Positive-air-pressure machine conduit

1. A nasal assembly for delivering breathable gas under positive pressure to a patient for treatment of sleep disordered breathing, the nasal assembly comprising:

an air connector configured to be connected to a supply of breathable gas, the air connector being adapted to be positioned on top of the patient's head when the nasal assembly is worn;

a nasal interface configured to engage the patient's nose to direct the breathable gas to the patient's nose;

a pair of flexible one-piece side portions configured to support the nasal interface in a desired position on the patient's face and to deliver the breathable gas to the nasal interface in use, each side portion providing a conduit having a top portion in fluid communication with the air connector and a bottom portion adapted to, in use, be positioned adjacent the patient's nose, each conduit being arranged to, in use, extend along a respective side of the patient's head between the patient's eye and ear;

a central portion integrally formed with the pair of side portions to join the top portions of the conduits, the central portion and the pair of side portions forming a unitary construction; and

a strap including a portion that extends from one of the side portions to the other one of the side portions and is adapted to engage the back of the patient's head at a point above the patient's ears when the nasal assembly is worn, the portion of the strap being connected directly to each of the side portions,

wherein each conduit is configured to collapse into a collapsed condition under the weight of the patient's head, and

wherein the air connector is attached to the central portion, the air connector being relatively rigid as compared to the pair of side portions and the central portion.

2. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an aperture formed in the central portion, the air connector extending into the aperture.

3. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air connector enables movement of the central portion with respect to an air supply tube to reduce tube drag.

4. The nasal assembly of claim 3 , wherein the air connector comprises a swiveling device.

5. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central portion is arranged such that the air connector is adapted to be positioned anterior of an apex of the patient's head when the nasal assembly is worn.

6. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pair of side portions is shaped to match a contour of the patient's head.

7. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a vent adapted to be positioned in the vicinity of the patient's nose, in use, to allow exhaled carbon dioxide to pass to atmosphere.

8. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein each conduit comprises a conduit wall that is deformable between (a) an open condition in which the conduit wall defines a conduit passage along which the breathable gas can travel from the top portion to the bottom portion, and (b) a collapsed condition in which the conduit wall substantially collapses the conduit passage.

9. The nasal assembly of claim 8 , wherein each conduit is configured to accommodate an increase in volume flow rate of breathable gas through the conduit when the conduit passage of the other conduit is in the collapsed condition.

10. The nasal assembly of claim 9 , wherein the conduits are configured such that a total volume flow rate of breathable gas through the conduits remains substantially constant even if one of the conduits is deformed into the collapsed condition.

11. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strap is joined to the conduits.

12. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strap is formed integrally with the conduits.

13. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the conduits comprise an elastomer.

14. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a nasal interface connector attached to the bottom portion of each conduit, each nasal interface connector being removably connected to a respective side of the nasal interface.

15. The nasal assembly of claim 14 , wherein each nasal interface connector includes a connection portion that extends from the respective conduit to connect with the nasal interface.

16. The nasal assembly of claim 15 , wherein the nasal interface includes two complimentary formations on opposing sides thereof to mate with the connection portion of a corresponding nasal interface connector.

17. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an aperture formed in the central portion, the air connector extending into the aperture,

wherein the air connector enables movement of the central portion with respect to an air supply tube to reduce tube drag,

wherein the central portion is arranged such that the air connector is adapted to be positioned anterior of an apex of the patient's head when the nasal assembly is worn,

wherein each conduit comprises a conduit wall that is deformable between (a) an open condition in which the conduit wall defines a conduit passage along which the breathable gas can travel from the top portion to the bottom portion, and (b) a collapsed condition in which the conduit wall substantially collapses the conduit passage,

wherein each conduit is configured to accommodate an increase in volume flow rate of breathable gas through the conduit when the conduit passage of the other conduit is in the collapsed condition, and

wherein each conduit is configured to deform into the collapsed condition under the weight of the patient's head.

18. The nasal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air connector comprises a swivel coupling device to connect to an air supply conduit, the swivel coupling device being rotatable relative to the air connector.