Head-Mounted PAPR Blower with Retractable Hose

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional positive airway pressure therapy devices are noisy, bulky, and inflexible, disrupting sleep and posing safety hazards due to their fixed hose lengths, which limit user mobility and portability.

Innovation Solution

A portable positive airway pressure apparatus with a housing that secures a blower and mask to the user's head, incorporating sound deadening materials and adjustable mounts to reduce noise and improve mobility, featuring a blower module, humidifier module, and noise cancellation technology.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a remotely positioned blower unit is used with a fixed-length hose, then the therapy can be administered, but the hose becomes too long or too short creating slack or tension that limits user mobility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser mobilityVSAvoidflexibility in head and body positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the fixed-length hose with a retractable hose mechanism that can dynamically adjust its length. The hose is stored in a retractable housing that allows it to extend when needed and retract when not in use, enabling the system to adapt to different user positions and movements during sleep therapy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the blower unit from the mask by placing the blower in a portable housing that can be positioned close to the user's head, while the hose is divided into a retractable portion and a fixed portion. This segmentation allows the main bulk of the hose to be stored compactly while maintaining necessary connectivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If a fixed-length hose is used to connect the blower to the mask, then the therapy delivery is stable, but the hose can become entangled in bedding and displace the mask or blower

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemask positioning stabilityVSAvoidfreedom to change positions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The retractable hose mechanism provides dynamic length adjustment that prevents entanglement in bedding while maintaining stable mask positioning. The hose can extend when the user moves and retract when settled, ensuring reliability without restricting freedom of movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the excess hose length from the operational path by storing it in the retractable housing. This removes the entanglement hazard from the system while keeping the necessary hose length available for therapy delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If a long hose is used to span the distance between the user's head and the blower, then the blower can be positioned remotely, but the hose creates safety hazards by wrapping around the user's neck

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblower placement flexibilityVSAvoidsafety hazard from hose wrapping

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The retractable hose dynamically adjusts its length based on the distance between the mask and blower housing, ensuring the hose is only as long as needed. This eliminates the safety hazard of excessive hose length wrapping around the user's neck while maintaining placement flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of an excessively long hose into a benefit by implementing a retractable mechanism that provides the hose length only when needed. The same mechanism that could allow entanglement is used to actively prevent it by retracting excess length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Device complexity

If the blower unit is positioned away from the user's head, then the mask and hose can be simpler, but the hose length becomes fixed and creates tension or slack

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemask and hose simplicityVSAvoiduser positioning freedom

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The retractable hose mechanism adds dynamic length adjustment capability that resolves the tension/slack problem without significantly increasing mask or hose complexity. The housing that contains the retractable mechanism is integrated with the blower unit, keeping the overall design compact and manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 significantly reduces noise, enhances user mobility during sleep, and improves portability by integrating the blower and mask directly onto the user's head, minimizing hose length and bulk, thus providing effective and comfortable positive airway pressure therapy.

Implementation Method 1

sound deadening materials and adjustable mounts to reduce noise

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Data Source

PatentUS9694153B2Apparatus and methods for administration of positive airway pressure therapies

Publication Date: 2017.07.04 SOMNETICS INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

An apparatus and methods for the administration of positive airway pressure therapies. The apparatus can include a housing, a blower and a mask. The housing is configured to be stably secured on the head of a patient. The blower is secured relative to the housing. A mask in fluid communication with the blower is configured to communicate pressurized air produced at least in part by the blower to the airways of a user.