3D Patient Interface Adjustment System for Sleep Apnea
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient interface devices for obstructive sleep apnea treatment face challenges in achieving optimal fit and comfort due to improper adjustment, leading to discomfort, air leaks, and reduced compliance, especially when caregivers lack time or expertise for precise fitting.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus that uses 3-D models of a patient's face and interface device to calculate and output adjustment information for optimal fitting, incorporating features like forehead pads, headgear straps, and cushions, with sensors for force measurement and touch sensors for feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If patient interface devices are adjusted manually by caregivers, then the device can be fitted to the patient, but the adjustment precision is insufficient leading to improper fit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment by caregivers with an automated 3-D modeling and calculation system. The system creates 3-D models of the patient's face and device, then calculates optimal adjustment parameters automatically, eliminating the imprecision of manual adjustment while reducing operational complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates 3-D digital copies or models of both the patient's face and the patient interface device. These digital models allow for precise virtual fitting and calculation of optimal adjustments before actual physical adjustment, achieving high precision without requiring manual manipulation.
2Reliability
If patient interface devices are adjusted by inexperienced caregivers, then the device can be fitted, but the adjustment quality is sub-optimal causing air leaks and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the caregiver's subjective assessment and manual adjustment skills with an objective 3-D calculation system. The system automatically determines optimal adjustment parameters based on geometric models, eliminating the need for caregiver expertise while ensuring reliable sealing and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses 3-D scanning and modeling to obtain precise feedback about the patient's facial geometry and the device's configuration. This objective feedback enables accurate calculation of optimal adjustments, ensuring reliable sealing without depending on caregiver skill or patient subjective feedback during the adjustment process.
3Manufacturing precision
If patient interface devices are adjusted without 3-D modeling, then the adjustment process is simple, but the fit accuracy is insufficient leading to discomfort and air leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces 3-D digital copies of the patient's face and the device to enable precise virtual fitting and calculation. These digital models provide the necessary geometric information for accurate adjustment calculation without requiring complex physical measurement tools or procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces simple but imprecise manual measurement and adjustment with an automated 3-D modeling and calculation system. While the system is more complex than manual adjustment, it achieves superior fit accuracy by substituting physical manipulation with computational analysis of digital models.
4Adaptability or versatility
If patient interface devices require manual adjustment by caregivers, then the device can be adapted to individual patients, but the time required for adjustment is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary 3-D modeling and calculation of optimal adjustments before the actual device fitting. By pre-calculating the optimal adjustment parameters based on digital models, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming trial-and-error manual adjustment, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining individualized fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual adjustment procedures with automated 3-D calculation. The system quickly processes digital models to determine optimal settings, reducing adjustment time from potentially lengthy manual procedures to rapid computational analysis while preserving individualized adaptation.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic apparatus including an adjustment determination unit structured to receive patient interface device information for a patient interface device including one or more adjustable features and a 3-D model of a patient's face, and to calculate adjustment information for the patient interface device corresponding to the patient's face using the patient interface device information and the 3-D model of the patient's face and an output unit structured to output the adjustment information.