Passive Nose Bridge Pressure Distributing Insert for CPAP Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient interface devices for non-invasive ventilation and CPAP therapy often experience gaps at sharp facial contours, such as the nose bridge, leading to discomfort and inadequate sealing, which can compromise the effectiveness of breathing gas delivery.
Innovation Solution
A respiratory interface device with a cushion support assembly that includes a pressure distributing assembly with movable pressure distributing members, which engage the cushion to maintain a deformed configuration that conforms to the user's face, ensuring a more complete seal by leveraging the nose bridge engagement portion and faceplate design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cushion is designed to be resilient and deformable to conform to the user's face, then the cushion can adapt to facial contours, but gaps may form at sharp contour changes such as the nose bridge
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion is divided into multiple zones with different properties: a first zone at the nose bridge engagement portion with lower resilience to prevent gap formation, and a second zone at the sealing portion with higher resilience to maintain the seal. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the cushion are given different local properties. The nose bridge engagement portion has reduced resilience to conform to sharp contours without gapping, while the sealing portion maintains high resilience for effective sealing. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between adaptability and seal reliability.
2Reliability
If the cushion is made more resilient to improve sealing, then the seal becomes more effective, but the cushion may gap away from the face at sharp contours like the nose bridge
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion is segmented into functional zones with different resilience characteristics. The first zone at the nose bridge has lower resilience to adapt to sharp contours, while the second sealing zone has higher resilience to maintain effective sealing, thus resolving the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion employs dynamic properties through varying resilience across different zones. The transitional zone provides a gradient of resilience that allows the cushion to dynamically adapt to facial contours while maintaining sealing effectiveness in appropriate regions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a nose bridge engagement portion is added to the cushion to improve fit at the nose bridge, then contour conformity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nose bridge engagement portion is merged with the sealing portion to form an integrated cushion structure. This combining approach provides improved nose bridge fit and sealing functionality without requiring separate components, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides nose bridge engagement, contour conformity, and sealing. This universal design achieves multiple functions in a single element, reducing overall device complexity while improving adaptability.
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 complete seal around the nose and mouth, enhancing the comfort and effectiveness of breathing gas delivery during non-invasive ventilation and CPAP therapy by maintaining the cushion in a deformed configuration that conforms to the user's facial contours.
Implementation Method 1
The cushion includes a resilient body that generally conforms to the user's facial contour. That is, the cushion is deformable and moves between an un-deformed first configuration and a deformed second configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A respiratory interface device, a cushion body and a cushion support assembly is provided. The respiratory interface device cushion body includes a nose bridge engagement portion structured to engage a user's nose bridge, the cushion nose bridge engagement portion movable between an un-deformed first configuration and a deformed second configuration. The cushion support assembly includes a faceplate and a pressure distributing assembly. A faceplate perimeter nose bridge portion defines a recessed tapered contour. A pressure distributing assembly includes a number of pressure distributing members. A pressure distributing member is disposed at the faceplate perimeter nose bridge portion and is structured to move between a first position, wherein the pressure distributing member maintains the cushion in the first cushion configuration, and a second position wherein the pressure distributing member maintains the cushion in the second cushion configuration.