Patent ID: 8910635

Claim:
A mask for patient ventilation comprising: a frame portion for surrounding a respiratory opening region of a patient; a front portion removably coupled with said frame portion and configured for covering said respiratory opening region, wherein access to said respiratory opening region is unobstructed upon removal of said front portion; a retention strap for maintaining positive pressure between the frame portion and said patient; a gas delivery orifice directly coupled with and on a first side of said frame portion and configured such that said gas delivery orifice is lateral to said front portion; and a gas evacuation orifice directly coupled with and on a second side, opposite the first side, of said frame portion lateral to said front portion; wherein, when the mask is positioned on the patient, the gas delivery orifice directs a cross-flow of gas from the first side of the frame to the second side of the frame across the respiratory opening region of the patient, and wherein removal of the front portion from the frame portion does not separate the gas delivery orifice and gas evacuation orifice from the frame, such that the cross-flow of gas across the respiratory opening region of the patient, and through the gas evacuation orifice, is maintained when the front portion is removed from the frame portion.