A patient interface includes a shell with a central opening configured to receive the pressurized flow of air, a foam cushion, and an elastomeric support portion that is attached to the shell, supports the foam cushion, and forms at least part of a chamber together with the shell and the foam cushion. The elastomeric support portion includes a side wall that forms a continuous perimeter around the chamber and a resiliently flexible lip that supports the foam cushion and extends from the side wall toward an interior of the chamber. The resiliently flexible lip has an outer perimeter that is anchored to the side wall and an unsupported inner perimeter. The foam cushion overhangs the inner perimeter of the resiliently flexible lip, and the shell is more rigid than the elastomeric support portion. In addition, the foam cushion is configured to directly contact and engage a portion of the patient's skin in use.

A patient interface comprises a support structure and a seal-forming structure. The support structure is arranged to support the sealing portion and is configured to connect to the frame. The sealing portion comprises textile and is attached to the support structure along an outer perimeter of the sealing portion such that in use the sealing portion may be in tension due to reactive stress of the support structure and/or a resilient stretch characteristic of the textile such that the sealing portion exerts a force against the patient's face.

A respiratory mask assembly for delivering breathable gas to a patient includes a frame having a front surface and a rear surface, opposite the front surface, and adapted in use to face the patient. The frame defines an inner wall and an outer wall extending from the rear surface, the inner and outer walls being spaced to define a channel therebetween. A cushion is removably attachable to the frame such that the cushion and frame are repeatably engagable with and disengagable from one another. The cushion includes a side wall to be inserted into the channel of the frame, the side wall having a first interlocking surface that engages a second interlocking surface provided in the channel when the cushion and frame are engaged with one another. The first and second interlocking surfaces interlock with one another to removably attach the cushion to the frame.

Disclosed is a method of forming at least a portion of a mask (4) that is structured to engage at least a portion of the face of a patient (52). The method can be generally stated as including employing at least a portion of a data set (74) that is stored on a machine-readable storage medium (72) and that is representative of the shape of at least a portion of the face in generating a configuration for an cushion element (24) of the mask. The cushion element is structured to extend from a support (20) of the mask and to have an engagement end (50) bopposite the support that corresponds with the shape of the at least portion of the face. The method can be generally stated as further including subjecting a workpiece (78) to a formation operation to cause at least a portion of the workpiece to be formed into the cushion element having the engagement end.

A patient interface comprises a plenum chamber and a seal-forming structure. The seal-forming structure comprises a support structure arranged to support a sealing portion that is adapted to sealing engage the patient's face in use. The seal-forming structure may also include a seal biasing portion configured to inflate under pressurization within the cavity in the cushion assembly in use to extend the reach of the sealing portion and decouple the sealing portion from external forces.

A nasal dilation device and method of use for depressing targeted areas of cheek tissue providing for enhanced inhalation and exhalation via dilation of nasal passageways away from the targeted areas. The device may be used to enhance respiration during a variety of activities, and is especially beneficial during the use of positive airway pressure (PAP) type medical devices. The device may include pads adapted to engage target areas of a user's cheek and to maintain cheek tissue against a bone surface during inhalation and exhalation. The device includes a support element coupled to the pads to maintain the pads at the targeted areas during use.

A facemask package integrated with a mask sizing ruler is disclosed. The package stores the masks of various sizes. The mask sizing ruler comprising a first measuring gauge element, a second measuring gauge element and one or more sizes indicated thereon. The sizes in the sizing ruler are determined by categorizing one or more precisely previously measured distance from at least two points on one or more human faces into one or more sizes based on at least one distance on one or more masks of one or more mask sizes. At least one distance on one or more masks of one or more mask sizes is proportional to the maximum vertical distance of the mask in unfolded state. A system and method for determining the sizes indicated on the mask ruler are also disclosed. The sizing ruler precisely indicates the size of the mask that most appropriate to a user as the sizes are categorized from real human face dimensions.

A breathing mask includes a relatively rigid shell and an elastomeric sealing lip mounted to the relatively rigid shell. The elastomeric sealing lip has a contact zone configured to bear against the face of the person. The elastomeric sealing lip further includes a nose bridge region, a first nostril region and a second nostril region. The nose bridge region has a first zone of lower load-bearing capability. The first nostril region has a first zone of higher load-bearing capability. The second nostril region has a second zone of higher load-bearing capability. The first zone of lower load-bearing capability has a lower load-bearing capability than the first and second zones of higher load-bearing capability. In addition, the contact zone is configured to pivot about an articulation axis that extends through the first and second nostril regions.

A customizable mask including a conforming seal is configured to utilize the physical process of granular jamming to enable it to adapt to a wide range of facial geometries. The mask may include a frame having a perimeter and a conduit connection, a conforming seal positioned along the perimeter of the frame; the conforming seal may include a sealing surface and a connecting surface, the connecting surface configured to mate with the perimeter of the frame, and the sealing surface configured to conform to a users' face. The conforming seal may further include an outer casing, granular material contained within the outer casing, and a vacuum connection. The mask may also include a similarly configured conforming frame. Further disclosed are methods of forming such masks.

A nasal assembly for delivering breathable gas to a patient includes a frame having an integrally formed first connector portion. A nozzle assembly includes a gusset or base portion and a pair of nozzles. At least one inlet conduit is structured to deliver breathable gas into the frame and nozzle assembly for breathing by the patient. A pair of second connector portions are removably and rotatably connected to respective first connector portions of the frame and are in communication with respective inlet conduits, e.g., directly or via angle connectors. A headgear assembly is removably connected to the pair of second connector portions and/or the angle connectors so as to maintain the frame and the nozzle assembly in a desired adjusted position on the patient's face.