DE29923126U1 - Nasal breathing mask and breathing tube - Google Patents

Description

Nasal ventilation mask and ventilation tube

The invention relates to a nasal ventilation mask according to the preamble of claim 1 or to a ventilation tube for ventilation masks according to the preamble of claim 16.

Nasal ventilation masks are used to supply breathing air for therapeutic purposes, for example for the treatment of sleep disorders with apnea.

Conventional ventilation masks consist of a partially elastic, anatomically shaped mask part and a mask holding part to which the holding straps of the ventilation mask are attached to press the mask part against the nose. The mask part is pressed against the nose by the holding straps that go around the back of the head. The ventilation air can be supplied through a ventilation tube via a hose connection on the mask holding part. The ventilation air comes from a device that generates excess pressure.

Due to the direct attachment of the ventilation tube to the mask holder, the ventilation tube is in the facial area of the head and in the range of movement of the arms. This leads to restricted freedom of movement for the patients, especially in the treatment of patients lying down, such as in the treatment of sleep disorders. This is particularly negative in the treatment of patients with sleep disorders, as the patients are tense in the falling asleep phase due to the restriction of movement and therefore cannot fall asleep.

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In extreme cases, in patients with sleep disorders and restless sleep, violent movements during sleep can cause the ventilation tube to kink or tear.

Successful therapy through ventilation is therefore only inadequately possible with conventional ventilation masks.

The object underlying the invention is to create a nasal ventilation mask of the generic type which ensures a secure hold and perfect function even in the case of users who sleep restlessly and which restricts the user's freedom of movement as little as possible without having to use technically complex means.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a ventilation mask according to claim 1 or with a ventilation tube according to claim 16.

Advantageous embodiments of the ventilation mask according to the invention are specified in claims 2 to 15 and advantageous embodiments of the ventilation tube according to the invention are specified in claims 17 and 18.

The nasal ventilation mask according to the invention with the characterizing features of claim 1 offers the advantage of greater freedom of movement and at the same time a reduction in the risk of the ventilation tube kinking or tearing off, since the tube connection for the ventilation tube is moved away from the facial area of the head and from the movement area of the arms to the top of the head. The freedom of movement is further increased by the supply of ventilation air via a rotatable tube connection.

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The greater freedom of movement is achieved by moving the hose connection away from the mask holder. This is achieved by an elongated tube that extends upwards from the nose when the ventilation mask is in place. The mask holder - elongated tube unit can also be made as a single piece.

A forehead shield holder is connected to the elongated tube, to which a forehead shield is molded. The forehead shield holder and the forehead shield, together with a strap, form the holder for the nasal ventilation mask.

In addition to the headband-like arrangement of the forehead shield and the belt strap, it is advantageous for another belt strap to be placed over the head and connected to the headband-like belt strap at the back of the head.

The length of the straps can be adjusted to different head sizes using eyelets in the forehead shield. If flexible straps are used, they can be adjusted over a certain range without further adjustment in the eyelets.

In the case of patients who move around violently, it may be advantageous to use a second strap attached to the mask holder in the conventional manner around the back of the head in addition to the holder described above, which additionally presses the nasal ventilation mask against the nose and thus additionally fixes it in place.

The position of the front shield relative to the mask part or the mask holding part can be adjusted to different positions by moving the front shield relative to the elongated tube.

anatomical conditions. It is particularly advantageous if the forehead shield holder and the forehead shield are firmly connected to one another and the forehead shield holder can be moved vertically on the elongated tube, whereby the mask part and the variable angle tube can be designed as stops. The forehead shield holder and the forehead shield can also be designed as a single piece.

The vertical relative adjustment can also be carried out by a vertical adjustment of the position of the front plate holder and the end plate by shifting them relative to each other, whereby the front plate holder can be guided and fastened in a guide rail of the front plate or the end plate in a rail of the end plate holder in a known manner.

At the upper end of the elongated tube there is an angle tube which can be rotated against the elongated tube. The angle tube is conveniently designed as a knee tube. However, a design is also possible in which the angle between the vertical elongated tube and the variable angle tube can be adjusted using a partially elastic bellows in the manner of a bendable drinking straw or using a knee joint.

At the end of the variable angle tube that is angled against the elongated tube, there is a hose connection for receiving a ventilation hose, which can also be rotated against the angle tube to further increase the range of motion.

In order to adapt to the patient's anatomy, the ventilation mask is provided with a mask part made of elastic and deformable material, which is detachably connected to the rest of the ventilation mask unit via a mask holding part.

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This connection is made by snapping a molded bead of the elastic and deformable mask part into a ring-shaped recess in the mask holding part. This means that the mask part can be easily changed and cleaned, allowing several patients to use a nasal ventilation mask hygienically and alternately. Elastic mask parts of different sizes can be used to adapt the mask to the different face shapes and nose sizes of the user.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a flexible intermediate tube is provided between the elongated tube and the angled tube, which increases the comfort for the user. In this way, the angled tube is placed on the top of the head and completely removed from the user's face area, which means that the ventilation mask is easier to handle, for example when connecting the ventilation tube to the angled tube. In addition, this further decouples the forces on the ventilation mask, since shocks, jolts and the like on the ventilation tube are additionally absorbed by the flexible intermediate tube.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, closable connection pieces are provided on the angle tube for gas supply and/or gas extraction into or from the ventilation air flowing to the mask part. In this way, measurements can be taken in the ventilation air or additives can be introduced into the ventilation air, such as anesthetic gases, without additional disruptive lines having to be arranged in the facial area of the patient/user.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distance adjustment device between the front plate and the elongated tube is provided for adjusting the

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Distance from forehead shield to mask part is provided. This makes it easy to adjust the ventilation mask to different forehead/nose anatomies, which also increases wearing comfort for the user. The forehead shield holder can advantageously serve as a distance adjustment device in that arms which are rotatably attached to the elongated tube can be releasably locked into fastening openings provided on the back of the forehead shield holder. To adjust the distance, the arms must be released from one locking position on the forehead shield holder and reattached in a different locking position when the angle formed between the arms is adjusted. The arms can be attached via expandable clips to a sleeve which is attached vertically to the elongated tube and can be moved (between the clips and the sleeve) and moved (between the sleeve and the elongated tube) of the forehead shield, if necessary by overcoming different frictional resistances.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a forehead pad is provided on the side of the forehead shield facing the user, the forehead pad being attached to openings on the forehead shield using studs with barbs. The forehead pad increases the user's comfort, is easy to install and is also easy to replace, e.g. for hygiene reasons if the ventilation mask is to be used on a new user. The barbs on the studs serve as a loss protection so that the forehead pad cannot accidentally come loose from the forehead shield.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, eyelets are provided on the mask part for fastening an additional strap, which can advantageously be fastened to the user's head below the ears. The ventilation mask is thus additionally secured against accidental slipping. The eyelets can be arranged so that they run diagonally upwards and outwards from the user's perspective, whereby the strap lies flat against the user's head and does not cut into the side in an unpleasant way. The diagonal arrangement of the

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Eyelets allow efficient guidance of the additional strap, the latter ensuring that the mask part fits evenly on the user's face.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the ventilation tube has a ribbed surface on its outside and a smooth surface on its inside. This means that the ventilation tube is flexible on the one hand, but on the other hand is protected against compression and accidental squeezing. The flexibility is important so that even with repeated use of the ventilation tube, it does not break and cracks do not occur. The inside of the ventilation tube has a smooth surface, which ensures an unhindered flow of ventilation air because turbulence within the air flow is largely prevented. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the intermediate tube also has a ribbed surface on its outside and a smooth surface on its inside. The advantages described above apply accordingly here.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a hose is provided for use in medical devices and in particular for use in respiratory masks, which consists of a flexible material and has a ribbed surface on its outside and a smooth surface on its inside. The advantages of the hose are increased flexibility compared to known gas-flow hoses and a longer service life of the hose according to the invention. Even repeated twisting and bending of the hose does not lead to cracks or breaks, which ensures long-term and leak-free gas flow, which is of utmost importance for undisturbed medical or therapeutic treatment. In addition, the gases flow through the hose without turbulence, which

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Pressure losses can be avoided and more targeted treatment and especially ventilation is possible.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hose is made of silicone. Silicone has the necessary flexural elasticity and is easily moldable, which enables cost-efficient production of hoses according to the invention. A hose from the company Silikontechnik Merz GmbH is advantageously used, and further information on the details of the hose is available from there.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the following description, the drawings and the claims.

Several exemplary embodiments of nasal ventilation masks according to the invention are shown in the drawing and described in more detail below. They show:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a nasal ventilation mask with a large vertical distance between the forehead shield and the mask part;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the ventilation mask according to Fig. 1 with a small vertical distance between the forehead shield and the mask part;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the nasal ventilation mask according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of a nasal ventilation mask with intermediate tube and connected ventilation tube; and

Fig. 5 is an oblique view from behind of the ventilation mask according to Fig. 4.

The first embodiment of a nasal ventilation mask shown in Fig. 1 consists of a flexible mask part 1 for adapting the ventilation mask to the patient's anatomy. The flexible mask part 1 is detachably connected to a mask holding part 2.

An elongated tube 3, which is arranged vertically, is attached to the mask holding part 2.

At the upper end of the tube 3 there is an angle tube 6. The angle tube 6, which is designed as a knee tube !�Ogr;, is designed to be radially rotatable relative to the elongated tube 3. At the free end of the horizontal part of the angle tube 6 there is a hose connection 9 for a ventilation hose (not shown). This hose connection 9 can be rotated axially around the horizontal part of the angle tube 6 to further increase the freedom of movement.

A forehead plate holder 4 is slidably mounted on the elongated tube 3 between stops on the mask holding part 2 and the vertical part of the angle tube 6. Fig. 1 shows the position of the forehead plate holder 4 at the upper stop formed by the end edge of the vertical part of the angle tube 6. This results in the maximum vertical distance between the mask part 1 and a unit formed by a forehead plate 5 and a belt strap 7. In the embodiment shown, the forehead plate holder 4 is firmly connected to the forehead plate 5.

The positioning and fixing of the front shield holder 4 on the elongated tube 3 is done here by friction clamping.

The belt strap 7 is attached to the forehead shield 5 in an adjustable length by means of eyelets 12 and 13. In addition to the belt strap 7, a belt strap 8 is also attached to an eyelet 14 on the top of the forehead shield 5, which is guided over the head to hold the nasal ventilation mask more securely and is connected to the belt strap 7 at the back of the head. In the embodiment shown, the belt straps are made of an elastic material.

The nasal ventilation mask is positioned by pulling the unit over the user's head. The optimum distance between the forehead shield 5 with the strap 7 and the mask part 1, resulting from the user's anatomy, is set by moving the forehead shield holder 4 on the elongated tube 3. In addition, by adjusting the strap 7 and the additional strap 8 using the eyelets 12 to 14, the holder of the ventilation mask can be adapted to the shape of the user's head and the ventilation mask can be fixed as desired by tightening the straps to different degrees. The ventilation tube is connected via the tube connection 9.

Fig. 2 shows the ventilation mask according to Fig. 1, whereby the difference is in the vertical position of the forehead shield holder 4 and thus also of the forehead shield 5 with the strap 7 relative to the mask part 1. Here, the forehead shield holder is located at the lower stop formed by the upper edge of the mask holding part 2. The positioning and fixing of the forehead shield holder on the elongated tube 3 is carried out by friction clamping.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the ventilation mask according to Fig. 1, wherein the area of attachment of the mask part 1 to the mask holding part 2 is shown partially sectioned.

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The mask part 1 is connected to the mask holding part 2 in such a way that an annular bead 10 is formed in the mask part 1, which is made of elastic material and is pressed into an annular recess 11 in the mask holding part. The mask part 1 and the mask holding part 2 are thus connected to one another in a mechanically stable and airtight manner in the manner shown.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a second embodiment of a nasal ventilation mask with an intermediate tube 16 and a ventilation tube 15 connected to the angled tube 6. Identical parts are designated with the same reference numerals below. The intermediate tube 16 and the ventilation tube 15 are designed to be flexible and have a ribbed outer surface and a smooth inner surface (not shown in the drawing). The fact that the intermediate tube 16 and the ventilation tube 15 are designed to be elastic prevents the tubes from accidentally kinking. Any impacts and transverse forces on the mask part 1 are additionally absorbed in this way. Connection pieces 17 which can be closed with caps are arranged on the angled tube 6 for gas extraction or gas supply to or from the ventilation air, for example for medical measurements or the addition of anesthetic gas. The forehead shield 5 is arranged on the elongated tube 3 so that it can be moved axially and rotated radially around the tube 3. The distance between the elongated tube 3 and the forehead shield 5 can be changed via a distance adjustment device 18. The forehead shield holder 4 is also designed in this embodiment as a distance adjustment device 18 and comprises arms 19 which are rotatably attached to the elongated tube 3 and which can be locked into fastening openings 20 on the back of the forehead shield 5. The different angular positions of the arms 19 relative to one another thus cause a change in the distance between the elongated tube 3 and the forehead shield 5 in order to adapt the ventilation mask to the specific forehead-nose anatomy of a user. The arms 19 are rotatably connected to a sleeve 22 mounted on the vertical tube 3 via C-shaped and expandable clips 21. The sleeve 22 is in turn attached to the

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Tube 3 is attached so that it can be moved vertically. On the side of the forehead shield 5 facing the user, forehead pads 23 are detachably attached via studs 24 with barbs. The forehead pads 23 can thus be easily replaced if necessary. The barbs of the studs 24 prevent the forehead pads 23 from being lost. Eyelets 25 are provided on the mask holding part 2 for attaching an additional strap (not shown in the drawing), whereby this strap is attached below the ears of a user. In this exemplary embodiment, the eyelets 25 on the mask holding part 2 are arranged so that they run diagonally upwards and outwards to better guide the strap on the user's head.

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List of reference symbols.·

1 mask part

2 Mask holder

3 elongated tube

4 Front shield holder

5 Front shield

6 variable angle tube

7 Webbing

8 additional belt strap 9 hose connection

10 bead

11 ring-shaped recess 12-14 eyelets

15 Ventilation tube j 5 16 Intermediate tube

17 Connection pieces

18 Distance adjustment device

19 arms

20 mounting holes 21 expandable clips

22 Sleeve

23 Forehead pads

24 barbed studs

25 eyelets

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Claims (18)

1. Nasal ventilation mask with a mask part ( 1 ) and a mask holding part ( 2 ) which is connected to a hose connection ( 9 ) for a ventilation hose ( 15 ) and with at least one belt strap for positioning the ventilation mask on the nose of a user, characterized in that the mask holding part ( 2 ) is connected at the upper end to an elongated tube ( 3 ) on which a forehead plate ( 5 ) connected to a forehead plate holder ( 4 ) is mounted so as to be axially displaceable and that the elongated tube ( 3 ) is connected to an angled tube ( 6 ) which can be rotated radially relative to the elongated tube ( 3 ) and has the hose connection ( 9 ) for the ventilation hose ( 15 ). 2. Nasal ventilation mask according to claim 1, characterized in that the mask part ( 1 ) is detachably connected to the mask holding part ( 2 ) and that the mask part ( 1 ) can be connected to the mask holding part (2) by snapping a molded bead ( 10 ) into an annular recess ( 11 ) of the mask holding part ( 2 ). 3. Nasal ventilation mask according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an eyelet ( 14 ) for fastening an additional belt strap ( 8 ) is provided on the upper side of the forehead shield ( 5 ). 4. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angle tube ( 6 ) is adjustable in its angle. 5. Nasal ventilation mask according to claim 4, characterized in that the angle tube ( 6 ) is adjustable in its angle via a ball joint or via a bellows in the manner of a bendable drinking straw. 6. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a flexible intermediate hose ( 16 ) is provided between the elongated tube ( 3 ) and the angled tube ( 6 ). 7. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that closable connecting pieces ( 17 ) are provided on the angle tube ( 6 ) for gas supply and/or gas removal into or from the ventilation air flowing to the mask part ( 1 ). 8. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a distance adjustment device ( 18 ) is provided between the forehead shield ( 5 ) and the elongated tube ( 3 ) for adjusting the distance from the forehead shield ( 5 ) to the elongated tube ( 3 ). 9. Nasal ventilation mask according to claim 7, characterized in that the distance adjustment device ( 18 ) consists of arms ( 19 ) which are rotatably attached to the elongated tube ( 3 ) and which can be releasably latched into fastening openings ( 20 ) provided on the rear side of the forehead shield holder ( 4 ). 10. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an axially displaceably mounted sleeve ( 22 ) is fastened to the elongated tube ( 3 ) and that the forehead shield holder ( 4 ) is fastened to the elongated tube ( 3 ) in a radially rotatable manner via C-shaped expandable clips ( 21 ) which can be clipped onto the sleeve ( 22 ). 11. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a forehead pad ( 23 ) is provided on the side of the forehead shield ( 5 ) facing the user and that the forehead pad ( 23 ) is attached to the forehead shield ( 5 ) via knobs ( 24 ) with barbs in openings. 12. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that eyelets ( 25 ) are provided on the mask holding part ( 2 ) for fastening an additional belt strap, which can be fastened below the ears on the head of a user of the ventilation mask. 13. Nasal ventilation mask according to claim 12, characterized in that the eyelets ( 25 ) are arranged to extend obliquely upwards and outwards from the perspective of the user. 14. Nasal ventilation mask according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ventilation tube ( 15 ) has a ribbed surface on its outside and a smooth surface on its inside. 15. Nasal ventilation mask according to claim 6, characterized in that the intermediate tube ( 16 ) has a ribbed surface on its outside and a smooth surface on its inside. 16. Hose for use in medical devices, in particular for use in ventilation masks according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it has a ribbed surface on its outside and a smooth surface on its inside and consists of a flexible elastic material. 17. Hose according to claim 16, characterized in that the ribbed surface of the outside is a spiral-shaped round cord which is positively connected to the smooth outside of the hose. 18. Hose according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that it consists of silicone.