viewtopic.php?t=21772
My Opus mouth guard mod (shown here: viewtopic.php?t=22248) is my backup, and while I prefer its nasal pillows, the AHI’s are slightly higher and I tire of having something in my mouth all night. I found myself wishing I could use the Opus pillows with the ball cap headgear. So…here is my Opus ball cap headgear mod. This is essentially the ComfortLite2 with the slightly more flexible and comfortable Opus nasal pillows.
You will need:
The Opus mask assembly without the headgear.
The Velcro hose strap that came with the Opus.
A “one-size-fits-all” baseball cap with an elastic band or a Velcro adjustment strap, (so nothing impacts your head while lying on your back.) If you think a hat will be too warm you can use a cloth visor (with a stiff brim and an elastic or Velcro headband) as well.
A “baster” from Wal-Mart sku #07853. ($2.00)
Two o-rings ¾” I.D. X 1” O.D. (50 cents at hardware store.)
First flatten the cap’s brim. Make a .75” (3/4”) diameter hole in the brim, centered in the middle and 11/16” from the front of the cap (where the brim meets the cap) to the hole’s rear edge, or 1-1/32” to the center of the hole. I would suggest using a ¾” drill bit at high speed. Now make two short 3/4” vertical slits on the top of the cap towards the front, one on either side of the center stitching.
Remove the squeeze bulb from the baster and cut the tube in half with a hacksaw at the “¼ oz/7ml” marking. Using a file or sandpaper smooth the resulting edges on the inside and outside. At the large end roughen the inside of the tube with the file or sandpaper. Wash thoroughly and dry.
Remove the Opus hose from the swivel elbow that holds the nasal pillows. With hard pressure and a twisting motion insert the end of the elbow that had the hose attached into the large end of the tube where you roughened the inside. The swivel portion of the elbow should be pointing toward a flat side of the tube.
Place an o-ring over the smaller end of the tube and slide it down. Slide the smaller end of the tube up through the hole in the brim of the ball cap, with the elbow facing the back of the cap. Slide the second o-ring over the small end of the tube and push both o-rings against the top and bottom of the brim, respectively. The o-rings will maintain the length adjustment of the tube.
Attach the end of the hose that you removed from the elbow to the small end of the tube. Run the hose strap through the two slits in the front top of the hat and attach the hose to the hat using the hose strap. (Skip the slits and hose strap if using a visor or if you just prefer it to hang freely.)
Attach the nasal pillows to the elbow and aim them upward. Put the pillows on your nose and slide the cap over your head. Adjust the length by moving the tube up or down through the hole in the brim, and when satisfied sandwich the brim between the o-rings to maintain the adjustment. There will be some flexibility in adjusting the angle of the tube as well, and the tube can rotate slightly in the hole to balance the pillows on your nostrils. For the best fit I have found that you should shorten the length of the tube until it exerts uncomfortable pressure on your nose, then adjust the angle away from your nose to relieve the pressure while maintaining the upward force on the pillows.
For side sleepers you can sharply bend the outside edges of the brim downward so they are inside of the line of your cheekbones. They bend easily and you won’t have to cut the brim, which will undermine the stability of the brim as a platform.
With this mod to the Opus my AHI's are now consistently below 2. The flexibility of the elbow joint minimizes leaks when moving around, but like always with the Opus pillows I find I have to clean them and my nares around 3am to maintain the seal, so I keep alchohol free baby wipes at my bedside.
Let me know if this works for you.
