Patent ID: 7178528

Claim:
A headgear for maintaining the position of a noninvasive ventilation interface proximate to the nares of a patient comprising: a) a nasal cannula providing a seal with said nares including cannula tubing having a given outside diameter; b) a semi-rigid headgear yoke with a first and second side sections, said side sections having lower ends extending below the ears of said patient, said yoke being adapted to extend transversely over a wearer's head; c) cannula tubing retainers on said lower ends adapted for connection to said cannula tubing wherein said cannula tubing retainers are C-shaped projections having a given length and an inside diameter substantially equal to said cannula tubing outside diameter, and said projections are positioned in front of and below said patient's ears when worn, and d) further including a retainer mating element for each of said C-shaped retainers to prevent said cannula tubing from kinking near said C-shaped retainers, said retainer mating element having an elbow section with an open side and a clip section connected to said elbow section by a rigid beam having a length substantially equal to said C-shaped retainer given length, both of said sections having an inside diameter substantially equal to said tubing given outside diameter.