Patient interface
A patient interface may include a plenum chamber and a positioning and stabilising structure. The plenum chamber may include a seal-forming structure and a fascia portion. At least a medial portion of the fascia portion is flexible. In embodiments, the patient interface may include a rigidiser to control flexing of the fascia portion.
1 . A patient interface comprising:
a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 6 cmH2O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including a plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient;
a first seal-forming structure connected to an oral portion of the plenum chamber, the first seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's mouth such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to the mouth, the first seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use;
a second seal-forming structure connected to a nasal portion of the plenum chamber, the second seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's nose such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to the nose, the second seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use; and
a vent structure to allow a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of the plenum chamber to vent to ambient, said vent structure being sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber in use,
wherein the second seal-forming structure comprises a pair of lateral portions respectively disposed at lateral sides of the second seal-forming structure,
wherein posterior surfaces of the lateral portions of the second seal forming structure slope in a superior-anterior direction from a boundary of the first and second seal forming structures,
wherein a boundary between the first seal-forming structure and the second seal-forming structure comprises a ridge, and
wherein the ridge forms a convex shape along patient-contacting surfaces of the patient interface.
2 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the slope of each lateral portion forms an angle of between 20 degrees and 90 degrees with a mid-contact plane of the mask.
3 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein no part of the patient interface is configured to contact the patient's alar crest point, in use.
4 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the oral portion of the plenum chamber comprises a flexible shell.
5 . The patient interface of claim 4 , wherein the flexible shell is formed from a material having a Young's modulus of less than 0.4 GPa.
6 . The patient interface of claim 4 , wherein the material of the flexible shell is the same as a material that forms the first seal-forming structure and the second seal-forming structure.
7 . The patient interface of claim 4 , wherein a rigidizing member is connected to the shell.
8 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the plenum chamber is at least partially formed by a shell and the vent structure is provided to the shell.
9 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the ridge is configured to engage the patient's face at least proximate an entrance to the patient's nares, in use.
10 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the ridge extends across an entire boundary between the first seal-forming structure and the second seal-forming structure.
11 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein, in use, the ridge is configured to engage the patient's face proximate the entrances to the patient's nares where each of the patient's ala meets the face above the patient's lip superior.
12 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the ridge forms a corner, the first seal-forming structure extending directly from the corner on a first side thereof and the second seal-forming structure extending directly from the corner on a second side thereof.
13 . The patient interface of claim 12 , wherein, during use, the corner is configured to resist the formation of creases in portions of the first seal-forming structure and/or the second seal forming structure adjacent the corner.
14 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein, in use, the second seal-forming structure extends directly from the ridge in a superior-anterior direction.
15 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the ridge forms an angle between the first seal-forming structure and the second seal-forming structure.
16 . The patient interface of claim 15 , wherein the angle formed by the first seal-forming structure and second seal-forming structure is in the range of 20 degrees to 90 degrees.
17 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein, in use, the ridge is configured to allow patient-contacting portions of the second seal-forming structure to pivot or hinge about an area at or adjacent the ridge.
18 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the ridge extends only across a posterior patient-contacting side of the patient interface and is not present on an anterior non-patient-contacting side of the patient interface.
19 . The patient interface of claim 1 , wherein the second seal-forming structure includes a pair of nasal apertures configured to, in use, deliver the flow of air to the patient's nose.
20 . A patient interface comprising:
a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 6 cmH2O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including a plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient;
a first seal-forming structure connected to an oral portion of the plenum chamber, the first seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's mouth such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to the mouth, the first seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use;
a second seal-forming structure connected to a nasal portion of the plenum chamber, the second seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's nose such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to the nose, the second seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use; and
a vent structure to allow a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of the plenum chamber to vent to ambient, said vent structure being sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber in use,
wherein the second seal-forming structure comprises a pair of lateral portions respectively disposed at lateral sides of the second seal-forming structure,
wherein posterior surfaces of the lateral portions of the second seal forming structure slope in a superior-anterior direction from a boundary of the first and second seal forming structures,
wherein a boundary between the first seal-forming structure and the second seal-forming structure comprises a ridge, and
wherein the ridge forms a corner, the first seal-forming structure extending directly from the corner on a first side thereof and the second seal-forming structure extending directly from the corner on a second side thereof.
21 . A patient interface comprising:
a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure of at least 6 cmH2O above ambient air pressure, said plenum chamber including a plenum chamber inlet port sized and structured to receive a flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by a patient;
a first seal-forming structure connected to an oral portion of the plenum chamber, the first seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's mouth such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to the mouth, the first seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use;
a second seal-forming structure connected to a nasal portion of the plenum chamber, the second seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face surrounding an entrance to the patient's nose such that the flow of air at said therapeutic pressure is delivered to the nose, the second seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to maintain said therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber throughout the patient's respiratory cycle in use; and
a vent structure to allow a continuous flow of gases exhaled by the patient from an interior of the plenum chamber to vent to ambient, said vent structure being sized and shaped to maintain the therapeutic pressure in the plenum chamber in use,
wherein the second seal-forming structure comprises a pair of lateral portions respectively disposed at lateral sides of the second seal-forming structure,
wherein posterior surfaces of the lateral portions of the second seal forming structure slope in a superior-anterior direction from a boundary of the first and second seal forming structures,
wherein a boundary between the first seal-forming structure and the second seal-forming structure comprises a ridge, and
wherein the ridge extends only across a posterior patient-contacting side of the patient interface and is not present on an anterior non-patient-contacting side of the patient interface.