Portable Patient Interface Assembly for Adhesive Face Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory therapies face challenges with patient compliance due to discomfort, bulkiness, and poor fit of conventional patient interfaces, leading to reduced effectiveness and adherence, particularly in treating conditions like Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Innovation Solution
A patient interface with a seal-forming structure that adheres to the face using adhesive surfaces, complementing the face's shape and providing a vent structure to maintain therapeutic pressure, along with a portable assembly apparatus for easy and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional patient interfaces are used to deliver respiratory therapy, then therapeutic function is provided, but patient compliance and comfort deteriorate due to bulkiness and poor fit
Solution Approach 1:
The patient interface is divided into multiple separable components: a headgear assembly with adjustment mechanisms and a mask assembly with seal-forming structure. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component for both therapeutic effectiveness and patient comfort, enabling better fit adjustment while maintaining sealing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The headgear incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms including movable straps and adjustable buckles that allow real-time modification of fit during therapy. This dynamic adaptability enables the interface to accommodate patient movement and comfort needs while maintaining therapeutic pressure delivery.
2Reliability
If patient interfaces are made bulky to ensure secure fit, then sealing reliability improves, but comfort and ease of use deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mask assembly utilizes a flexible, thin-walled plenum chamber that conforms to the patient's facial contours. This flexible shell design provides secure sealing through adaptive contact rather than rigid bulk, distributing pressure evenly across the seal surface to maintain integrity while enhancing comfort during prolonged wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patient interface employs localized sealing structures with varying degrees of rigidity and compliance in different regions. The seal-forming portion uses softer, more compliant material for comfort, while strategic reinforcement zones provide structural support for sealing reliability without requiring overall bulkiness.
3Ease of operation
If patient interfaces are customized for better fit, then comfort improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patient interface employs universal adjustment mechanisms and standardized components that can accommodate a wide range of facial sizes and shapes. The headgear system includes multiple adjustment points and interchangeable elements that provide customization capability through simple mechanical adjustments rather than complex manufacturing variations, reducing production complexity while maintaining comfort.
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
Improves patient compliance and comfort by ensuring a secure, comfortable fit and ease of use, enhancing the effectiveness of respiratory therapies.
Implementation Method 1
The patient interface may comprise a seal-forming structure which may be configured to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's airways
Data Source
AI summary
Forms of the present technology relate to an assembly apparatus for applying an adhesive layer to a patient interface for use in delivering breathable gas to a patient. The assembly apparatus, which may be portable, may comprise a first assembly component comprising a first receiving region configured to receive at least a portion of the patient interface, and a second assembly component comprising a second receiving region configured to receive at least a portion of the adhesive layer. The first assembly component may be configured to engage with the second assembly component to position the first receiving region adjacent to the second receiving region to apply the adhesive layer to a seal-forming structure of the patient interface to form an assembled patient interface. The adhesive layer may be configured to adhere the assembled patient interface to the patient's face.