3D Facial Contour Mask Fitting System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mask fitting systems for patients with sleeping disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, face challenges in selecting the most appropriate mask due to limited clinician knowledge and time, leading to suboptimal fits and reduced treatment effectiveness and patient compliance.
Innovation Solution
A mask fitting system utilizing a cushion of pins to capture three-dimensional facial data, combined with processing and display technologies to select and recommend the most suitable mask system based on contour analysis, ensuring optimal fit, comfort, and technology matching for individual patients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a mask fitting template is used to obtain necessary dimensions from the patient, then the mask selection process becomes more systematic, but the process still requires manual measurement and clinician expertise which limits speed and consistency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement systems (templates, rulers, and clinician expertise) with an automated optical scanning system. The optical scanner captures 3D facial geometry automatically, and computer algorithms process the data to determine the optimal mask size and type, eliminating manual measurement steps while maintaining or improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital 3D copy of the patient's face through optical scanning. This digital model serves as a virtual template that can be repeatedly measured and compared against mask options without physical manipulation, allowing rapid automated selection while maintaining measurement accuracy.
2Productivity
If a doctor or clinician selects a mask system based on visual inspection, then the process is quick, but the selection is limited by the clinician's knowledge and may not optimize for individual patient needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing the patient's facial geometry and independently determining the optimal mask specifications without relying on clinician expertise or visual inspection. The automated algorithm processes scan data to identify the best mask fit, making the system autonomous rather than dependent on human knowledge.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the clinician's visual inspection process with automated optical scanning and computer-based analysis. The system objectively measures facial dimensions and compares them against mask specifications algorithmically, eliminating subjective human judgment while maintaining speed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the range of different masks available is increased to fit a wide range of people, then mask versatility improves, but the difficulty of selecting the most appropriate mask for each patient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex selection process into distinct automated steps: (1) optical scanning of the patient's face, (2) extraction of geometric parameters, (3) comparison against mask database specifications, and (4) automatic selection. This segmentation transforms the complex task of choosing from many mask options into a systematic automated sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the optical scan data to automatically adjust and determine the optimal mask selection. The measured facial dimensions feed back into the selection algorithm, which then identifies the best matching mask, creating a closed-loop system that handles versatility automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for selecting a mask system for a patient are provided. Certain example embodiments include generating 3D contours of patients and selecting mask systems based at least on these contours. These contours may be generated by using, for example, a cushion of translatable pins, a nasal cannular scanning device, and/or a shadow stereopsis sensor. Certain other example embodiments allow images and/or videos to be captured and optionally synchronized. Then, images of various mask systems may be overlaid to determine how well a mask system fits. In still other embodiments, a user can hold a transparency corresponding to a mask design in front of the patient's face to determine how well a mask system fits.