A patient interface includes: a plenum chamber; a seal-forming structure; a positioning and stabilising structure; a plenum chamber insert configured to be positioned and retained within the plenum chamber; and a vent structure; wherein the plenum chamber insert has a plenum chamber insert port; wherein the plenum chamber insert has an exterior surface configured to be positioned adjacent to an interior surface of the plenum chamber; wherein when the plenum chamber insert is positioned and retained within the plenum chamber, a radial channel is formed by the interior surface of the plenum chamber and the exterior surface of the plenum chamber insert such that gas is able to pass between a patient-proximal side plenum chamber insert and a patient-distal side of the plenum chamber insert via the radial channel during use.

A patient interface can have features improving the comfort of use by reducing the perceived pressure of a nose-contacting cushion of the patient interface, against the nose. The patient interface can have rigid headgear connection elements connectable to a frame of the respiratory interface. The rigid headgear connection elements can be shaped to reduce the force of the cushion against the nose. Headgear for a patient interface can also have features improving the stability of headgear of the head. The headgear can have a relatively framework and a relatively pliable overlay covering the framework. The rigid framework can have apertures defining a front portion to be positioned below or near the cheekbones, rear portion to be positioned over the sides of the head around the ears, and a top portion to extend upward along the head towards the crown.

The invention provides a patient interface (10) comprising a patient interface element (12, 14, 15) for delivering breathing gas to a patient, and a forehead support (30). One of the forehead support and the patient interface element comprises a shaft (50) and the other comprises a hollow tube (51) in which the shaft is received, with the shaft slidable within the tube to permit adjustment of the position of the forehead support relative to the patient interface. The shaft and hollow tube are rotatable between a free and locked configuration. This provides a simple to use adjustment mechanism with few components.

A respiratory mask assembly for delivering breathable gas to a patient includes a frame and an elbow assembly. The frame has a front surface and a rear surface adapted in use to face the patient. The frame includes a main body providing an aperture therethrough for the introduction of breathable gas into a nasal breathing cavity. The elbow assembly is swivelably coupled to the front surface of the frame. The elbow assembly includes a swivel elbow that defines an intake port and an exhaust port separated from the intake port using a baffle. The elbow assembly includes an end portion that interfaces with the aperture of the frame.

A cushion member (10) for a mask structured to be worn on a face of a user. The cushion member includes a cushion portion (12) having a sealing portion (13) and a body portion (14) extending from the sealing portion, the sealing portion being structured to engage the face of the user; and at least one mesh member (22) embedded in at least one of the sealing portion and the body portion.

Aspects of the present technology comprise a positioning and stabilising structure to hold a seal-forming structure in a therapeutically effective position on a head of a patient. The seal-forming structure may be constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patients face surrounding an entrance to the patients airways for sealed delivery of a flow of air at a therapeutic pressure of at least 4 cmH2O with respect to ambient air pressure throughout the patients respiratory cycle in use. The positioning and stabilising structure may comprise a front hoop arranged to contact, in use, at least a region of the patients head superior to an otobasion superior of the patients head and a rear strap. The positioning and stabilising structure may comprise an adjustment mechanism for adjustment of the front hoop and the rear strap relative to the patients head, the adjustment mechanism being arranged in a single operation to adjust both the front hoop and rear strap to enable the positioning and stabilising structure to fit different size heads.

A patient interface comprises a plenum chamber and a seal-forming structure. The seal-forming structure comprises a support structure arranged to support a sealing portion that is adapted to sealing engage the patient's face in use. The seal-forming structure may also include a seal biasing portion configured to inflate under pressurization within the cavity in the cushion assembly in use to extend the reach of the sealing portion and decouple the sealing portion from external forces.

A patient interface includes: a plenum chamber; a seal-forming structure; a positioning and stabilising structure; a plenum chamber insert configured to be positioned and retained within the plenum chamber; and a vent structure; wherein the plenum chamber insert has a plenum chamber insert port; wherein the plenum chamber insert has an exterior surface configured to be positioned adjacent to an interior surface of the plenum chamber; wherein when the plenum chamber insert is positioned and retained within the plenum chamber, a radial channel is formed by the interior surface of the plenum chamber and the exterior surface of the plenum chamber insert such that gas is able to pass between a patient-proximal side plenum chamber insert and a patient-distal side of the plenum chamber insert via the radial channel during use.

The present invention relates to a patient-contacting element (10) or a patient interface (12) including such a patient-contacting element (10) wherein the required minimum pressure for sealing may be realized for all different values of CPAP pressure. In particular, the present invention relates to a patient-contacting element (10) for a patient interface (12) for delivering a flow of gas to a user (20), said patient-contacting element (10) being configured to provide a substantially air-tight seal with the user's skin during use and comprises an inlet (14) for receiving at least part of the flow of gas (40), at least one gas-permeable element (16) that is disposed within the patient-contacting element (10) and arranged in fluidic communication with the inlet (14), and a first layer (18) of an air-tight material that is arranged between the at least one gas-permeable element (16) and an inner space (52) of the patient-contacting element (10) for receiving a nose and/or a mouth of the user (50), wherein the air-tight material has at least one opening (20) therein.

A gas washout vent, and a patient interface with the gas washout vent, configured to allow patient-exhaled CO.sub.2 to flow to an exterior of the plenum chamber to minimise rebreathing of exhaled CO.sub.2 by the patient, the gas washout vent including at least one outlet orifice; a diffusing member at least partly covering the outlet orifice; and a blocking member having an air-impermeable material, the blocking member preventing gas exiting from the outlet orifice from flowing straight through the diffusing member.