Textile Air Delivery Conduit for Comfort and Secure Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory therapy devices and systems, such as CPAP masks and air delivery conduits, suffer from discomfort, poor fit, noise, and reduced patient compliance due to inadequate design and materials, leading to inefficacy in treating respiratory disorders.
Innovation Solution
Development of an air delivery conduit made from a textile material with a flexible reinforcing structure and an air-impermeable covering, featuring a laminated sealing layer and thermally activated yarn, designed to minimize intrusiveness and enhance comfort, while maintaining a sealed air path for improved therapy delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional air delivery conduits are used, then the therapy can be delivered, but patient comfort is reduced and compliance decreases due to intrusiveness and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible textile covering instead of conventional rigid or semi-rigid air delivery conduits. The textile material provides flexibility and softness that reduces patient discomfort and intrusiveness while maintaining the necessary air delivery function. This directly addresses the contradiction by improving comfort without sacrificing therapy delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining textile outer layers with air-impermeable inner layers or coatings. This composite structure provides both the comfort and flexibility of textile materials and the air-sealing properties of impermeable materials, resolving the contradiction between patient comfort and effective therapy delivery.
2Ease of operation
If textile material is used for the air delivery conduit, then comfort and compliance are improved, but air impermeability must be ensured through additional layers or treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by creating a composite structure where the outer textile layer provides comfort and flexibility, while an inner air-impermeable layer or coating ensures reliable air sealing. This multi-layer composite approach allows the conduit to simultaneously achieve both patient comfort and therapeutic reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by treating the textile material to alter its air permeability characteristics. Through chemical or physical treatments, the textile's structural parameters are modified to reduce porosity and improve air sealing while retaining the comfortable textile properties on the outer surface.
3Ease of operation
If the air delivery conduit is made flexible and comfortable, then patient compliance improves, but maintaining a secure seal becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with different functional properties in different layers. The outer flexible textile layer ensures patient comfort and compliance, while the inner rigid or semi-rigid air-impermeable layer maintains seal security. This functional differentiation within the composite structure resolves the contradiction between flexibility and sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving different regions of the air delivery conduit different properties. The outer surface has soft, flexible textile qualities for comfort, while the inner surface or specific sections have enhanced air-impermeable properties for sealing. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows simultaneous achievement of comfort and seal security.
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 textile-based air delivery conduit provides increased patient compliance and comfort, reduces noise, and improves the efficacy of respiratory therapy by ensuring a secure seal and reduced tube drag, thus enhancing the overall therapy experience.
Implementation Method 1
thermally activated yarn
Implementation Method 2
air-impermeable covering
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Methods of manufacturing components and devices for providing respiratory pressure therapy, and components manufactured according to the methods. Support structures are provided for the components. In embodiments, the support structures may be rigid rings. Alternatively, resilient materials are applied to components to create resilient reinforcing elements. The devices and components include conduits to deliver flows of pressurised gas to a patient interface, positioning and stabilising structures having headgear tubes with support elements, and patient interfaces including the conduits.