Oro-pillow cushion assembly for respiratory therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory therapy masks for conditions like Obstructive Sleep Apnea are often uncomfortable, difficult to use, and aesthetically unappealing, leading to reduced patient compliance due to poor fit and design issues, which can impact the effectiveness of treatment.
Innovation Solution
A patient interface with a mouth cushion and nasal cushion configuration that seals effectively, supported by headgear with an air delivery conduit, and a vent structure to maintain therapeutic pressure, allowing for comfortable use during sleep and improved compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional respiratory therapy mask is used, then therapeutic pressure can be delivered to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea, but the device becomes uncomfortable and aesthetically unappealing, leading to reduced patient compliance
Solution Approach 1:
The patient interface is divided into separate functional components: a nasal pillow assembly with nasal cushions for sealing around the nares, a mouth cushion for oral sealing, and headgear for positioning. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while improving overall comfort and compliance
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the patient interface use different materials and designs tailored to local requirements: soft nasal pillows for nasal sealing, a contoured mouth cushion for oral comfort, and adjustable headgear straps for secure positioning. Each component's properties are locally optimized to enhance comfort while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
2Ease of operation
If the patient interface is made more comfortable with better fit, then patient compliance improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional components like mouth cushion and nasal cushion assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The mouth cushion and nasal pillow assembly are connected through integrated headgear, forming a unified patient interface system. The headgear serves dual functions as both positioning structure and connection medium, merging support and sealing functions into a cohesive assembly that improves compliance without proportionally increasing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A patient interface including a seal-forming structure having a mouth portion that forms at least part of the mouth plenum and is configured to seal around the patient's mouth and a nasal portion that is configured to seal with the patient's nares. The patient interface further includes a vent structure with a main body that is configured to be secured to the mouth portion and includes a vent wall with a plurality of vent holes, a receptacle, and a pair of anchor sockets located on opposing lateral sides of the receptacle. A cover for the vent includes a pair of anchor pegs on lateral sides of the cover. The anchor pegs are configured to be inserted into the anchor sockets to secure the cover to the main body. A diffuser is received within the receptacle between the anchor sockets and is sandwiched between the main body and the cover.