I was wondering if I could get some opinions on a universal CPAP recording device.
The device would plug into any CPAP machine with a data port and store information like the smart cards do now.
The only important difference is the device would transmit its stored data on demand to a networked local or remote PC.
This would have the following benefits:
1) No need to have a reader or a card, access to the data would be a simple IP address look up .
2) Data could be accessed from anywhere in the world via the net. Your doctor for example could remotely adjust your machine while you are sleeping in your own bed. This feature could be turned off and accessed only when you give permission.
3) One device would interface to any brand CPAP machine with software configuration from the PC.
Since the operating system wouldn't be conventional, viruses and the like should be minimized.

I would like to get some comments from actual card reader/ software users..
Since I'm in the market for a reader/smart card for my S8 Autoset II and product development is what I do, I started thinking of a better solution.

Maybe its a stupid idea or maybe there already is such a thing...
Please be kind...

Thanks,
Phil

I like your idea. I would also like to add the possibility of storing the data on a flash drive to manually take to a computer as well.

Excellent.
Yes that would be simple.
I wonder why the machines don't use a USB port now? Its cheap and easy. Card readers are so out of date. Even cameras are becoming available with WI/FI built in.

Respironics has Encore Anywhere a wired modem that does essentially this, supposedly a wireless version is in the makes, and Resmed has a wireless modem called Restraxx that also transmits data wirelessly to a PC.

I do however feel that both should be made to have a patient view website of those who have these devices, which neither has nor as far as i'm aware plans to have.

That's what I was afraid of.
The electronics industry moves so fast by the time you get a product to market, technology advances make the idea obsolete.
The ideal solution is the machine itself to be an IP device, essentially sitting on your network similar to a wireless printer/fax machine.
I hope the manufacturers are listening.

The format of the data that is written by the XPAP machines is not in the public domain. You would need to decipher the data (and manage it while it is being output if you go wireless). Even machines within the same brand write different data to the SmartCard, let alone the different data and formats written by other brands. Please note, at least for Respironics full data capable machines, that the SmartCard (32KB) is used as "Memory". This memory, for example, includes buffers(2) and FIFO pointers to allow the machine to manage the data it is writing to the smartcard. The SmartCard is not just a file Storage Device - it is working memory for a program running in the machine.

I know of only one person who deciphered the data format for one brand of machine, AND it took many months. Even knowing the data format doesn't provide all the answers as you must also figure out how to accurately aggregate, calculate, plot, and report the data.

If you are up to it, give it a try. For a Respironics user, deciphering the SD format for their new PR-1 should offer a challenge.

Indeed - reverse-engineering obscure binary file formats is an exercise in pain and frustration. A much simpler plan would be to convince the manufacturers to embed web servers and wifi cards in the devices, and perhaps announce themselves via Bonjour (zeroconf). This would allow data to be read, reports to be generated and printed, and settings to be changed from any web browser on any platform, and the end user could control who had access to it at their home router. Of course, bad security practices would mean that some hacker could break in and suffocate you, so perhaps this is isn't the best idea.

sign me up as a user. I love creative thinkers.

The first thing I did when I had to; remove my smartcard, and plug in the reader, and put the card in the reader, is look at my husband and said "this is so 1990's"! BTW I use a smartcard for the vending machine at work!

Another interesting idea would be a universal data reporting device that would work with any xPAP, new or old. It would consist of a device that would go inline with the hose. It would contain pressure and flow sensors. It would also include a sensor that would sense pressure changes at audio rates to detect things like snores, and perhaps central apneas (by sensing the heartbeat through the nonbreathing but open airway, as one brand of machine does). This device could supply as much ore more data than most machines. It would store detailed data to a flash drive (or wireless, but some of us do not use wireless because it interferes with high performance amateur radio equipment). Software to read the data would be open source so that the programmers in the xPAP community (and there are quite a few here) could constantly make it better.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.
I love bouncing ideas around.
Hopefully the conversation was picked up by the manufacturers and the 90's card readers will be replaced with more modern methods!
At least a USB port and flash drive!