Ventilation mask

Abstract

A nasal ventilation mask having one or more attachment ports located adjacent to and overlying an upper lip of a patient when worn.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A nasal mask having one or more attachment ports for supporting a functional accessory, sealable by at least one self-closing valve, a septum, a frangible membrane, a plug or a cap, adapted to be located adjacent to and overlying a region of an upper lip of a patient when worn. 
     
     
         2 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one self-closing valve comprises a duck valve. 
     
     
         3 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein the functional accessory comprises (a) a sensor adapted to monitor one or more of the following parameters: CO 2  concentration, O 2  concentration, N concentration, anesthesia gas concentration, pressure, relative humidity, temperature and gas flow rate, and/or (b) an end-tidal CO 2  adaptor for monitoring end-tidal CO 2  from a nose and/or mouth of a wearer, and/or (c) a CO 2  scavenger, a gas collector or exhalation scoop, and/or (d) a nasal cannula, and/or (e) suction tubing, and/or (f) an oral mask adapted to accommodate a functional device, and/or a laryngoscope, a video laryngoscope, an endotrachael tube, a fiber optic bronchoscope, a rigid bronchoscope, a gastroenterology scope, and/or an exhalation scoop or exhaled breath scavenger mounted adjacent a lower portion of the mask positioned to overly a region of an upper lip of a patient when the mask is worn, wherein the exhalation scoop is attached to the nasal mask through the attachment ports that optionally permit exhaled breath captured by the exhalation scoop to be diverted into the nasal mask. 
     
     
         4 . The mask of  claim 3 , wherein the exhalation scoop or exhaled breath scavenger is integral to the mask, or fixed to the mask by mechanical or adhesive attachments or brackets. 
     
     
         5 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein the functional accessory is one of an oral mask, a sensor, a gas scavenger, a gas collector, an exhalation scoop, a nasal cannula, end-tidal CO 2  port, a nebulizer port, a PEEP valve port, expiratory port and/or valve, and a pressure relief valve. 
     
     
         6 . A nasal mask which can be used separately, or with an oral mask attached to the nasal mask through a closable opening in the nasal mask, comprising a sensor or sensors interior to the nasal mask and/or the oral mask, adapted to measure one or more of the following parameters: CO 2  concentration, N concentration, anesthesia gas concentration, pressure, relative humidity, temperature and gas flow rate within the nasal and/or oral masks. 
     
     
         7 . The mask of  claim 1 , usable as a CPAP mask having an exhaust optionally open to atmosphere, said mask being convertible from a nasal CPAP mask to a full face mask CPAP mask and vice versa, wherein the mask has a circuit port and an exhaust port, one or more attachment valves and an adaptor for connecting a PEEP valve and supplemental oxygen to the mask. 
     
     
         8 . The mask of  claim 7 , wherein an oral mask is attached to the nasal mask through the at least one self-closing valve. 
     
     
         9 . The mask of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one self-closing valve comprises at least one duck bill valve for engagement by at least one proboscis of the oral mask when attached to the nasal mask. 
     
     
         10 . The mask of  claim 1 , wherein the mask is disposable or reusable. 
     
     
         11 . The mask of  claim 1 , usable as a CPAP mask for use as a manual resuscitation device having an exhaust port, which port can be covered and allow pressure to build up within the device or uncovered and open to atmosphere and allow for pressure drop, which enables exhalation, said mask being convertible from a nasal CPAP mask to a full face mask CPAP mask and vice versa. 
     
     
         12 . The mask of  claim 11 , wherein the mask comprises a nasal mask and an oral mask, said nasal mask having a circuit port and an exhaust port, one or more attachment valves and an adaptor for connecting a PEEP valve and supplemental oxygen to the nasal mask. 
     
     
         13 . The mask of  claim 12 , wherein the oral mask is attached to the nasal mask through the at least one self-closing valve. 
     
     
         14 . The mask of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one self-closing valve comprises at least one duck bill valve for engagement by proboscises of the oral mask when the oral mask is attached to the nasal mask. 
     
     
         15 . A nasal mask comprising a generally triangularly-shaped frame having an apex forming a nasal bridge region connected by slanted side walls to a lip region, said nasal mask including a y-shaped perimeter seal, a nasal bridge seal formed of an elastic membrane bridging the nasal bridge region and the side walls, and/or a lower lip seal formed of an elastic membrane bridging the lower lip region and adjacent portions of the side walls, for accommodating patient lips of various sizes and shapes. 
     
     
         16 . The nasal mask of  claim 15 , wherein the Y-shaped perimeter seal has a durometer selected from the group consisting of 2-10, 3-7, and about 5 measured on the Shore A Hardness scale. 
     
     
         17 . The nasal mask of  claim 15 , further including a port for connection to a suction source. 
     
     
         18 . A method for ventilating a patient, comprising:
 applying a nasal mask having one or more attachment ports for supporting a functional accessory, sealable by at least one self-closing valve, a septum, a frangible membrane, a plug or a cap, located adjacent to and overlying a region of an upper lip of a patient when worn, over the patient's nose; and   monitoring one or more of the following parameters: (a) CO 2  concentration, O 2  concentration, N concentration, anesthesia gas concentration, pressure, relative humidity, temperature and gas flow rate using a sensor on or in the mask, and/or (b) end-tidal CO 2  using an adaptor and/or sensor on or in the mask for monitoring end-tidal CO 2  from the nose and/or mouth of the wearer, and/or (c) CO 2  using a CO 2  scavenger, gas collector or exhalation scoop on or in the mask.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the mask is used in combination with a functional device selected form the group consisting of a laryngoscope, a video laryngoscope, an endotrachael tube, a fiber optic bronchoscope, a rigid bronchoscope, and a gastroenterology scope. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein end-tidal CO 2  is collected from a patient using an exhalation scoop or exhaled breath scavenger mounted adjacent a lower portion of the mask positioned to overly a region of an upper lip of a patient when the mask is worn, wherein the exhalation scoop is attached to the nasal mask through the attachment ports that optionally permit exhaled breath captured by the exhalation scoop to be diverted into the nasal mask.