Airsense 10 for her

[Super zzz]

The Mrs. needs to start using a APAP. I am three years in using my System One. I am trying be helpful with helping her pick equipment. We are looking at the Airsense 10 autoset. Is the “for her version” really used that much by women. I understand the differences.

[Pugsy]

I am using the for Her model and in the for Her mode. I am female.
I know that ResMed target marketed this model with the extra apap mode for women but I fail to see where a guy wouldn't maybe benefit from it.

That extra mode might or might not be something that really helps your wife out. To my thinking it's just an extra weapon available that might come in handy. If the cost is the same for your weapons...why not get as many as you can just in case you might need the extra weapon?

The biggest difference (for me anyway) in the for Her mode happens when I am asleep. If I have 2 OAs within a minute (and I often do) then the machine will increase the minimum pressure for the rest of the night in an effort to keep it from happening again....which it does accomplish that goal. Now it's not every night that I see this happen but often enough that I appreciate it.

I have a couple of examples if you wish to see it.

My advice though...anyone (male or female) should get the for Her version just for the extra weapon availability if at all possible.

[Super zzz]

Pugsy, you are such a blessing. Thank you for the great response.

[prodigyplace]

I wonder if the "For Her" firmware could be flashed onto an AutoSet to gain the additional feature?

Is there any third party repair center that may offer this service?

[Pugsy]

I wonder if the "For Her" firmware could be flashed onto an AutoSet to gain the additional feature?

Is there any third party repair center that may offer this service?

My suspicions are (my suspicions and zero proof) is that all the AirSense machines are have the same guts on the inside and the only difference is probably the software installed. It just makes more business sense to manufacture one product and vary the models by software installed.

And if I was ResMed and that was what I was doing I don't think I would allow repair centers to have the software to do that.
They could have the parts to fix stuff and the manuals but I would keep the software under lock and key.

Now a repair center might be allowed to update a software version if need be but ResMed rarely has released any updates and they now offer it over the cellular thing in the AirSense machines which comes from ResMed itself. They keep everything pretty close to them to avoid people finding work arounds like you mentioned. They want control of everything that they can possibly control. If they didn't make such good products I would say go screw 'em because of their practices and restrictions but while I have been known to cut off my nose to spite my face I just won't do it with my sleep/health. It's already fragile enough.

[jnk...]

My advice though...anyone (male or female) should get the for Her version just for the extra weapon availability if at all possible.

If they didn't make such good products I would say go screw 'em because of their practices and restrictions

+1 on both points. Well said.

[Snoregone Conclusion]

I wonder if the "For Her" firmware could be flashed onto an AutoSet to gain the additional feature?

Is there any third party repair center that may offer this service?

My suspicions are (my suspicions and zero proof) is that all the AirSense machines are have the same guts on the inside and the only difference is probably the software installed. It just makes more business sense to manufacture one product and vary the models by software installed.

And if I was ResMed and that was what I was doing I don't think I would allow repair centers to have the software to do that.
They could have the parts to fix stuff and the manuals but I would keep the software under lock and key.

Now a repair center might be allowed to update a software version if need be but ResMed rarely has released any updates and they now offer it over the cellular thing in the AirSense machines which comes from ResMed itself. They keep everything pretty close to them to avoid people finding work arounds like you mentioned. They want control of everything that they can possibly control. If they didn't make such good products I would say go screw 'em because of their practices and restrictions but while I have been known to cut off my nose to spite my face I just won't do it with my sleep/health. It's already fragile enough.

I would go further and suggest the hardware and software differences are even less pronounced than that, with code that is identical between both models that is executed based on detecting the model of machine:

if(AirSenseForHer)
{
//do this
}
else
{
//the other machine, do this instead
}

This is something that’s been done in the hardware/software industry for decades. In addition, in the medical device industry, there’s an extra incentive to do this: hardware/software is very heavily regulated for safety, which is very costly, to where the actual hardware cost isn’t that significant, it’s all the regulatory overhead that’s a huge cost, and all the time that it takes in proving the hardware and software is “safe” and making the regulators happy: if you can show it’s actually the same hardware and software, that it’s just a software switch, you can shortcircuit the amount of time/money going through that process, and maybe only do it once between two “different” machines.