invention also provides an active decompression method, applied to the active decompression breathing mask provided in Example 1, comprising the following steps: S1. Initialization: The patient puts on the breathing mask and tightens the headband. The initial pressure distribution after wearing the mask is collected, and a baseline pressure model or personalized parameter configuration is established. The baseline pressure model records the natural contact pressure distribution of different areas of the patient's face without active intervention. In practical applications, for first-time users, the system records the patient's personalized parameter configuration for easy retrieval in future use.

[0028] S2. Real-time acquisition: The system collects pressure data at each location at set sampling intervals. As a preferred implementation, temperature and humidity data are also collected when collecting pressure data (easy to understand, when the breathing mask is only equipped with a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor, only temperature or humidity data is collected).

[0029] S3. High Pressure Risk Assessment: The system assesses the high pressure risk of the pressure data collected from each area. There are two modes for assessment. In the first mode, the system assesses whether the local pressure exceeds the safety threshold. In the second mode, the system assesses whether the cumulative pressure and time value exceeds the safety threshold. That is, if a certain location is under the reference pressure for more than a set time, it is determined to have a risk of pressure injury.

[0030] S4. Local active pressure reduction: If the pressure at a certain position is too high, that is, when step S3 determines that there is a high pressure risk, the corresponding piezoelectric actuator 4 is controlled to operate to reduce the pressure at the corresponding position.

[0031] Based on the above, after step S4, the following steps are also included in sequence: S5. Neighbor Area Compensation and Sealing Maintenance: While performing step S4 for local pressure reduction, pressure compensation is applied to the surrounding area to prevent a decrease in the overall sealing performance of the mask due to local pressure reduction. The surrounding area is understood to be the location of several piezoelectric actuators 4 adjacent to the target position. It is easy to understand that the pressure compensation (i.e., pressurization) should not exceed the set pressure value that the system would determine as a high-pressure risk.

[0032] S6. Rotational Pressure Relief: For scenarios involving long-term wear, pressure relief is applied to different areas sequentially in rotation to better prevent pressure damage. This involves temporarily reducing pressure in different areas in turn. In practical applications, rotational pressure relief is implemented using one or a combination of three strategies: time-based strategy, cumulative pressure strategy, and temperature and humidity strategy. The time-based strategy applies pressure relief to different areas sequentially according to a preset time period. The cumulative pressure strategy monitors the set pressure duration for each area; if the sustained pressure exceeds the set time, pressure relief is initiated. The temperature and humidity strategy uses the temperature and humidity data inside the mask body 1; when the temperature and humidity data fall within the corresponding set range, the rotational pressure relief cycle is selected accordingly.

[0033] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active decompression breathing mask, comprising a mask body and a cushion, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure-reducing assembly, which includes an insulating sleeve and several piezoelectric actuators capable of outputting linear displacement; the sleeve has a semi-enclosed annular groove, and the insulating sleeve is embedded inside the annular groove. The piezoelectric actuator is located inside the insulating soft sleeve. Its fixed end is rigidly supported by the main body of the mask, and its output end is against the insulating soft sleeve. The output end is equipped with a pressure sensor for collecting the contact pressure at the corresponding position. Through pressure feedback, the output end of the piezoelectric actuator at the target position is controlled to move, thereby realizing the pressure increase or decrease at the corresponding position.

2. The active decompression breathing mask according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mask body is equipped with a temperature sensor and / or a humidity sensor.

3. The active decompression breathing mask according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output end of the piezoelectric actuator is equipped with a force transmission head.

4. The active decompression breathing mask according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rigid support pad is provided between the insulating soft sleeve and the fixed end of the piezoelectric actuator.

5. The active decompression breathing mask according to claim 1, characterized in that, The density of piezoelectric actuators in the bridge of the nose area is greater than that in other areas.

6. The active decompression breathing mask according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure-reducing component is detachably embedded in the annular groove.

7. An active decompression method, applied to the active decompression breathing mask according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The steps are as follows: S1. Wearing Initialization: Collect the initial pressure distribution after the patient wears the device, and establish a baseline pressure model or personalized parameter configuration; S2. Real-time acquisition: Acquire pressure data at each location according to a set cycle; S3. High-pressure risk assessment: Determine whether the local pressure exceeds the safety threshold, or whether the cumulative value of pressure over time exceeds the safety threshold. S4. Local active pressure reduction: If the pressure at a certain position is too high, the corresponding piezoelectric actuator is controlled to reduce the pressure at the corresponding position.

8. The active decompression method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Following step S4, the following steps are also included in sequence: S5, Neighbor Area Compensation and Sealing Maintenance: While reducing local pressure, pressure compensation is performed on the surrounding area to maintain overall fit and sealing. S6. Rotational depressurization: Depressurization is performed sequentially in different areas.

9. The active decompression method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S2, temperature and / or humidity data are also collected.

10. The active decompression method according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step S6, the pressure relief is carried out in rotation according to a time strategy, a cumulative pressure strategy, or a temperature and humidity strategy.

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