Gradient CPAP Mask for Comfort and Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CPAP masks often cause discomfort and have high leak rates due to inadequate sealing, leading to ineffective treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, as well as issues in other medical and non-medical applications where a comfortable and secure fit is crucial.
Innovation Solution
The development of facial masks featuring material gradients that transition seamlessly from softer materials for comfort to harder materials for structure, fabricated using 3D printing, which allows for customized fit and reduced leak rates through optimized pressure distribution and material properties like modulus and ductility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a mask is made with uniform hard material for structural integrity, then the mask maintains its shape and structure, but the mask causes discomfort and increases leak rates due to poor conformability to facial contours
Solution Approach 1:
The mask incorporates a material gradient where the distal portion (contacting the face) is softer and more compliant for comfort and sealing, while the proximal portion (away from face) is harder for structural support. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask uses a continuous gradient of material properties (changing from hard to soft) across its structure, transitioning from high modulus materials near the face to lower modulus materials at the distal end. This parameter change allows the mask to simultaneously achieve comfort through soft contact surfaces and structural integrity through harder supporting regions.
2Ease of operation
If a mask is made with uniform soft material for comfort, then the mask conforms well to facial contours, but the mask lacks structural support and increases leak rates
Solution Approach 1:
The mask incorporates a material gradient where the distal portion (contacting the face) is softer and more compliant for comfort and sealing, while the proximal portion (away from face) is harder for structural support. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask uses a continuous gradient of material properties (changing from hard to soft) across its structure, transitioning from high modulus materials near the face to lower modulus materials at the distal end. This parameter change allows the mask to simultaneously achieve comfort through soft contact surfaces and structural integrity through harder supporting regions.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for mask production, then manufacturing processes are well-established, but material waste increases and customization capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional subtractive manufacturing (molding and cutting) with additive manufacturing (3D printing). This substitution allows material to be deposited only where needed, eliminating material waste while enabling complex gradient structures and customization that would be difficult or impossible with traditional methods.
4Productivity
If traditional molding methods are used, then production efficiency is high, but customization and on-demand manufacturing are difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional subtractive manufacturing (molding and cutting) with additive manufacturing (3D printing). This substitution allows material to be deposited only where needed, eliminating material waste while enabling complex gradient structures and customization that would be difficult or impossible with traditional methods.
Data Source
AI summary
Masks for various uses and methods for manufacture thereof, including masks for use in continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) therapies. An example includes a mask having a first, relatively softer material for contact with the face of the user, and a second, relatively harder or more structural material used away from the face of the user, with a gradient therebetween. The mask can be produced by additive manufacturing to avoid a discernible boundary between the first and second materials.