Animal respiratory treatment masks and system

Abstract

The invention involves masks and systems for providing respiratory treatments to various large animals including horses, mules, ponies and cattle. The masks are easy to clean for reuse and low in cost due to simple designs, a very low thickness requiring less material and the systems include the masks of the invention.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A mask for covering the nose, mouth and a portion of its head above the nose of an animal for use in providing respiratory treatment to the animal, the mask being made of a flexible polymer, walls of the mask having a thickness of less than about 1.143 millimeters, the mask having a bottom wall at the lower end of the mask with two openings in the bottom wall, one opening being a drain and the other opening allowing a gaseous medicinal treatment mixture flow to enter the bottom wall near the animal's nose, the mask having a securement for holding the mask onto the animal. 
     
     
         2 . The mask of  claim 1  wherein the bottom wall is comprised of a first portion and a second portion, a plane of the second portion forming an angle with a plane of the first portion, the opening for the gaseous treatment located in the second, angled portion and located closer to a top of the mask than the distance from the drain opening in the first portion of the bottom wall of the mask to the top of the mask. 
     
     
         3 . The mask of  claim 1  wherein the mask is made for a horse and weighs less than about 150 grams. 
     
     
         4 . The mask of  claim 2  wherein the mask is made for a horse and weighs less than about 150 grams. 
     
     
         5 . The mask of  claim 1  wherein the mask is for treating a colt or a similar size animal and has a foam gasket on and circling inner walls of a top portion of the mask. 
     
     
         6 . The mask of  claim 2  wherein the mask is for treating a colt or a similar size animal and has a foam gasket on and circling inner walls of a top portion of the mask. 
     
     
         7 . The mask of  claim 3  wherein some walls have a thickness of about 0.889 mm or less. 
     
     
         8 . The mask of  claim 4  wherein some walls have a thickness of about 0.889 mm or less. 
     
     
         9 . The mask of  claim 3  wherein the mask is made of polyethylene. 
     
     
         10 . The mask of  claim 4  wherein the mask is made of polyethylene. 
     
     
         11 . The mask of  claim 7  wherein the mask is made of polyethylene. 
     
     
         12 . The mask of  claim 8  wherein the mask is made of polyethylene 
     
     
         13 . A mask for covering the nose, mouth and a portion of its head above the nose of an animal for providing respiratory treatment, the mask being made of a flexible polymer and comprising walls integral with a bottom wall at a lower portion of the mask, the bottom wall comprised of a flat portion and an upward angled portion, the bottom wall having at least two openings, one openings being a drain with the entirety of the opening being in the flat portion of the bottom wall and the other opening being in the upward angled portion to allow a gaseous medicinal treatment mixture to enter the mask near the animals nose, the location of the gaseous treatment opening being located closer to a top of the mask than the drain opening, the mask having a securement for holding the mask onto the animal. 
     
     
         14 . The mask of  claim 13  wherein the animal is a horse, a colt or a similar size animal. 
     
     
         15 . The mask of  claim 13  wherein the thickness of some walls of the mask are less than about 1.143 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The mask of  claim 14  wherein the thickness of some walls of the mask are less than 1.143 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The mask of  claim 13  wherein the mask is for a horse, is made of polyethylene and the thickness of some walls are about 0.889 mm or less. 
     
     
         18 . The mask of  claim 14  wherein the mask is for a horse, is made of polyethylene and the thickness of some walls are about 0.889 mm or less. 
     
     
         19 . A system for treating an animal with a respiratory mixture, the system comprising a mask for covering the nose, mouth and a portion of a head above the nose of an animal, the mask being made of a polymer and comprising walls integral with a bottom wall at a lower portion of the mask, the bottom wall having least two openings, one opening being a drain and the other opening spaced from the drain opening to allow a gaseous medicinal treatment mixture to enter the mask near the animals nose, the mask having a securement for holding the mask onto the animal, a medicine cup connected to the other opening, an air compressor and a heat sink and/or a heat exchanger to remove excess heat from the air stream coming from the air compressor between the air compressor and a hose or tubing leading to the medicine cup wherein the mask without said securement weighs no more than 150 grams. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the mask is made of a flexible polymer and comprising walls integral with a bottom wall at a lower portion of the mask, the bottom wall comprised of a flat portion and an upward angled portion, the bottom wall having at least two openings, one opening being a drain in the flat portion and the other opening being in the upward angled portion to allow a gaseous medicinal treatment mixture to enter the mask near the animals nose, the location of the gaseous treatment opening being located closer to a top of the mask than the drain opening, some walls of the mask having a thickness of less than about 1.143 mm, the mask having a securement for holding the mask onto the animal.