Textile seal-forming structure with multiple curvatures
A patient interface including a seal-forming structure with a textile membrane that has at least one hole such that the flow of air at a therapeutic pressure is delivered to at least an entrance to the patient's nares and/or an entrance to the patient's mouth. The seal-forming structure is constructed and arranged to maintain the therapeutic pressure in a cavity of a plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle, in use. The textile membrane includes a first portion that is held in a relaxed state and a second portion that is held in a taut state. The taut state of the second portion is configured to allow the seal-forming structure to include a three-dimensional shape that has multiple curvatures.
1 . A cushion assembly for delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's nares and to an entrance to the patient's mouth, the cushion assembly comprising:
a plenum chamber at least partially forming a cavity pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 6 cmH2O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including at least one plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by the patient; and
a seal-forming structure comprising a silicone support structure and a textile membrane, the textile membrane being constructed and arranged to, in use, form a seal with the patient's face, the textile membrane comprising:
a nasal portion configured to, in use, form a seal with an underside of the patient's nose, the nasal portion including two naris openings and a bridge portion positioned between the naris openings, the two naris openings being arranged to deliver the flow of air to the entrance to the patient's nares in use, and
an oral portion configured to, in use, form a seal with a region of the patient's face around the entrance to the patient's mouth, the oral portion including an oral portion hole formed therein such that the oral portion encircles the oral portion hole, the oral portion hole being arranged to deliver the flow of air to the entrance to the patient's mouth in use,
wherein the textile membrane includes a textile material configured to contact the patient's face in use, the textile material being a single, continuous piece of material,
wherein the textile membrane is connected to the support structure at an overlapping region, the textile membrane being connected directly to the support structure to form a layered arrangement in the overlapping region with no additional layers between the textile membrane and the support structure,
wherein at least the nasal portion of the textile membrane extends radially inwardly beyond the support structure, the nasal portion of the textile membrane being configured to press against the patient's face in use such that the patient's nose is not received in the cavity, and
wherein the nasal portion of the textile membrane includes a three-dimensional shape having multiple curvatures.
2 . The cushion assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nasal portion is configured to, in use, form the seal only on portions of the patient's face inferior to a nasal bridge region of the patient.
3 . The cushion assembly of claim 2 , wherein the nasal portion is configured to form the seal with an underside of the patient's nose at or below the patient's pronasale in use.
4 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bridge portion limits the patient's nose from entering into the cavity during use.
5 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the textile membrane is air impermeable.
6 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the textile membrane including a textile material that overlaps with an edge portion of the support structure.
7 . The cushion assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the plenum chamber comprises silicone and is formed with the support structure as a one-piece silicone structure.
8 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the textile membrane includes an air impermeable layer layered onto the textile material.
9 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one plenum chamber inlet port comprises two plenum chamber inlet ports formed in respective lateral sides of the plenum chamber.
10 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of the naris openings is configured to be positioned adjacent to one of the patient's nares in use.
11 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the textile membrane includes a first portion held in a relaxed state and a second portion held in a taut state, the taut state of the second portion causing the textile membrane to have the three-dimensional shape with multiple curvatures.
12 . The cushion assembly of claim 11 , wherein the bridge portion is the second portion and is held in a taut state.
13 . The cushion assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the bridge portion is crimped.
14 . The cushion assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first portion is at least partially comprised of the oral portion.
15 . The cushion assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the textile membrane is curved about at least two non-parallel axes as a result of the taut state of the second portion in order to form the three-dimensional shape.
16 . The cushion assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the support structure is configured to hold the textile membrane in the three-dimensional shape.
17 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the textile membrane includes an air impermeable layer layered onto the textile material, and
wherein the seal-forming structure includes a pair of ribs projecting inwardly into the cavity from an inner surface of the support structure on respective lateral sides of the plenum chamber, the ribs being configured to increase stiffness of the cushion assembly.
18 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the nasal portion of the textile membrane is configured to form the seal at or below the patient's pronasale and in contact with the patient's subnasale and/or columella in use.
19 . The cushion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein only the textile membrane of the cushion assembly seals with the patient's face.
20 . A patient interface for delivering a flow of air at positive pressure to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the patient interface comprising:
the cushion assembly of claim 1 ; and
a positioning and stabilising structure to provide a force to hold the seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on the patient's head.
21 . The patient interface of claim 20 , wherein the positioning and stabilising structure comprising a pair of conduits for delivering the flow of air to the cushion assembly in use, the pair of conduits being configured to extend along respective sides of the patient's head when the patient interface is worn.
22 . The patient interface of claim 21 , wherein the at least one plenum chamber inlet port comprises two plenum chamber inlet ports formed in respective lateral sides of the plenum chamber, and
wherein the conduits are configured to respectively connect to the plenum chamber inlet ports.