US-20260124422-A1 - SELF-CONTAINED FACE MASK SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC DROPLET DISPENSER FOR HUMIDIFICATION

US20260124422A1US 20260124422 A1US20260124422 A1US 20260124422A1US-20260124422-A1

Abstract

Introduced here is a face mask system having a mask enclosure that contains, or otherwise directly supports, an automated liquid-droplet dispensing mechanism (ADM) for humidification. In operation, the enclosure and ADM are compact and lightweight so that when worn by a user can be supported entirely by the user's head and neck. The enclosure can be comprised of one or more layers of breathable fabric adapted to flexibly conform to the face of a user when worn and form a cavity that is adjacent to the user's nostrils and mouth. The ADM can be comprised of a reservoir in which liquid is stored, a respiratory cycle detector, a timer and controller, and a droplet dispenser that controllably dispenses droplets of the liquid from the reservoir into the cavity for inhalation by the user.

Inventors

Dean Hafeman
Seongsik Chang

Assignees

Health Micro Devices Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260105

Claims (20)

1 . A self-contained system comprising: a mask enclosure that, when worn by a user, is adapted to flexibly conform to a face of the user to form a cavity that includes the mouth and nose of the user; and a dispensing mechanism that is attached to, and supported by, the mask enclosure and that includes: (i) a reservoir for storage of a liquid, (ii) a droplet generator, (iii) a sensor that is able to monitor a breathing cycle of the user, (iv) a controller that is in electronic communication with the sensor and the droplet generator, and (v) a battery, or a rechargeable power source, to which the droplet generator, the sensor, and the controller are electrically connected, wherein the dispensing mechanism provides for dispensation of droplets of the liquid stored in the reservoir into the cavity in response to measurements made by the sensor, wherein the measurements are representative of a characteristic of air that is exhaled or inhaled through the mouth or nose of the user, and wherein dispensation of the droplets begins roughly when an inhalation phase of the breathing cycle of the user commences, so as to humidify air drawn into the mouth or nose during the inhalation phase.
2 . The self-contained system of claim 1 , wherein the droplet generator includes (i) a plate with a first side that has one or more ingress holes through which the liquid is able to enter the plate, and a second side that has one or more egress holes through which the liquid is able to exit the plate, wherein the one or more ingress holes on the first side are fluidly connected to the one or more egress holes on the second side, and (ii) a vibration element configured to induce movement of the liquid through the plate through ultrasonic vibration.
3 . A self-contained system comprising: a mask enclosure that, when worn by a user, is adapted to flexibly conform to the face of the user to form a cavity between the mask enclosure and the face of the user; a reservoir for storage of a liquid, wherein the reservoir is attached to, and supported by, the mask enclosure; and a droplet generator that is configured to initiate a programmed sequence for dispensing the liquid from the reservoir, in the form of droplets, into the cavity, wherein the droplet generator and the reservoir are supported by the mask enclosure.
4 . The self-contained system of claim 3 , further comprising: a sensor that is configured to generate measurements that are representative of a characteristic of air that is exhaled through the nostrils or mouth of the user.
5 . The self-contained system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor that is located along an interior surface of the mask enclosure, and wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure temperature of air inside the cavity of the mask enclosure, the temperature being indicative of whether air is presently being exhaled through the nostrils or mouth of the user.
6 . The self-contained system of claim 5 , further comprising: a second temperature sensor that is located along an exterior surface of the mask enclosure, wherein the second temperature sensor is configured to measure temperature of ambient air outside the cavity of the mask enclosure, and a controller to which cavity temperature measurements generated by the temperature sensor and ambient temperature measurements generated by the second temperature sensor are provided as input, the controller being configured to establish a present phase of a breathing cycle based on a comparison of the cavity temperature measurements and the ambient temperature measurements.
7 . The self-contained system of claim 3 , wherein the droplet generator includes (i) a plate with a first side that has one or more ingress holes through which the liquid is able to enter the plate, and a second side that has one or more egress holes through which the liquid is able to exit the plate, wherein the one or more ingress holes on the first side are fluidly connected to the one or more egress holes on the second side, and (ii) a vibration element configured to induce movement of the liquid through the plate through ultrasonic vibration.
8 . The self-contained system of claim 3 , further comprising: a battery, or a rechargeable power source, to which the droplet generator is electrically connected.
9 . A system comprising: an enclosure that, when worn by a user, is adapted to flexibly conform to the face of the user to form a cavity between the enclosure and the nose and mouth of the user; and an automated liquid-droplet dispensing mechanism (ADM), including a liquid reservoir and a droplet generator for dispensing droplets of liquid from the reservoir into the cavity, and wherein the enclosure is adapted to wrap around the head and/or neck of the user, or includes one or more extension straps that can be extended around the head and/or neck of the user, so as to support a weight of the ADM so that the user can be freely mobile during use of the system.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more extension straps are securable to one another with an enclosure-fastener device.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the enclosure-fastener device is a Velcro-type fastener.
12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the ADM further includes: a sensor that is configured to generate measurements that are representative of a characteristic of air that is exhaled through the nose or mouth of the user, and a controller that is configured to generate a signal in response to the measurements made by the sensor, and wherein the droplet generator is configured to initiate, in response to receiving the signal from the controller, dispensation of liquid droplets from the liquid reservoir into the cavity.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the sensor is an accelerometer that is connected to, or integrated within, the enclosure and outputs values that are indicative of whether air is presently being exhaled or inhaled through the mouth or nose of the user.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the accelerometer is mounted to a flexible membrane embedded in the enclosure, and wherein the accelerometer is configured to generate measurements that are indicative of motion of the flexible membrane.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the accelerometer is connected to a flap situated in an exhaust valve in the enclosure, and wherein the accelerometer measures motion of the flap, the motion being indicative of whether air is presently being exhaled or inhaled through the mouth or nose of the user.
16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein dispensation of the droplets occurs during an inhalation phase of a breathing cycle of the user, so as to humidify air drawn into the mouth or nose during the inhalation phase.
17 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the droplet generator is comprised of (i) a plate with a first side that has one or more ingress holes through which the liquid is able to enter the plate, and a second side that has one or more egress holes through which the liquid is able to exit the plate, wherein the one or more ingress holes on the first side are fluidly connected to the one or more egress holes on the second side, and (ii) a vibration element configured to induce movement of the liquid through the plate through ultrasonic vibration.
18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor that is located along an interior surface of the enclosure, and wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure temperature of air inside the cavity of the enclosure, the temperature being indicative of whether air is presently being exhaled through the nostrils or mouth of the user.
19 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising: a second temperature sensor that is located along an exterior surface of the enclosure, wherein the second temperature sensor is configured to measure temperature of ambient air outside the cavity of the enclosure; and a controller to which cavity temperature measurements generated by the temperature sensor and ambient temperature measurements generated by the second temperature sensor are provided as input, the controller being configured to establish a present phase of a breathing cycle based on a comparison of the cavity temperature measurements and the ambient temperature measurements.
20 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising: a battery, or a rechargeable power source, to which the droplet generator is electrically connected.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/813,450, filed Jul. 19, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/496,663, filed Oct. 7, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,433,212, issued Sep. 6, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD Various embodiments relate to the field of healthcare devices and, more particularly, to the fields of liquid spray and atomization of inhaled liquids, finding utility in humidification and misting of aerosols and dispensing of medical treatments by route of inhalation. BACKGROUND Many civilizations, ethnic groups, and regional inhabitants, including the Romans, Germans, Japanese, Turks, and Swedes, have long recognized the healthy properties of elevated humidity provided by communal hot baths, hot springs, and steam saunas. It is also a well-known fact, since at least the time of Hippocrates 2,400 years ago, that infectious diseases occur seasonally. Different diseases occur at completely different times of the year. Those caused by respiratory viruses, like the seasonal flu, respiratory synclinal virus, or the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) viruses, are strongly correlated with seasons of low absolute humidity, particularly the dry air of the winter months (J. Cohen, Science, 36, 1294-1297, 2020 and J. Shaman, E Goldstein, & M. Lipsitch, Amer. J. Epidem. 173, 127-135, 2011.) The mechanisms for increased transmission of respiratory viruses in dry environments are incompletely understood, but it is recognized generally that dehydration leaves the respiratory airways more susceptible to infectious agents, particularly to viral infectious agents, such as the flu or the SARS viruses. For example, certain genetic traits, such as those occurring in cystic fibrosis, result in depletion in the volume of airway surface liquid (ASL) that bathes the surface of epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract. The reduction in ASL volume results in an increase in viscosity that impairs mucus clearance from the lungs that leads to chronic airway infections. Humidistat and humidifier devices help to maintain the humidity in heated buildings. Providing optimal and consistent humidity, however, remains a substantial problem in many human environments, particularly in refrigerated or air-conditioned buildings. The problems are most acute in cold-room or freezer workplaces that render the air in those environments very dry. Facilities such as cold storage or meat-packing plants, where workers are in close proximity, frequently are focal points for the transmission of respiratory infections. At present, there are no convenient or practical means for such workers to maintain optimal hydration of their respiratory tracts while working in such dry environments. Similarly, airline passengers and crew are exposed to very dry air over many hours particularly during long transcontinental or international flights. The relative humidity levels within airline cabins, while in flight, generally are quite low because of the very cold air present at normal flight altitudes (e.g., more than 30,000 feet above sea level). This extremely dry air is compressed and used to provide fresh air within airline cabins during normal airline flights. The low humidity generally leads to an unhealthy condition within airplane cabins that similarly is conducive to the spread of respiratory diseases. Increasing the humidity of entire airplane cabins would improve the respiratory health of passengers and crew and likely would decrease the spreading of respiratory bacterial and viral infections. A substantial fraction of water vapor, added to airline cabins, however, would condense on the cold, peripheral structural elements of the airplane cabin causing shorting and corrosion problems with wiring, as well as increasing structural corrosion. Therefore, despite a great need, there are no practical or convenient means within the prior art for providing optimal humidity to those individuals that need to maintain their mobility while situated in cold or dry environments. Particularly needed is a practical and convenient way to introduce sustained humidity to the upper respiratory tract, including the nasal passages, nasal sinuses, nasopharynx, and pharynx. These are the portions of the upper respiratory tract are the first targets of a respiratory virus entering the respiratory airway, and thus their maintenance is critical to prevention of respiratory infections. Small, hand-held inhaler devices filled with an aqueous liquid are widely available and could be carried into workplaces and aboard airplanes, trains, cars, and the like. Such inhalers, however, require the user continually to coordinate hand-pump compressions with the inhalation phase (also referred to as the “inhalation segment”) of the breathing cycle (also referred to as the “respiratory cycle”) during use. Because inhaler operation consu