Oral masks - Found a new manufacturer!!

By accident when I was searching for user manuals for a cpap I was unfamiliar with, I came across a new company that makes an oral mask similar to the Oracle 452 mask.

There are two main differences, one, it has regular looking headgear and, two, it doesn't appear to have a part that protrudes into the mouth. The seal appears to be from the headgear supplying pressure and not from an inner flap like the Oracle.

Its called the Respire Easy-Resp R2200 mask and is made in the UK. I haven't found a US supplier but I'm still looking.

http://www.respireuk.com/pdfs/RESPiRE-CPAPmasks.pdf

JDS74 wrote:By accident when I was searching for user manuals for a cpap I was unfamiliar with, I came across a new company that makes an oral mask similar to the Oracle 452 mask.

There are two main differences, one, it has regular looking headgear and, two, it doesn't appear to have a part that protrudes into the mouth. The seal appears to be from the headgear supplying pressure and not from an inner flap like the Oracle.

Its called the Respire Easy-Resp R2200 mask and is made in the UK. I haven't found a US supplier but I'm still looking.

http://www.respireuk.com/pdfs/RESPiRE-CPAPmasks.pdf

Looks nice. Can't wait to try it.

The inner seal is the best feature of the Oracle, in my opinion. I'm curious to know how well this other mask works without it.

mrog wrote:The inner seal is the best feature of the Oracle, in my opinion. I'm curious to know how well this other mask works without it.

I like the inner seal, but I don't like the piece that goes into the mouth and forces my teeth to stay open. I have to trim it down. I don't need my mouth open that far, and it can stay open all by itself.

For those who like the Oracle idea but have issues with the in mouth protrusion, here is a link about another person's way of addressing this issue.

Modifying an Oracle 452 Mask

If you want to try this, send me a PM and I may be able to help with parts.

BTW, no joy so far in finding a USA source for the Respire UK oral mask. I'm still looking and will post if progress is made.

JDS74 wrote:For those who like the Oracle idea but have issues with the in mouth protrusion, here is a link about another person's way of addressing this issue.

Modifying an Oracle 452 Mask

I made a very similar modification to my Oracle. I also filled the hard plastic part with Instamorph and removed the hose. I added a little more Instamorph around the outside of the hard plastic part, forming a shelf that the inner seal can press against to form a better seal. Now it serves as an excellent mouth plug so I can use my Swift LT without leaks. I also moved the anti-asphyxia valve from the Oracle to the Swift. That required making a thin gasket so the parts would fit tightly. The gasket is simply a strip of plastic from a Ziploc Freezer bag, wrapped around the smaller part a couple of times.

That sounds like an excellent alternative to tape to control mouth leaks.
A little pricey though

JDS74 wrote:That sounds like an excellent alternative to tape to control mouth leaks.
A little pricey though

I paid cash for the Oracle, but it wasn't working for me and I couldn't return it. So, it seemed like the logical thing to do.

I am pretty interested in trying a mouth only mask if it is truly as effective. I am a very strong mouth breather at night so it may work much better for me. Still very early in my therapy though so I wont make any snap judgements about my ability to continue to use a FFM. But in looking into the Oracle mask, has it been redesigned from what you guys and gals are talking about in this thread? The literature on CPAP.com sounds like it....

"The mouthpiece comes in two sizes and is placed behind the lips and in front of the teeth. An outside flap is then fitted into the mouthpiece and folded over the lips. This combination keeps the device stable in the mouth and has been redesigned without the inner flap of the earlier design, which rested on the tongue. "

There was an original design from more than 5 years ago (I have been using the current design for 5 years) that had an intra-oral protrusion significantly larger than the current model. From what McSleepy and ZooCrewphoto have modified their masks, it would appear that the design does not require as large a protrusion as is in the current design.

This mask is completely effective in application and, in conjunction with a soft cervical collar properly sized, yields leak rates close to zero.

The comment about two sizes refers to the inner flap portion of the mask and comes in a small and a large size. Which you would use is a matter of mouth size and patient comfort. If the small if too small for you and the large is too large, then trimming the large size to a little smaller could be a solution.

Have your read my post (link in the signature block below?) That would be a good place to start followed by additional questions as needed.

hifiaudio wrote:I am pretty interested in trying a mouth only mask if it is truly as effective. I am a very strong mouth breather at night so it may work much better for me. Still very early in my therapy though so I wont make any snap judgements about my ability to continue to use a FFM. But in looking into the Oracle mask, has it been redesigned from what you guys and gals are talking about in this thread? The literature on CPAP.com sounds like it....

"The mouthpiece comes in two sizes and is placed behind the lips and in front of the teeth. An outside flap is then fitted into the mouthpiece and folded over the lips. This combination keeps the device stable in the mouth and has been redesigned without the inner flap of the earlier design, which rested on the tongue. "

You have to be brave and/or desperate to try the Oracle. It can be really brutal. However, it's also a life saver for some people. You'll likely need to turn the humidity up all the way. And you might need better nose plugs than what comes with the Oracle. If you have an old nasal mask, you may be able to plug it up with some plastic wrap and use that instead of nose plugs. That might be a comfortable way to go.

I believe the current version (HC452) has been around for a while. It's sometimes called the Oracle 2, so it's apparently not the original version.

The original version is called the Oracle 451 and came in models 900HC451, 900HC451T, HC451A starting with FDA approval in 2002.

To reiterate, it is the only mask I ever used and the first night, I masked up, fell asleep and woke up 7 hours later.
Some people do have difficulty adjusting - some don't. The biggest issue is the nose plugs, discussed at length in my post. You can learn to sleep without breathing through your nose. Some, like me, take a little longer. I will be glad to help in any way I can if you want to try.