Pediatric Respiratory Mask With Side Tubes for Stable Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory masks for infants and children face challenges in providing a comfortable, effective seal while allowing for various sleeping positions and minimizing obtrusiveness, and are difficult to manufacture on a large scale.
Innovation Solution
A low-profile mask design with side-mounted air delivery tubes, flexible cushions, and decoupled connections to reduce tube drag, along with a streamlined structure and transparent or translucent materials to ensure comfort and ease of use, while maintaining a stable seal during movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional rigid mask structure with forehead support is used, then the mask provides stable support and sealing, but it becomes obtrusive and may damage developing tissues of infants and children
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rigid frame structure with a flexible, soft cushion made of compliant material that can conform to the contours of a child's face. This flexible cushion maintains sealing effectiveness while eliminating hard structural elements that could damage developing tissues. The cushion is supported by a lightweight, flexible frame that provides structural integrity without rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the mask components, specifically using soft, compliant materials for the cushion and frame structures. This parameter change allows the mask to adapt to the unique facial geometry of children while reducing the risk of tissue damage. The flexible materials can deform to match the face contours, maintaining seal effectiveness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the mask is made smaller for children, then it becomes less obtrusive and more comfortable, but it reduces structural stability and may collapse under loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible cushion made of compliant material that can maintain its shape and provide structural support despite being small. The flexible nature of the cushion allows it to conform to the child's face while maintaining sufficient rigidity to prevent collapse under normal use conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction combining flexible cushion material with a lightweight support frame structure. This composite approach allows the mask to be small and unobtrusive while the frame provides the necessary structural stability to prevent collapse. The combination of soft cushioning and lightweight framing achieves both miniaturization and structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the air delivery tube is mounted on the front of the mask, then it is easily connected, but it impedes the patient's line of vision and increases tube drag
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the air delivery tube connection asymmetrically on the side of the mask rather than centrally on the front. This asymmetric placement moves the tube away from the patient's field of vision, eliminating visual obstruction while maintaining easy connection access. The side-mounted configuration allows the tube to extend laterally rather than forward, reducing interference with the patient's line of sight.
4Reliability
If a complex headgear system is used to maintain mask position during movement, then the mask remains stable during patient movement, but it increases device complexity and difficulty of fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the headgear system into separate functional components: a simple adjustable headgear for positioning and a separate cushion assembly for sealing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the headgear provides basic positioning stability while the cushion assembly maintains the seal during movement without requiring complex integration between components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A respiratory mask for delivering a flow of pressurized breathable gas to a patient, comprising: a flexible cushion arranged to interface with and deliver air to the patient's nose; and a rigid element connected to the flexible cushion that is more rigid than the flexible cushion, the rigid element being configured to connect the flexible cushion to a headgear assembly, wherein the flexible cushion has a flexible connector on each of its lateral sides for receiving a tube connector or air delivery conduit.