Rigid Stabilizing Frame Medical Mask for Sleep Apnea Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical masks for improving breathing, such as those for sleep disordered breathing, often have inadequate fits, are unstable, and prone to movement during sleep, causing discomfort and leakage due to the need for multiple straps to secure them in place.
Innovation Solution
A medical mask with a rigid sealing portion and a stabilizing frame that includes a horizontal upper support member for the forehead, a vertical support member, and lower support members for the cheeks, formed from a single integral piece of polycaprolactone polymer, which is custom-fitted to the user's face to provide a stable and secure fit using a single strap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If multiple straps are used to hold the mask in place, then the mask stability is improved, but the device complexity increases and user comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing frame is segmented into multiple support members (upper support member, vertical support member, lower support members) that are distributed across different facial regions. This segmentation allows each member to provide localized stabilization, achieving overall mask stability without requiring multiple straps.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing frame is designed to self-stabilize the mask on the user's face through its geometric configuration and contact points with facial landmarks (forehead, cheeks, nose). The frame structure itself provides the stabilization function that previously required external straps, making the system self-sufficient.
2Reliability
If multiple straps are used to secure the mask, then the mask fit is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The seal portion is formed from a flexible material that can conform to the contours of the user's face (nose, cheeks, forehead). This flexibility allows the seal to adapt to individual facial variations, providing a reliable fit without requiring rigid straps or complex adjustment mechanisms that would compromise comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing frame and seal portion are designed with curved surfaces that match the natural curvature of facial features. This curvature alignment enhances the fit by distributing contact pressure evenly across facial landmarks, improving reliability while maintaining comfort through natural anatomical correspondence.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid structure is used for the mask frame, then mask stability is improved, but adaptability to different facial features deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mask combines rigid stabilizing frame members (for structural stability) with a flexible seal portion made from deformable material (for adaptability). This composite construction allows the rigid components to provide stable positioning while the flexible component adapts to various facial geometries, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the mask have different mechanical properties: the stabilizing frame members are rigid to provide structural support and positioning stability, while the seal portion is flexible to conform to individual facial features. This local differentiation of material properties allows simultaneous achievement of stability and adaptability.
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
The solution provides improved stability, comfort, reduced leakage, and enhanced performance by conforming optimally to the user's facial features, allowing for a secure and comfortable fit during use, whether for treating sleep disordered breathing or other medical applications.
Implementation Method 1
deforming the thin sheet of deformable material against the portion of the user's face to cause the thin sheet of deformable material to conform to the user's face
Implementation Method 2
allowing the thin sheet of deformable material to transition to a substantially rigid state
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a medical mask includes a rigid sealing portion configured to cover and seal around at least a portion of a user's nose including the user's nostrils and a rigid stabilizing frame coupled to the rigid sealing portion. The rigid stabilizing frame includes a generally horizontal upper support member configured to bear against the user's forehead, a generally vertical support member coupled between the rigid sealing portion and the upper support member, and lower left and right support members coupled between the rigid sealing portion and the upper support member and configured to bear against the user's cheeks. The rigid stabilizing frame defines two openings configured to allow the user to see through the medical mask when the medical mask is positioned on the user's face.