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Oxygen mask
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An oxygen mask provides a method to transfer breathing oxygen gas from a storage tank to the lungs. Oxygen masks may cover the nose and mouth (oral nasal mask) or the entire face (full-face mask). They may be made of plastic, silicone, or rubber.
(Note: In certain circumstances, oxygen may be delivered via a nasal cannula instead of a mask; cannulas are described in a separate article.)
Medical plastic oxygen masks
Plastic masks are used primarily by medical care providers for oxygen therapy because they are disposable and so reduce cleaning costs.
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Encyclopedia
An oxygen mask provides a method to transfer breathing oxygen gas from a storage tank to the lungs. Oxygen masks may cover the nose and mouth (oral nasal mask) or the entire face (full-face mask). They may be made of plastic, silicone, or rubber.
(Note: In certain circumstances, oxygen may be delivered via a nasal cannula instead of a mask; cannulas are described in a separate article.)
Medical plastic oxygen masks
Plastic masks are used primarily by medical care providers for oxygen therapy because they are disposable and so reduce cleaning costs. As they are light in weight, they are more comfortable than some other masks, increasing patient acceptance. Transparent plastic masks also leave the face visible, allowing care providers to better ascertain patients’ conditions.
Silicone and rubber masks
Silicone and rubber oxygen masks are heavier than plastic masks. They are designed to provide a good seal for long-duration use by aviators, medical research subjects, and hyperbaric chamber and other patients that require administration of pure oxygen, such as carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness victims. Valves inside these tight-fitting masks control the flow of gases into and out of the masks, so that rebreathing of exhaled gas is minimised, thus optimising oxygen delivery.
Hoses and tubing and oxygen regulators
Hoses or tubing connect an oxygen mask to the oxygen supply. Hose is larger in diameter than tubing and can allow greater oxygen flow. When hose is used it may have a ribbed or corrugated design to allow bending of the hose while preventing twisting and cutting off the oxygen flow. The quantity of oxygen delivered from the storage tank to the oxygen mask is controlled by a valve called a regulator. Some types of oxygen masks have a breathing bag made of plastic or rubber attached to the mask or oxygen supply hose to store a supply of oxygen to allow deep breathing without waste of oxygen with use of simple fixed flow regulators.
Oxygen masks for aviators
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