Patient interface

Abstract

A patient interface includes a frame assembly including connectors operatively attachable to headgear, a cushion assembly provided to the frame assembly and including a seal-forming structure structured to form a seal with the patient's nose and/or mouth, and an air delivery connector provided to the frame assembly and operatively connected to an air delivery tube for supplying the air at positive pressure along an air flow path. The cushion assembly is structured to releasably connect to the frame assembly independently of the air delivery connector. The air delivery connector is structured to releasably connect to the frame assembly independently of the cushion assembly.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's airways including at least entrance of a patient's nares, wherein the patient interface is configured to maintain a therapy pressure in a range of about 4 cmH2O to about 30 cmH2O above ambient air pressure in use, throughout a patient's respiratory cycle, while the patient is sleeping, to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing; said patient interface comprising:
 a cushion assembly including a shell and a seal-forming structure provided to the shell and structured to form a seal with a patient's nose and/or mouth, the shell being harder than the seal-forming structure;   a positioning and stabilising structure including:
 a headgear having a pair of strap ends; 
 a shroud formed of a first material and being releasably connectable with the shell by a snap-fit connection; and 
 a headgear connector having opposite ends and a central shroud connection portion connected to the shroud, each of said opposite ends including a headgear connection point structured to receive a respective one of said pair of strap ends, the headgear connector being made of a second material that is more flexible than the first material. 
   
     
     
         12 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear connector is configured to allow bending about a sagittal plane. 
     
     
         13 . The patient interface of  claim 12 , wherein the headgear connector is configured to resist bending about a plane perpendicular to the sagittal plane. 
     
     
         14 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the central shroud connection portion is connected to the shroud by a mechanical connection including at least one pin received in a respective opening. 
     
     
         15 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the central shroud connection portion is connected to the shroud by a releasable snap-fit connection including pegs each structured to engage with a respective opening. 
     
     
         16 . The patient interface of  claim 15 , wherein the pegs include at least a first peg and a second peg, and the headgear connector includes cantilevered portions that extend laterally outward of the first and second pegs. 
     
     
         17 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear connector includes headgear connector arms extending laterally from the central shroud connection portion, each of said headgear connector arms including one of the headgear connection points. 
     
     
         18 . The patient interface of  claim 17 , wherein the headgear connector arms curve or extend in a superior direction from the central shroud connection portion. 
     
     
         19 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear connection points are in the form of slots structured to receive one of the strap ends threaded through one of said slots. 
     
     
         20 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the shroud includes a ledge structured to engage the central shroud connection portion of the headgear connector. 
     
     
         21 . The patient interface of  claim 20 , wherein the ledge is located superior to the snap-fit connection between the shroud and the shell. 
     
     
         22 . The patient interface of  claim 20 , wherein the headgear connector engages a superior surface or an inferior surface of the ledge. 
     
     
         23 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the shroud includes a groove at least partially bound by a first ledge and a second ledge, the groove receiving the central shroud connection portion between the first ledge and the second ledge. 
     
     
         24 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the central shroud connection portion is connected to a surface of the shroud having a negative curvature. 
     
     
         25 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear connector comprises a one-piece construction made of a homogeneous material. 
     
     
         26 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear connector has a length, a width, and a thickness; the length being greater than each of the width and the thickness; and the width being greater than the thickness and varying along the length of the headgear connector. 
     
     
         27 . The patient interface of  claim 26 , wherein the width in a medial section of the headgear connector is smaller than the width of a lateral section of the headgear connector where one of the headgear connection points is located. 
     
     
         28 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of a superior surface of the headgear connector has a negative curvature. 
     
     
         29 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of an inferior surface of the headgear connector has a positive curvature. 
     
     
         30 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear connector has a substantially rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
         31 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein a superior surface or an inferior surface of the headgear connector is at least partially rounded. 
     
     
         32 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the headgear includes upper straps each including one of the strap ends; and
 lower straps operatively connectable to the shroud.   
     
     
         33 . The patient interface of  claim 32 , wherein each of the lower straps includes a lower headgear clip having a protrusion and the shroud further includes lower headgear connectors having a receptacle, at least one of the lower straps is operatively connectable to the shroud by inserting one of said protrusions within one of said receptacles. 
     
     
         34 . The patient interface of  claim 32 , wherein the headgear connector further includes
 upper headgear connector arms, each including one of the headgear connection points,   lower headgear connector arms operatively connectable with the lower straps, and   intermediate portions extending laterally from the central shroud connection portion to interconnect one of the upper headgear connector arms and one of the lower headgear connector arms.   
     
     
         35 . The patient interface of  claim 34 , wherein at least one of the lower headgear connector arms includes a magnetic protrusion, and at least one of the lower straps includes a lower headgear clip having a magnetic connector adapted to connect with said magnetic protrusion. 
     
     
         36 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein the snap-fit connection includes a plurality of spring arms or tabs spaced around an opening of the shroud. 
     
     
         37 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein
 the headgear connector is configured to allow bending about a sagittal plane;   the headgear connector is configured to resist bending to resist bending about a plane perpendicular to the sagittal plane;   the headgear connector is attached to the shroud via a mechanical connection including at least one pin or peg received in a respective opening; and   the shroud includes a ledge structured to engage the central shroud connection portion of the headgear connector.   
     
     
         38 . The patient interface of  claim 11 , wherein
 the headgear connector is connected with the shroud along a curved anterior surface of the shroud;   the headgear connector has a length, a width, and a thickness; the length being greater than each of the width and the thickness; and the width being greater than the thickness and varying along the length of the headgear connector; and   at least a portion of an inferior surface of the headgear connector has a positive curvature.   
     
     
         39 . A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's airways including at least entrance of a patient's nares, wherein the patient interface is configured to maintain a therapy pressure in a range of about 4 cmH2O to about 30 cmH2O above ambient air pressure in use, throughout a patient's respiratory cycle, while the patient is sleeping, to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing; said patient interface comprising:
 a cushion assembly including a shell and a seal-forming structure provided to the shell and structured to form a seal with a patient's nose and mouth, the shell being harder than the seal-forming structure; and   a positioning and stabilising structure including
 a headgear having upper straps and lower straps including lower headgear clips having a protrusion; 
 a shroud formed of a first material and being releasably connectable with the shell by a snap-fit connection, the shroud including
 lower headgear connectors provided to the shroud having a receptacle structured to receive one of said lower headgear clip protrusions; 
 a plurality of spring arms spaced around an opening of the shroud and structured to engage the shell to form said snap-fit connection; and 
 an anti-asphyxia valve provided to the shroud; and 
 
 an upper headgear connector having opposite ends and a central shroud connection portion connected to the shroud s, each of said opposite ends including a slot structured to receive one of said upper straps threaded through the slot, the upper headgear connector being made of a second material that is more flexible than the first material; 
   wherein:   the upper headgear connector comprises a one-piece construction made of a homogeneous material;   the central shroud connection portion is removably attachable with the shroud by a snap-fit connection that includes at least a first peg and a second peg received in respective openings, and the upper headgear connector includes cantilevered portions that extend laterally outward of the first and second pegs;   the upper headgear connector has a length, a width, and a thickness; the length being greater than each of the width and the thickness; the width being greater than the thickness; and the width in a medial section of the upper headgear connector being smaller than the width in a lateral section of the upper headgear connector; and   the shroud includes a ledge located superior to said snap-fit connection between the upper headgear connector and the shroud and structured to engage the central shroud connection portion of the upper headgear connector.   
     
     
         40 . A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's airways including at least entrance of a patient's nares, wherein the patient interface is configured to maintain a therapy pressure in a range of about 4 cmH2O to about 30 cmH2O above ambient air pressure in use, throughout a patient's respiratory cycle, while the patient is sleeping, to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing; said patient interface comprising:
 a cushion assembly including a shell and a seal-forming structure provided to the shell and structured to form a seal with a patient's nose, the shell being harder than the seal-forming structure;   a positioning and stabilising structure including
 a headgear having a pair of strap ends; and 
 a shroud formed of a first material and including a groove and a plurality of spring arms spaced around an opening of the shroud and structured to engage the shell to form a releasable snap-fit connection with the shell; 
 a headgear connector having a central shroud connection portion structured to connect with the shroud in said groove and headgear connector arms extending laterally from the central shroud connection portion to opposite ends of the headgear connector; each of said opposite ends including a slot structured to receive one of said strap ends threaded through the slot, the headgear connector being made from a second material that is more flexible than the first material; 
   wherein:   wherein the headgear connector is configured to allow bending about a sagittal plane.   the headgear connector is configured to resist bending vertically;   the headgear connector arms curve upward from the central shroud connection portion so as to extend across a patient's cheek, between the patient's eyes and ears, and above the patient's ears during use;   the headgear connector has a length in, a width, and a thickness; the length being greater than each of the width and the thickness; the width being greater than the thickness; and the width in a medial section of the headgear connector being smaller than the width in a lateral section of the headgear connector; and   the central shroud connection portion is connectable to the shroud by a mechanical connection including at least one pin received in a respective opening.   
     
     
         41 . A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a continuously positive pressure with respect to ambient air pressure to an entrance to a patient's airways including at least entrance of a patient's nares, wherein the patient interface is configured to maintain a therapy pressure in a range of about 4 cmH2O to about 30 cmH2O above ambient air pressure in use, throughout a patient's respiratory cycle, while the patient is sleeping, to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing; said patient interface comprising:
 a cushion assembly including a shell and a seal-forming structure provided to the shell and structured to form a seal with a patient's nose, the shell being harder than the seal-forming structure;   a positioning and stabilising structure including
 a headgear having upper straps and lower straps including lower headgear clips; and 
 a shroud formed of a first material and including a plurality of tabs spaced around an opening of the shroud and structured to engage the shell to form a releasable snap-fit connection with the shell 
 a headgear connector formed of a second material that is more flexible than the first material and including
 a central shroud connection portion permanently connected to the shroud by a mechanical connection including at least one pin received in a respective opening; 
 upper headgear connector arms having slots structured to receive one of the upper straps threaded through the slot; 
 lower headgear connector arms having a connector structured to engage one of said lower headgear clips; and 
 intermediate portions extending laterally from the central shroud connection portion to interconnect one of the upper headgear connector arms and one of the lower headgear connector arms; 
 
   wherein the intermediate portions extend across a patient's cheek and the upper headgear connector arms extend upward from the intermediate portion so as to extend between the patient's eyes and ears and above the patient's ears during use; and   the headgear connector has a length, a width, and a thickness; the length being greater than each of the width and the thickness; the width being greater than the thickness.