Modular Oro-Nasal Interface Venting for Stable Therapy Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory therapy devices and interfaces suffer from discomfort, poor fit, and reduced compliance due to inadequate seal-forming structures and stabilization, leading to inefficiencies and reduced patient adherence to treatment.
Innovation Solution
A modular patient interface with a nasal and oral portion, a positioning and stabilizing structure, and a vent system that allows for a flexible vent wall to accommodate both nasal and oro-nasal configurations, enhancing comfort and maintaining therapeutic pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed patient interface design is used, then manufacturing and inventory management are simplified, but patient comfort and fit are reduced due to inability to accommodate individual anatomical variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patient interface is divided into separate modular components including nasal pillows, cushion elements, and positioning structures that can be independently selected and combined. This allows customization for different patient anatomies while maintaining standardized manufacturing processes for each module.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components are designed with universal connection interfaces and standardized dimensions that allow the same basic elements to serve multiple patients with different anatomical requirements. The nasal pillows, for example, can be used in various configurations with different cushions to accommodate diverse facial structures.
2Device complexity
If a single patient interface design is used for all patients, then device complexity is reduced, but seal effectiveness and therapeutic pressure maintenance are compromised due to poor fit
Solution Approach 1:
The patient interface incorporates adjustable and adaptable elements such as repositionable nasal pillows, adjustable positioning structures, and flexible cushion materials that can be customized during patient setup. This dynamic adaptability allows the same basic design to achieve reliable seals across different patient anatomies without requiring multiple complex fixed designs.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid stabilization structures are used, then device stability is improved, but patient comfort is reduced due to pressure points and lack of adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization structures incorporate flexible materials and thin film elements that conform to patient anatomy while maintaining positional stability. The flexible cushion materials and adaptable positioning structures provide the necessary stability to maintain therapeutic pressure while distributing pressure evenly to prevent discomfort and skin irritation.
4Ease of manufacture
If fixed vent configuration is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different breathing patterns and configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vent system incorporates adjustable parameters such as variable vent opening sizes, reconfigurable vent positions, and adaptable airflow pathways that can be modified based on patient breathing patterns. This allows the same basic vent structure to accommodate different breathing requirements while maintaining standardized manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient interface including a vent structure that allows a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of a nasal plenum chamber to the ambient. The vent structure is sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the nasal plenum chamber in use. The vent structure includes a housing secured to the nasal plenum chamber, and a vent wall coupled to the rigid housing and selectively movable between a closed position and an open position. The vent wall is biased toward the closed position. The vent wall is maintained in the closed position and is configured to be positioned in the open position as a result of contact with an oral cushion in order to accommodate the oral cushion with an oral plenum chamber and form an oro-nasal cushion.