Abstract: A washout vent for a mask for use with a system for supplying breathable gas pressurized above atmospheric pressure to an airway of a mammal. The washout vent includes a vent orifice adapted for gas washout. The orifice includes one or more features that contribute to noise reduction, such as a channel with converging walls towards atmosphere, and/or a channel having one or more walls provided with surface treatment and/or contouring, such as roughening and/or scalloped portions.

Abstract: An interfacing structure is arranged to cooperate with a frame to contact with the skin of a patient. The interfacing structure includes a clip portion joined to a cushioning component. The frame is more rigid than the clip portion and the clip portion is more rigid than the cushioning component.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing positive airway pressure therapy to the airways of a patient includes a mask, a gas delivery conduit coupled to the mask, and a vent located in the mask or near the mask in the gas delivery conduit, to allow washout of exhaled carbon dioxide. The vent includes a plurality of vent orifices, the vent orifices being constructed and arranged to be open in use at least during the inhalation and exhalation phases of the user's breathing cycle. Each of the vent orifices being molded into a surface as a curved flow path from an interior of the mask or gas delivery conduit to atmosphere so that a vent flow from each of the orifices is directed in different directions, into one another, and/or slightly offset from one another to create diffuse air flow.

Abstract: A cushioning component for use with a mask is constructed of foam material. A patient contacting surface, that is adapted to contact a patient, in use, has a rounded cross sectional profile and a base surface opposed to the patient contacting surface.

Abstract: A mask system includes a mask component including one or more openings for gas washout and a vent component provided to the mask component. The vent component includes one or more tracks or grooves along its outer surface adapted to guide gas washout. The vent component is adapted to cover the one or more openings in the mask component so that gas washout escapes along the one or more tracks or grooves between an outer surface of the mask component and the vent component.

Abstract: A mask for delivery of respiratory therapy to a patient may include one or more of the following improvements: rigidizer provided to headgear strap, locking clip/clip receptacle headgear connection, keyed headgear buckles, lotion dispenser on frame, rotatable prongs to adjust orientation, alignment indicators provided to prong, cushion and/or frame, chin flap with bellows arrangement, vent holes positioned away from gas entry port, and vent holes to direct washout gas at an angle.

Abstract: A mask for delivery of respiratory therapy to a patient may include one or more of the following improvements: rigidizer provided to headgear strap, locking clip/clip receptacle headgear connection, keyed headgear buckles, lotion dispenser on frame, rotatable prongs to adjust orientation, alignment indicators provided to prong, cushion and/or frame, chin flap with bellows arrangement, vent holes positioned away from gas entry port, and vent holes to direct washout gas at an angle.

Abstract: A patient interface includes a frame, a cushion having a non-face-contacting portion connected to the frame and a face-contacting portion adapted to engage the patient's face in use, the face-contacting portion including a side wall and a flexible membrane extending from the side wall, and a reinforcing member provided to at least a portion of the side wall of the cushion. The reinforcing member includes a cut-out so that the reinforcing member provides reinforcement to selected regions of the cushion.

Abstract: A patient interface includes a frame, a cushion, and a reinforcing member. The cushion has a non-face-contacting portion connected to the frame and a face-contacting portion adapted to engage the patient's face in use. The face-contacting portion includes a side wall and a flexible membrane extending from the side wall. The reinforcing member is provided to at least a portion of an interior and/or exterior surface of the side wall of the cushion. The reinforcing member provides reinforcement to the side wall of the cushion to at least limit lateral expansion of the cushion in use. The reinforcing member may have a stiffness that is selectively varied along its length.

Abstract: A vent arrangement is provided to a mask or associated conduit to discharge exhaled gas from the mask to atmosphere. The vent arrangement is structured to diffuse the exhaust vent flow to produce less air jetting, thereby increasing the comfort of the patient and their bed partner. For example, the vent arrangement may include one or more grill components and/or media constructed and arranged to diffuse vent flow.

Abstract: A patient interface includes a frame, a cushion, and a reinforcing member. The cushion has a non-face-contacting portion connected to the frame and a face-contacting portion adapted to engage the patient's face in use. The face-contacting portion includes a side wall and a flexible membrane extending from the side wall. The reinforcing member is provided to at least a portion of an interior and/or exterior surface of the side wall of the cushion. The reinforcing member provides reinforcement to the side wall of the cushion to at least limit lateral expansion of the cushion in use. The reinforcing member may have a stiffness that is selectively varied along its length.

Abstract: A patient interface includes a frame, a cushion, and a reinforcing member. The cushion has a non-face-contacting portion connected to the frame and a face-contacting portion adapted to engage the patient's face in use. The face-contacting portion includes a side wall and a flexible membrane extending from the side wall. The reinforcing member is provided to at least a portion of an interior and/or exterior surface of the side wall of the cushion. The reinforcing member provides reinforcement to the side wall of the cushion to at least limit lateral expansion of the cushion in use. The reinforcing member may have a stiffness that is selectively varied along its length.

Abstract: An interfacing structure for a mask system includes a cushion component adapted to contact the patient's face in use and a cushion-to-frame component provided to the cushion component. The cushion-to-frame component is structured to secure the cushion component to a mask frame of the mask system. The cushion-to-frame component includes a cushion side adapted to interface with the cushion component and a frame side adapted to interface with the mask frame. The cushion side includes a platform to engage and support the cushion component. The platform provides an engagement surface to engage the cushion component and inner and outer flanges provided to opposing ends of the platform to guide, support and/or retain the cushion component on the platform.

Abstract: A CPAP system includes a PAP device (5) structured to generate a supply of pressurized air, a patient interface (15) adapted to engage with the patient's face to provide a seal, an air delivery conduit (102,104) provided between the PAP device and the patient interface to deliver the supply of pressurized air along a gas delivery path from the PAP device to the patient interface, and a muffler (100) provided along the gas delivery path downstream of the PAP device.

Abstract: An air delivery system for providing a supply of air from a source of air at positive pressure to an interfacing structure located at the entrance to the airways of a patient includes a manifold adapted to connect with the supply of positive air pressure and at least one tube connected to the manifold and adapted to deliver the supply of air to the interfacing structure. Each tube is structured to allow movement between an open phase in which the tube allows the passage of air and a collapsed phase in which the tube is collapsed. Each tube is structured such that weight of a typical patient's head against bedding apparel is sufficient to collapse the tube from the open phase to the collapsed phase.

Abstract: A respiratory mask assembly for use with a patient, and that is suited for use with children ranging in age from about 2-7 years, includes a flexible patient interface structure arranged to interface with and deliver air to the patient's nose, the patient interface structure including cylindrical protrusions extending from respective opposite sides of the patient interface structure adjacent the patient's nares; a frame configured to support the patient interface structure, the frame including a pair of cylinders, each cylinder configured to receive a respective cylindrical protrusion of the patient interface structure; headgear arranged for releasable attachment to the frame; an air delivery tube connected to either one of the cylindrical protrusions; and a plug connected to the other one of the cylindrical protrusions.