Breathing Assistance Apparatus With Deformable Forehead Rest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory masks often cause discomfort due to the need for a tight seal, which can lead to leakage and reduced effectiveness in medical and therapeutic applications, especially during prolonged use.
Innovation Solution
A patient interface with a deformable resilient forehead rest made from silicone, featuring a uniformly increasing force distribution and adjustable design to enhance comfort and seal effectiveness, including a hollow conical shape and adjustable straps for customizable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tight seal is applied to prevent gas leakage, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but user comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The forehead rest uses a deformable resilient member made of silicone material that changes its physical state from uncompressed to compressed, creating a uniformly and gradually increasing force distribution. This parameter change allows the interface to adapt to different forehead shapes and pressures, achieving reliable sealing without causing discomfort to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable resilient member is designed with non-uniform thickness, being substantially thicker at the top surface and thinner at the base, with side walls that are thin and compressible. This local quality variation allows different regions of the forehead rest to provide different levels of support and compliance, optimizing both seal effectiveness and comfort at specific contact points.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid forehead rest structure is used to maintain seal position, then seal stability is improved, but pressure distribution worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The forehead rest employs a flexible silicone deformable resilient member instead of a rigid structure. This flexible element can deform and conform to the contours of the user's forehead, distributing pressure evenly across the contact area while maintaining seal stability through its elastic recovery properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The forehead rest transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic deformable member that can change its shape and force distribution in response to user movement and pressure variations. The side walls are designed to be thin and compressible, allowing the structure to adapt dynamically while maintaining overall stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed design is used for manufacturing simplicity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable resilient member is designed with inherent adaptability through its material properties and geometric configuration. The silicone material and hollow conical shape with variable thickness allow a single fixed design to accommodate multiple user preferences and forehead types, providing both nasal and oral interface options without requiring multiple specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates adjustable features such as height adjustment mechanisms and rotatable components that allow users to modify the interface parameters. These adjustments change the physical parameters of the device (position, orientation, compression level) to suit different users while maintaining the same basic manufactured structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a more comfortable and effective seal, reducing leakage and improving user tolerance during prolonged use, thereby enhancing the efficacy of respiratory therapies like CPAP.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable resilient member configured to in use rest against the face of a patient, said deformable resilient member when compressed in use creating a uniformly and gradually increasing force
Implementation Method 2
said deformable resilient member when compressed in use creating a uniformly and gradually increasing force, while evenly distributing the pressure on the area of the forehead of said patient that contacts said resilient member
Implementation Method 3
said deformable resilient member being of a hollow conical shape where in use and under compression the top part of said hollow cone deforms or the side walls of said cone deform
Implementation Method 4
said side walls are capable of folding under compression
Data Source
AI summary
A patient interface that is comfortable for a user to wear is disclosed. The patient interface includes a forehead rest and cushion. In particular the cushion includes a deformable resilient member that when compressed creates a uniformly and gradually increasing force while evenly distributing the pressure on the forehead of the patient.