3D printed mask
A custom fitted 3D-printed CPAP mask
Tailor made 3D-printed masks are being considered as an effective way to prevent chronic snoring.
By 3D scanning the patient’s face from a range of angles and heights, a 3D printer can produce the perfect mask which match their features exactly. Having the mask tailor made to suit the patient also enhances the comfort measurably.
When in use, the mask is connected to a machine known as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, which is commonly used to treat sleep apnoea, the main cause of chronic snoring.
Sleep apnoea is thought to affect around one in five adults and one in 30 children. It occurs when the throat tissue collapses repeatedly during sleep, blocking the airway for up to ten seconds at a time. This causes the patient to stop breathing temporarily. In more severe cases, this happens every couple of minutes. As the oxygen levels drop, signals are sent to the brain that instruct muscles in the throat to contract in order to reopen the airways and the patient starts breathing again.
The irritating snoring sound is produced as air if forced through the obstructed airway. Left untreated, sleep apnoea can also lead to serious long-term problems, such as heart disease and even cancer.
Patients are often encouraged to make alterations to their lifestyle to prevent or reduce snoring. But if these don’t work, patients are offered CPAP. The mask fits over the nose or mouth and is held in place with straps. A tube connects the mask to a small motor or pump that blows air into the tube under a slight pressure to keep the airway open. Though effective when used, CPAP is notoriously uncomfortable and so most patients stop using the mask.
A 2008 study found 15% of patients abandoned CPAP after using it for up to 15 months, while 31% never started using the mask in the first place.
Now, the 3D-printed versions look set to change that. The masks are on trial at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in the US, with 20 sleep apnoea sufferers testing the process. They will have 3D pictures of their faces taken before the pictures are then sent to a 3D printer and a mask is produced which fits the person’s facial contours.
The patients will wear the masks every night for six months and the amount of time for which CPAP is tolerated during sleep and patients’ comfort levels will be monitored.
“This trial reflects the move towards personalised medicine, with the aim of providing customised treatment options for patients,” said Professor Jaydip Ray, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “It will be very interesting to see the results of the study and its effect on the use of CPAP.”
