Stitchless Polymer Joint for Patient Interface Headgear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing respiratory therapy systems face challenges in providing comfortable and effective patient interfaces for delivering positive airway pressure therapy, particularly during sleep, due to issues such as poor fit, discomfort, and reduced patient compliance.

Innovation Solution

The development of a patient interface with a positioning and stabilising structure that uses a stitchless joint with a polymer layer to securely hold the seal-forming structure in place, ensuring a comfortable and effective seal around the patient's airways throughout the respiratory cycle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a seal-forming structure is used to deliver positive airway pressure therapy, then therapeutic pressure delivery is improved, but patient comfort and compliance deteriorate due to poor fit and discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetherapeutic pressure deliveryVSAvoidpatient comfort and compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The headgear is divided into multiple adjustable components including a crown portion, ear loops, and a mask support portion that can be independently adjusted to fit different patient anatomies. This segmentation allows customization of the fit without compromising the seal-forming structure's ability to deliver therapeutic pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The headgear incorporates elastic ear loops and adjustable straps that can dynamically adapt to patient movement and anatomical variations. The elastic components provide continuous adjustment capability while maintaining consistent positioning of the seal-forming structure throughout the respiratory cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If a complex positioning and stabilising structure is used to hold the seal-forming structure in place, then seal stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseal stabilityVSAvoidheadgear structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning and stabilising functions are merged into a single integrated headgear assembly that combines the crown portion, ear loops, and mask support portion. This unified structure provides both positioning and stabilization without requiring separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining seal stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If a stitchless joint with polymer layer is used to join headgear portions, then manufacturing precision and comfort are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejoint precision and comfortVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Traditional mechanical stitching is replaced with a polymer layer joining method where adjacent edges are bonded using polymer material. This substitution eliminates the need for needles, threads, and stitching operations, providing a smoother joint surface that improves patient comfort while maintaining precise alignment of headgear components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250135144A1A positioning and stabilising structure for a patient interface

Publication Date: 2025.05.01 RESMED ASIA PTE LTD

AI summary

A positioning and stabilising structure for a patient interface comprises a headgear portion, the headgear portion comprising a first headgear portion and a second headgear portion, wherein the first headgear portion and the second headgear portion are joined by a stitchless joint comprising at least one polymer layer spanning between the first headgear portion and the second headgear portion and applied to the first headgear portion and the second headgear portion.