Respiratory interface device including custom features

Abstract

A respiratory interface device (10) is provided that includes a cushion (30) and a faceplate (12). The cushion is structured to be coupled to the faceplate. The faceplate includes a peripheral end (18) and a number of custom features (60). The cushion is coupled to the faceplate adjacent the faceplate peripheral end.

1 . A respiratory interface device comprising:
 a cushion structured to be coupled to a faceplate;   a faceplate including a peripheral end ( 18 ) and a number of custom features; and   the cushion coupled to faceplate adjacent the faceplate peripheral end.   
     
     
         2 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 1 , wherein the custom features are selected from the group including custom coupling assemblies, apertures, entrainment valves, or decorative elements. 
     
     
         3 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 2 , wherein the custom coupling assemblies are selected from the group including custom support assembly mechanical couplings, custom fluid couplings, electrical couplings, optical couplings, sensor couplings, and filter couplings. 
     
     
         4 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each custom support assembly mechanical coupling component includes a number of selectable characteristics; and   the custom support assembly coupling component selectable characteristics selected from the group including a type characteristic, a location characteristic, an orientation characteristic, a number characteristic, and a contour characteristic.   
     
     
         5 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the custom support assembly mechanical coupling components include a number of contoured coupling components; and   each contoured coupling component contoured to a specific user's facial contour.   
     
     
         6 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 5 , wherein each user has a right facial contour and a left facial contour and wherein:
 the number of contoured coupling components includes a right contoured coupling component body and a left contoured coupling component body;   the right contoured coupling component body is contoured to correspond to a specific user's right facial contour; and   the left contoured coupling component body is contoured to correspond to a specific user's left facial contour.   
     
     
         7 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 3 , wherein each custom fluid coupling includes a number of selectable characteristics, and the custom fluid coupling selectable characteristics including a type characteristic, a location characteristic, an orientation characteristic, and a visibility characteristic. 
     
     
         8 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 7 , wherein a user has an apex blind spot and wherein the custom fluid coupling visibility characteristic is a low visibility characteristic. 
     
     
         9 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 7 , wherein a user has an apex contour wherein the custom fluid coupling includes an inlet element extending over the apex of the user's nose, and wherein the custom fluid coupling inlet element is a low visibility element. 
     
     
         10 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 3 , wherein each electrical coupling includes a number of selectable characteristics, and the electrical coupling selectable characteristics including a type characteristic, a location characteristic, a configuration characteristic, a key characteristic, a lock characteristic, an attachment characteristic, a power characteristic, a transmission characteristic, and a signal characteristic. 
     
     
         11 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 3 , wherein each optical coupling includes a number of selectable characteristics, and the optical coupling selectable characteristics including a type characteristic, a number characteristic, and a location characteristic. 
     
     
         12 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 3 , wherein each sensor couplings includes a number of selectable characteristics, and the sensor coupling selectable characteristics including a type characteristic, a number characteristic, and a location characteristic. 
     
     
         13 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 3 , wherein each filter couplings includes a number of selectable characteristics, and the filter couplings selectable characteristics including a type characteristic, a number characteristic, and a location characteristic. 
     
     
         14 . The respiratory interface device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 each aperture includes a number of selectable characteristics;   the aperture selectable characteristics selected from the group including a type characteristic, a number characteristic, a location characteristic, a shape characteristic, an area characteristic, a pattern characteristic, and a flow characteristic;   each entrainment valve includes a number of selectable characteristics;   the entrainment valve selectable characteristics selected from the group including a type characteristic, a number characteristic, a location characteristic and a dimension characteristic;   each decorative element includes a number of selectable characteristics; and   the decorative element selectable characteristics selected from the group including a type characteristic, a number characteristic, a location characteristic, a contour characteristic and a proportion characteristic.   
     
     
         15 . A method of making a respiratory interface device including a faceplate and custom features comprising:
 acquiring a 3D surface profile of a user's face;   selecting characteristics for a number of custom features; and   producing a respiratory interface device including custom features with the selected custom feature characteristics.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein selecting characteristics for a number of custom features includes allowing the user to select the characteristics for a number of support assembly couplings, the support assembly coupling component characteristics selected from the group including a location characteristic, a type characteristic, a number characteristic, a contour characteristic, and a visibility characteristic. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user has a right facial contour and a left facial contour and wherein selecting characteristics for a number of custom features includes:
 allowing the user to select a right contoured coupling component body contoured to correspond to a specific user's right facial contour; and   allowing the user to select a left contoured coupling component body contoured to correspond to a specific user's left facial contour.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein selecting characteristics for a number of custom features includes allowing the user to select the characteristics for a number of fluid couplings, the fluid coupling component characteristics selected from the group including a type characteristic, a location characteristic, an orientation characteristic, and a visibility characteristic. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein selecting characteristics for a number of custom features includes:
 allowing the user to accept a default suggestion for each feature characteristic;   allowing the user to accept an optimal suggestion for each feature characteristic;   allowing the user to select a number of custom feature characteristics; and   adjusting other feature selectable characteristics in response to the user's selection of a number of custom feature characteristics.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein producing a respiratory interface device including custom features with the selected custom feature characteristics includes fabricating a respiratory interface device with the selected custom features by 3D printing.