Inverted Sealing Flap Geometry for Patient Interface Cushion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional patient interface device cushions with traditional geometry suffer from excessive sealing flap length, leading to discomfort, leak paths, and compliance issues due to the sealing flap's location outside the support portion, causing bunching and encroachment on the nares.

Innovation Solution

The cushion design is inverted with the sealing flap positioned inside the support portion, reducing its length to 15 mm or less, and featuring a cantilevered configuration that minimizes contact with the user's face, maintaining a seal without encroaching on the nares, allowing for a more flexible and softer material usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sealing flap is positioned outside the support portion (traditional geometry), then the cushion can provide a sealing function, but the sealing flap length becomes excessive causing bunching, discomfort, and encroachment on the nares

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing functionVSAvoidcomfort and usability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional cushion geometry by positioning the sealing flap inside the support portion rather than outside. This inversion allows the sealing flap to be shorter (15mm or less) while still achieving effective sealing, eliminating the bunching and discomfort issues caused by excessive flap length in traditional designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If the sealing flap length is increased to ensure coverage over the support portion, then sealing reliability improves, but the cushion height increases and encroaches on the user's nares

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidcushion height

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the geometry to place the sealing flap inside the support portion, the patent achieves effective sealing with a shortened flap length of 15mm or less, thereby reducing the overall cushion height and preventing encroachment on the user's nares

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If the sealing flap is made longer to extend over the support portion, then sealing coverage is improved, but bunching occurs causing leak paths and comfort issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing coverageVSAvoidbunching and leak paths

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The inverted geometry positions the sealing flap inside the support portion with a length of 15mm or less, which prevents the excess material from bunching up. This eliminates the creation of leak paths while maintaining adequate sealing coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Ease of operation

If a curved cantilever style support portion is used inside the sealing flap, then the cushion provides compressible and soft support, but the sealing flap length must be increased to cover it

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecomfortVSAvoidsealing flap length

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reverses the traditional arrangement by placing the sealing flap inside the support portion. This allows the use of a curved cantilever style support portion for comfort while keeping the sealing flap short (15mm or less), as the flap no longer needs to extend outward to cover the support structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS10610657B2Sealing cushion and patient interface device employing same

Publication Date: 2020.04.07 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

A cushion (44) for a patient interface device (26) that has an inverted geometry. In particular, the cushion includes a support portion (56) having a first edge (60) and a second edge (62) located opposite the first edge, and a sealing flap (58) extending in a cantilevered fashion inwardly from an inner edge of the second edge of the support portion and toward the longitudinal axis (59) of the cushion.