Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

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yaconsult
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Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by yaconsult » Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:19 pm

I have a Remstar Auto M Series with A-Flex Therapy Mode: AutoCPAP with C-Flex Model Number: 510M that I have had for quite a few years now. It has 19.000 therapy hours on it and uses the old credit card sized memory card. I have the Resmed software and used to generate reports and look at them.

The card used to work fine, but at some point the machine started turning off, beeping, and put a flashing image of the memory card on the screen. I assumed that the memory card had finally failed from being written to for so long. I had not been accessing the data in a long time. When I brought the memory card in to the sleep clinic for my appointment recently, they were not able to access the data on the card.

I discovered that if I pulled the memory card out, the machine worked fine as I had used the card to program the machine and all my settings were still in the machine. Recently, I found a brand new memory card for the machine that had been sent to me by a friend still in its original Resmed envelope. So, I plugged it into the machine expecting to be able to record data again, but darn if it didn't do the same thing as the other card! Beeping and flashing the card symbol on the display. Sigh...

Can someone tell me what this problem indicates? Does it mean that my machine has some problem such that it can no longer record data on the card? Is there a solution or repair available? Do the cards need to be formatted or set up somehow? Again, the cpap functions correctly without a card, but beeps and flashes when the card is plugged in or shortly after. I have even had it be ok with the card when I went to sleep but be woken up in the middle of the night when it turns off and starts flashing and beeping.

I recently had a new sleep study done since it had been many years since my first one and it confirmed severe sleep apnea and the doctor wrote a prescription for an AirSense 10, but I will have to wait to see what the insurance says and all that so it could take some time or not happen until I can afford it.

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kteague
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by kteague » Mon Jan 26, 2015 4:37 pm

Yes, checking with your insurance is wise. If the prior machine was purchased by this same insurance they will likely want a time requirement (often 5 years), failure of machine, or medical necessity for a machine change. Maybe your machine malfunction would quality you for a replacement. If your current insurance did not purchase the troubled machine, then they likely won't care.

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yaconsult
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by yaconsult » Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:57 pm

The machine with the memory card problem is one I purchased myself. Clearly, after 5+ years and 19,000 hours of use, it is no longer under warranty. The doctor thinks I should get a new machine, but doing so will take time. My average pressure runs about 13.5.

So my questions are if, in the meantime, I can do anything with my current machine to get the data card working again? I am seeking more information about what the beeping and display flashing are indicating the problem is. It happens even with a new card, so I don't think it's the card.

1. What is the problem indicated by the beeping and flashing lights with card icon on display? Card can't be read? Or something else?

2. If it's a known problem, is there a workaround or solution? Or is the problem in the hardware?

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palerider
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by palerider » Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:00 pm

yaconsult wrote:1. What is the problem indicated by the beeping and flashing lights with card icon on display? Card can't be read? Or something else?

2. If it's a known problem, is there a workaround or solution? Or is the problem in the hardware?
mine did the same thing... my *guess* is the card is bad, the machine will operate without the card.

new cards can be bought at cpap.com, I believe.

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yaconsult
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by yaconsult » Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:50 pm

palerider wrote:
yaconsult wrote:1. What is the problem indicated by the beeping and flashing lights with card icon on display? Card can't be read? Or something else?

2. If it's a known problem, is there a workaround or solution? Or is the problem in the hardware?
mine did the same thing... my *guess* is the card is bad, the machine will operate without the card.

new cards can be bought at cpap.com, I believe.
Thank you for the reply. In my original post, I mentioned that I had a brand new data card still in the folder. When I try to use this memory card, it does exactly the same thing as the one that has been in the machine for years.

Doesn't this make it very unlikely that the problem is the card? They don't need to be initialized or set up somehow before use, do they?

I have been using the machine without the memory card and it's working fine, but I only have the data from the built-in display to work with. I am just trying to figure out what this mean. That the machine is reaching end of life after 19,000 hours? That the memory cards are very unreliable. Or something else?

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Wulfman...
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by Wulfman... » Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:57 pm

You could try cleaning the read/write heads in the machine.
Cut a piece of cardboard from the back of a legal pad the size of the card. Then, use some alcohol and wet the area on the cardboard where the gold area would be on the actual card. Then insert and remove it in the slot a number of times......let it dry and try it. You can also use a little alcohol on a piece of cloth or paper towel and try cleaning the gold area on the card, too. Sometimes, a pencil eraser rubbed on the gold area have been known to work, too. (just make sure you use some alcohol and paper towel to make sure the eraser residue is removed from that area).

PS. Also, make sure the card is inserted properly.


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palerider
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by palerider » Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:05 pm

yaconsult wrote:
palerider wrote:
yaconsult wrote:1. What is the problem indicated by the beeping and flashing lights with card icon on display? Card can't be read? Or something else?

2. If it's a known problem, is there a workaround or solution? Or is the problem in the hardware?
mine did the same thing... my *guess* is the card is bad, the machine will operate without the card.

new cards can be bought at cpap.com, I believe.
Thank you for the reply. In my original post, I mentioned that I had a brand new data card still in the folder. When I try to use this memory card, it does exactly the same thing as the one that has been in the machine for years.
sorry, I missed that. I don't remember if I ever took the card module apart on mine.... (it seems like something I'd do) if I remember right, the modules pop in and out of the machine fairly easily, it's possible the connector where the module itself plugs in has gotten a bad connection and removing it and putting it back in might help.

yes, lift up on the little tab on the bottom of the machine and the card module pops right out. (you have to remove the cpap from the humidifier)

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archangle
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by archangle » Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:57 am

Dirt, oxide, or wear of the contacts is a possibility. If you can't get the reader out to clean it like palerider says, "deoxit gold" is one of the safer things to try. Put a little on the contacts on the card and swipe it in and out a few times. Don't try spraying it into the machine.

If you can get a good, modern machine, they have a LOT of advantages. Be sure to read the useful links in my signature line to avoid getting screwed with a bad machine. Note that the AirSense 10 "CPAP" base model is a bad machine. You want at least the elite.

You'll love the extra data you get from SleepyHead or ResScan vs. what the M series machine will give you.

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yaconsult
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by yaconsult » Tue Jan 27, 2015 11:42 am

Thank you for the useful replies! I'll look into the disassembly/contact/card cleaning today.

However, I thought that even if the card assembly in my machine had a problem the doctor's office should be able to read the older data off the card so I was surprised when they said they could get nothing off of it.

It could well be multiple problems, card assembly and old, wornout card, - those are always the hardest things to troubleshoot.

I have used the Encore Pro software in the past, so I'm familiar with the data produced by my Remstar 510M. Are you saying that the new machines collect more or different data? I'm a computer guy so the more data, the better! LOL

I just looked at the prescription that was sent out after the sleep study and it said, "ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet with climate control and compliance card", so it looks like he specified the correct model that we would like. Whether or not the insurance will approve it is another matter, of course.

Here are the numbers from my recent sleep study - pretty bad, huh? Sleep studies are pure torture when your apnea is this severe! I use my cpap 100% of the time at home and it works wonderfully for me.
RESPIRATORY ANALYSIS: (index = #/hr)
Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2
*AHI 4% or greater: 62.4
NREM AHI: 80.2
REM AHI: -
Non-Supine AHI: 77.0
Supine AHI: 81.9
Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI): 80.8
NREM RDI: 80.8
REM RDI: -

Apneas (index, #): 58.8 (96)
Obstructive Apneas (index, #): 47.1 (77)
Mixed Apneas (index, #): 0.0 (0)
Central Apneas (index, #): 11.6 (19)
Hypopneas (index, #): 21.4 (35)
RERAs (index, #): 0.6 (1)

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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by Sleeprider » Tue Jan 27, 2015 12:02 pm

I used my Auto M Series until December 15 this year. Like yours it had over 19000 hours when I retired it in favor of a used PRS1 60 series Auto that came available on the forum. You will never look back once you get the new machine. My data card was still working and I downloaded the data before retiring the machine. I was running an average treated AHI of over 3.5. With the new machine, I am frequently less than 1.0.

Keep pushing insurance for the referral to a DME. I would call them and ask for a list of qualified DMEs you can use, then choose one and get the DME to help push for authorization. You should have a copy of your prescription in your hot little hands along with those results from the sleep study. You might be able to accelerate the replacement of your old machine.

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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by palerider » Tue Jan 27, 2015 12:26 pm

yaconsult wrote:Are you saying that the new machines collect more or different data? I'm a computer guy so the more data, the better! LOL
um... yeah... here's a LITTLE of what newer machine and better software gives you:

Image
and zoomed in:

Image

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archangle
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by archangle » Tue Jan 27, 2015 2:05 pm

yaconsult wrote:I have used the Encore Pro software in the past, so I'm familiar with the data produced by my Remstar 510M. Are you saying that the new machines collect more or different data? I'm a computer guy so the more data, the better! LOL

I just looked at the prescription that was sent out after the sleep study and it said, "ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet with climate control and compliance card", so it looks like he specified the correct model that we would like. Whether or not the insurance will approve it is another matter, of course.
Yes, the AirSense 10 AutoSet is an excellent machine. The AutoSet for Her is slightly better, even for a guy, if you can get it.

Insurance and DME's are complicated in the US. Read the things in the useful links in my signature line below. The insurance will probably approve it, but the DME makes more money on cheaper machine, and they may maneuver you into a cheaper machine.

When you go to get it, look on the front on the lower right and be sure it says AirSense 10 AutoSet in the lower right corner. Some DME's will lie to you.

If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.

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yaconsult
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by yaconsult » Tue Jan 27, 2015 3:31 pm

That looks like a big improvement over the Encore Pro reports - I can't wait! I did a quick search and downloaded the clinical manual for the airsense 10 autoset.

I'm curious about what is considered the end of life for cpap machines? My machine has 19,000 therapy hours on it! How many hours can they be expected to continue to work properly? I just did a quick google search and found this:
How long will my CPAP last?
The average life expectancy of a CPAP or BIPAP machine is approximately 20,000 hours, or roughly 7-8 years full time use. That said, many times, if properly cared for, these devices will last much longer. Many properly maintained machines will last upwards of 50,000 hours.
And I wonder if a machine has reached its end of life, do they usually fail all at once or gradually? Do they have any built-in diagnostics or checks to know when they have a problem? So far, mine has only complained about the memory card.

My original cpap machine provided by insurance was a horrible, dumb set pressure machine. I bought the Remstar 510M using my FSA account.

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Last edited by yaconsult on Tue Jan 27, 2015 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by Sleeprider » Tue Jan 27, 2015 3:48 pm

At 19K hours your machine is ready to be replaced. I don't know the MTBF for CPAP components, but they are pretty reliable. The best thing would be to keep the old one as a backup. Nothing mechanical lasts forever or is 100% reliable.

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yaconsult
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Re: Remstar 510M beeping and flashing about the memory card

Post by yaconsult » Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:18 pm

archangle wrote:Dirt, oxide, or wear of the contacts is a possibility. If you can't get the reader out to clean it like palerider says, "deoxit gold" is one of the safer things to try. Put a little on the contacts on the card and swipe it in and out a few times. Don't try spraying it into the machine.
Thanks for this info. I had never disassembled it before but it was super easy - just needed the right size hex and screwdriver. Now I'll give all the contacts a good cleaning, put it back together and see if it makes any difference. I doubt that wearing of the contacts is the issue as the card was not inserted and removed that many times as I stopped checked the data often after a few months.

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