Arizona-Willie - no swivel. The black 'bump' you're seeing next to the tube outlet is the cover for the connector for the Climateline hose.
Paul56 - Behold... the behemoth 90W brick. Well, it's about as big as the one for the M-Series Pro, but with more power, presumeably for the heftier capabilities of the humidifier and climateline hose.
Jnk - Yes, I think you're right. I feel like I'm suffocating at 7cm, so I'm probably better off with nothing lower than 9cm. The question is - I'd rather start at 10.6 and allow it to go lower if the machine thinks I'd be happier. Apparently this is not allowed.
Some morning thoughts...
The machine comes with one filter. It's not the hypoallergenic filter. If you haven't ordered your machine yet, be sure to order the hypoallergenic filters with it. 2 for $5. Sort of pricey for stamp-punched non-woven fiber filter... The price has got to come down on those. That's just ridiculous.S9 readout panel wrote:Usage: 7.1 hours
Mask [read that as 'Large Leaks']: 'Smiley Face'
AHI: 1.9
On the lighter side, It's hard to call even the most respectable-looking machine 'suave' when the hose coming out of it is covered with a hot pink fleece hose cover. (Okay, it was a very cheap fabric remnant I bought from Joanne's Fabrics and made into a hose cover. I have others - all similarly whimsical, but they're all covering standard hoses from my M-Series Pro.) Still, the machine has a heft that is respectable, and it does look very good. I don't have it on the top of the night stand. It's on the lower shelf. It has a matte stainless steel look that blends with today's appliance trends without being flamboyant. It really is smooth. And I got one.
Oddly, the info and edit buttons squeak a little when you press them or touch them lightly. I don't know what the source of the squeaking is, but I think it's mechanical - not an electronic sound effect - an unforeseen design outcome that is merely quirky and does not affect the usefulness of the product. It isn't annoying. It just is. If you turn the dial knob too fast, it makes a mechanical 'zip' noise. I don't know what that means, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to the interface. Dialing slowly is probably better.
In CPAP mode at pressure 10.6, the system makes a high 'dwoop' sound, rising in tone over a 2/3 second period - sort of like a tiny bird - on every exhale. It is only barely noticeable. The machine is otherwise pretty silent. I have not tried it yet in APAP mode, since I'm still comparing it with my old CPAP. I'd like to know if others have had a similar experience. It might become annoying as therapy progresses, or it might go away as the machine ages. We'll see. It also makes a whoosh during exhale, but nothing so obvious as the M-Series.
I wonder if the 'cool-down' system in the humidifier uses a peltier thermoelectric cooling device, because within a few minutes the water went from tepid to frigid. You can feel the difference on the steel bottom of the tank. I suspect they cool it that way so it can dry out the hose some with as little humidity leaking into the hose as possible. Dropping the water temp to very cold would likely achieve this.
I tried putting the data into my computer as soon as I got up. There was no visible data log in the data folder! I think I realize now why. The machine's 'Sleep Quality' had been set to 'Usage' as default. I didn't change it last night. I turned it this morning to 'On'. Tonight, hopefully, I'll have data to report. Terms like 'Usage' and 'On' and 'Sleep Quality' are nowhere to be seen in clinician's manual. What were they thinking? Instead of 'Sleep Quality' how about 'Record'? Instead of 'Usage' and 'On', how about 'Compliance Only' and 'All Data'. There's enough room on the screen, eh?
I found the humidifer dryer than I would have liked - even with the humidity cranked up to 3 out of 6. I think I'll need to diddle with this. My climateline hose hasn't arrived yet, but is on the way. It's probably better to compare the experience with the slimline hose first anyway - again better attempting to compare apples to apples (with my M-Series Pro).
Even without EPR, the air transport was very much smoother than Respironics M-Series Pro. At points, I wondered if it was even on. I checked the exhaust port on my mask, and it was blowing air as expected. I experienced no aerophagia, as would be typical when lying on my side or belly with the M-Series Pro at this pressure. I'm impressed. Tonight I'll try my prescribed pressure of 11.0 and see how it goes.
When I first turned it on with my mask, the air came out toasty. It was nice. I could feel the warmth with my fingers in the mask exhaust ports. That was not the case with the Respironics M-Series.
The slimline hose corrugated tubing seems decidedly flimsy. I've elbowed my standard hoses several times before and never put a dent in one - and I have several. While I have not attempted to dent the slimline hose, when I press the diameter of it between my fingers like a grape, it seems to me I could crush it like cardboard. I could be wrong, and I'd rather not find out while I'm turning over on my elbow one night. The hose is light, so it's probably excellent for travel. It's also a little short for my taste. I like a longer hose. We'll see how it goes.
The bag... On first holding it, it seems thin and flimsy. I'm not sure how it will hold up. It's definitely meant to stay with you as carry-on. It couldn't be checked. It may simply be that every consideration went into lightness for travel. It really is light. The compartment where the manuals go is sewed three inches in from one side, with the remain pocket space sewn shut. That makes no sense to me. The manuals aren't going to move that much when it's all zipped up. It might have been nice to have the extra space for other flat items. Other than that, the design of the bag is entirely brilliant. I get the impression someone might have actually designed the bag while using a prototype of the machine for themselves. The only other consideration might have been nice to have space for a liter water bottle like the one SleepGuy offers.
Some screen captures of ResScan 3.1 doing its thing...
Clicking on the 'start' button at the top brings me to my patient page:
I clicked 'Download Data' and it took just a few seconds. Then I clicked 'Review Data'.
This is the screen that came up about statistics below.
I'm paying particular attention to the 1.4 AI with emphasis in red that they're all centrals. Hmmm... I'd be less worried if I thought I had major leak lines, but I've got that down pat, as evidenced by my leak line graphs from the M-Series Pro.
This is the 'summary graphs' view. I hovered over the 'Usage' data to bring up the popup about mask events.
Obviously, I have no detailed graphs for last night, considering it was not set to record details. More tomorrow.
For those concerned about the central apnea detection method, I was not able to sense any difference in pressure. The frequency/amplitude or combination they use may be too high or low for humans to detect while asleep. I don't know. Nothing woke me during the night until the bathroom break.
So those are my first impressions after the first night.