Patent ID: 9669176
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: A61M

Claim:
1. A mask for supplying gas under pressure to the nasal airway of an infant human, including; a manifold for supplying air to an aperture in the mask; a support structure for supporting the manifold; a shaped membrane structure formed from a thin walled membrane extending generally away from the support structure having a front face, the shaped membrane structure defining an enclosure for receiving at least the nares of an infant human nose; and an aperture which is a generally trapezoidal aperture, the aperture being formed in the front face and having a top, first and second sides and a base adapted to fit around the nasal area of the infant human; wherein the generally trapezoidal aperture is bounded by a notional isosceles trapezium that is defined by a straight top line, first and second straight side lines and a straight base line, wherein at least a portion of the top of the aperture is coincident with at least a portion of the to line of the isosceles trapezium, at least a portion of the first side of the aperture is coincident with at least a portion of the first side line of the isosceles trapezium, at least a portion of the second side of the aperture is coincident with at least a portion of the second side line of the isosceles trapezium, and at least a portion of the base of the aperture is coincident with at least a portion of the base line of the isosceles trapezium; wherein the top line and base line of the isosceles trapezium each have a length and the length of the top line of the isosceles trapezium is between about five ninths to one third of the length of the base line of the isosceles trapezium and wherein at least a portion of the membrane of the front face adjacent the top of the trapezoidal aperture is generally planar while other parts of the membrane around the aperture are sufficiently flexible to mould to the shape of the infant human's nasal area or are contoured to generally match the contours around that nasal area whilst the membrane structure itself has sufficient rigidity to support the weight of the support structure without collapsing.