HAVE A SAY IN INNOVATION ! ! ! !

[Vader]

If only SOMEONE would come up with a full face mask like the Activa™!
I've called Resmed and they told me they get tons of requests for that very thing.

Evidently they're not listening, or they don't know how to do it.

...or maybe they don't care about us?

[sidesleeper]

seems like we'll be infringing on quite a few patents....

[DME Daddy]

I want a comfortable, gravity free bed in my own bedroom so that I will not have apneas and can go hoseless. Oh YA!

[justsharon]

I'd like a mask, similar to my comfortlite2 but without the hard rigid plastic forehead part that just doesn't quite mold to my head...maybe something in a soft gel and lighter weight......ooooohhhh maybe an inflatable part for the forehead, more cushion that way. and the pillows that keep my nose sore, perhaps something made like those ear plugs that start small then enlarge and seal in your ears? My husband never complained about his ears getting sore. Okay thats my suggestion.

Sharon

[Guest]

BEAVNUT33 You are Very Intelligent to go to the end user to find out whats needed. My idea is to have a face fitting frame with seal and headgear that attaches to a lightweight flexible membrane which has the hose fitting. For the membrane, think Walmart bag but more durable. This 'membrane' or 'bag' would allow us to have our face in virtually any position against the bed pillow and would still be able to supply us with air. I believe the frame should cover the nose and mouth. This would eliminate pain on our nostrils from nasal interfaces and would allow open mouth while asleep. Thank you for considering our needs!

[arthuranxious]

I want something like nasal pillows but with lots of alternative sizes for different size nares, and a pure fabric stretchy strap with no clasps to stick into your hair... and I want all sleep labs and DMEs to have a little gadget , like the shoe-stores use to measure your feet, to see the width of your face the size of your nostrils, the space between them etc. to fit you better, instead of waiting for you to complain how sore you are and then switching to something new

[beavnut33]

THANK YOU to everyone who has posted in this forum. They have been most helpful. KEEP 'EM COMING. Now that i see that there is much interest in this subject, I will try to post my works so that you all can have a look. THANKS AGAIN. . . . : )

[sinkem]

beavnut33,
You are going to have a big project if you are trying to make everyone happy. We all want you to succeed. As stated before the biggest problems are leaks. People using nasal masks are using everything but staples and glue to stop mouth leaks. Oral mask users can't find a good clamp to stop nose leaks. Full face mask, as you say, are so bulky and have their own leak problems into eyes. Sleeping with your face on a pillow seems to push a mask off and or change the shape of the face and break the seal. Some things I would like you to consider are:
Combining an oral and nasal interface. Maybe talking to a dentist and see if a mouth guard can be built in to hold the jaw in its proper location. I don't know if that would help with a stable seal when side sleeping.
Is it possible to have a small vent hose? As in, attach it to the main hose for about 3 feet with a diffuser for noise.
Location of clips seems to be a factor. Some add pantyhose or ace bandage to supplement the headgear straps. Does there need to be an extra or more stable location to attach too?

Good luck and can we have it some time next week? LOL

[BrewSwain]

Think outside the box. How about a bag that covers the entire head and seals around the neck?
I am Serious!
Elastic around the neck would be an easy seal and all ya gotta do is connect the hose to it.
Serious thought would need to be aplied to solving the problem of what to do if the machine quit running: power outage but taping the mouth shut scares me for the same reason.

[nomad]

If you can go to a dentist and have them make a custom fitting set of dentures, why can't you go to your doctor and have them make a plaster mold of your face, send it off and end up with the PERFECT fitting mask for your face? It really can't be all that hard to do. And if I had to pay double or triple of what a regular mask runs, then I'd do it in a heartbeat if I knew I'd be getting a mask that wouldn't leak.

Don't forget the exhalation ports. Angle them upward so the air won't blow on your partner. Design them so the air is diffused similar to the Fisher & Paykel 431 (or even improve upon that design). And most importantly, design them so they are EXTREMELY QUIET!!! I have a couple of masks that sound like jet engines.

You should also make the hose connector swivel quiet and smooth. Some masks squeak when the hose is moved.

Make the headgear durable. Some have velcro straps that fail after just a short time... the Hybrid for example. Make the straps wide and soft.

Finally, design a mask that's quick and easy to take apart and clean. Then make it just as quick and easy to reassemble.

[birdshell]

A FULL FACE MASK THAT MOLDS AROUND YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH JUST LIKE YOU WOULD MAKE A SILICON CAST, OR PARTY MASK TYPE..

Interesting concept. If we have custom fitted our feet for ski boots and orthotics, why not our faces for a LIFE SAVING comfort and effectiveness feature?

And then, how about fitting the nasal pillows to the exact shape of the nares, since so many of us experience soreness with them? Could there not at least be different shapes for slotted vs. rounded nares? Or custom fitted connections that would fit the user's nares and connect to the interface. I, for one, have 2 different sized nares and yet cannot get 2 differently sized interfaces for them.

What about a machine/humidifier system that is MUCH more compact for travel? I like my S8, but if the humidifier could pack over the flow generator, and the whole thing was in a padded case (similar to the padded vented humidifier case)--well, BreatheX, step back! I would still have to assemble and disassemble, but at least it would seem worthwhile. This might make the whole thing a bit more than half the size of the two separate pieces.

Having the hose wrap around the whole thing and be held in place would be VERY advantageous. Not to mention, how about a place for the mask/interface and headgear?

And while we are at it: how about making the hose connections differently? Packing up the machine, or even going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, means slowly pulling side to side and forward and back to edge the rubber connector off. Why not have a screw-on hose with silicone washer or seal?

And here is a concept: how about some headgear and interfaces or masks that come with their own adaptations such as the fishing line fix, velcro, pantyhose, interchangeable clips, etc. etc. etc.--for more information, just hunt for Rested Gal's lab ratting posts and look above them!

OK, am I hired yet?

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, hose, seal, Nasal Pillows, Travel

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, hose, seal, Nasal Pillows, Travel

[oldgearhead]

I would like to suggest a couple of improvements for the two masks I am
using at the present time.

The Hybrid:
1) New headgear (that's obvious).
2) Make available 4 different mouthpieces for each size. That is 12 total
instead of the 3 offered now. These new mouthpieces will have a wider
range of curves to fit more faces.
3) A fitting kit should be produced that includes cardboard "curves" that
match all of the possible new mouthpiece choices. The "fitting kit" would
be used by a prospective customer to determine what size mouthpiece
to order. Furthermore, the prospect may conclude none of the choices
will work, before making the purchase. Of course the company would no
longer need to include 3 mouthpieces with each order.
4) Produce a "retainer kit" that includes a set of wire clips that attach
to the mask, for the purpose of adjusting the in/out position of the
pillows.



The Comfortlite 2 with Simple Seal:
1) Add a position to the adjustment assembly, that has no
detent. This would allow the hard tube to swing freely, so that
another strap (added to mask kit) could be used to hold the
Simple Cushion in contact with the face.

The Comfortlite 2 with nasal pillows:
1) Come up with a better way to adjust the angle of the pillows.
Maybe a couple of those very small turnbuckles, like orthodontists
use would could be incorporated.

[OwlCreekObserver]

As several folks have already suggested, I've often wondered why someone doesn't offer custom fitted masks. A good friend of mine sells custom fitted wheel chairs and power chairs for individuals who have medical conditions that result in a severely curved spine. Standard chairs simply don't work for many of those folks.

It's a very specialized field and he works with a company that provides a custom fitted seat and back to match the contours of the person's body. My friend fits each customer individually (making a mold, I believe) which he then sends off to the manufacturer.

As you can imagine, the cost is quite a bit higher than a standard chair, but the client ends up with something that fits him/her perfectly. It seems to me that this might be a business niche worth exploring.

OCO

[DreamStalker]

Custom molded In-Ear sound monitors are also available for listening to music too. I'd stay away from any hot wax type facial mold systems however ... ... especially if you wear a beard ...

- r

[Arizona-Willie]

Molded masks for each individual are a fine idea.. but probably cost prohibitive.

Heck they charge $1000 just to make a crown for your tooth imagine what they would charge to make something to fit your whole face.

Actually, not as bad a project as making a crown because the mask isn't subject to the pressures or environment of a tooth.

But a custom made mask would probably still be very expensive and replacement cushions would be individually made from your mold so they would be expensive too.

Imagine the problems from the suppliers side. They would have to be guaranteed to fit and if it didn't fit you have to start all over and all the waste involved in multiple attempts to make a mask that the individual accepts and is willing to pay for.

You could make a mask that prefectly fit the mold of the persons face but that is a far cry from fitting a living person whose facial contours change with different sleeping positions as gravity drags upon our cheeks.

Making individual masks would be a formidible proposition.

I'd love to have one but wouldn't want to pay for one.

I'm with the person who suggested the whole head environment. I had thought of suggesting a space helmet type thing but figured it was over the top. But that would get rid of all issues of fitting to the nares, mouth breathing, pressure from forehead supports etc. etc.

What to do if the power fails? Simple .. the helmet would have a flap held shut by the air pressure from the machine. Pressure stops, flap falls open allowing air into the helmet.

You can tell we're desperate with all these rube-goldberg ideas