"Settings" of my new ResMed AirCurve VAUTO

Got my ResMed AirCurve 10 VAUTO yesterday (9-15-17)

My settings on my previous ResMed S9 AutoSet were 13 - 20 with EPR 3

The Rx for my ResMed AirCurve 10 VAUTO specified 10 - 20 @ HS

The settings on the machine as I got it from the DME are as follows:

Mode: VAuto
Max IPAP: 20.0
Min EPAP: 10.0
PS: 4.0
Ti Max: 2.0s
Ti Min: 0.3s
Trigger: Med
Cycle: Med

I would appreciate comments / opinions on those settings from you experienced BiPAP users.

I will probably use it at the above settings for at least a few days before I consider changing anything.

I will use the ResMed AirCurve 10 VAUTO for the 1st time tonight.

StuUnderPressure wrote:Got my ResMed AirCurve 10 VAUTO yesterday (9-15-17)

My settings on my previous ResMed S9 AutoSet were 13 - 20 with EPR 3


Mode: VAuto
Max IPAP: 20.0
Min EPAP: 10.0
PS: 4.0

Your present setting will give you an IPAP range of 14 - 20 with pressure support, which is similar to EPR, of 4. Minimum EPAP (10) plus PS (4) equals 14 which is your starting treatment pressure which can go as high as the Max IPAP (20).

Okie bipap wrote:

StuUnderPressure wrote:Got my ResMed AirCurve 10 VAUTO yesterday (9-15-17)

My settings on my previous ResMed S9 AutoSet were 13 - 20 with EPR 3


Mode: VAuto
Max IPAP: 20.0
Min EPAP: 10.0
PS: 4.0

Your present setting will give you an IPAP range of 14 - 20 with pressure support, which is similar to EPR, of 4. Minimum EPAP (10) plus PS (4) equals 14 which is your starting treatment pressure which can go as high as the Max IPAP (20).

THANKS

That is exactly the information I wanted - & from an AirCurve 10 VAUTO user to boot.

If you want to exactly mimic the AutoSet settings just change PS to 3.
Then you will have IPAP at 13 and EPAP at 10 when you start the night and then it auto adjusts as needed
and that's pretty much what you had with the Autoset set to minimum 13 with EPR of 3.
You may or may not notice a little difference the timing of the inhale/exhale because of those other settings that the AutoSet didn't offer.

In the Sleep Doctor's report on my Sleep Study & by speaking with him by telephone, he did mention the settings 10 - 20 until I could get used to it.

From that statement, I think he might be tinkering with the settings after he sees the results of the current settings.

Although I was using 13 - 20 on both of my S9 AutoSets, I am not sure whether I ever reported that updated range to the Sleep Doctor.

I see in the "Doctor's Notes" that the DME got from my Sleep Doctor that my range is still listed by him at 14 - 20, hence the PS of 4.

I will not change any settings for at least several days, maybe longer.

StuUnderPressure wrote: The settings on the machine as I got it from the DME are as follows:

Mode: VAuto
Max IPAP: 20.0
Min EPAP: 10.0
PS: 4.0
Ti Max: 2.0s
Ti Min: 0.3s
Trigger: Med
Cycle: Med

I would appreciate comments / opinions on those settings from you experienced BiPAP users.

Ti Max 2.0s is something I would look at.. You can get real-time inspiration time while using the machine. Click the knob and turn the dial until you get the screen that shows the Ti values. You can see real-time Ti and also what % are you within the range of 0.3-2.0. If you inhale more than 2.0s with the current setting then it will switch to EPAP. Try it.. take a deep breath and see if you can get it to switch to EPAP while breathing it and if it seems too quick.

To me, I do not find it comfortable breathing in and then the pressure drops... even though rarely I would inhale more than 2.0s -- (2.0s seems to be a common default setting). So I set it to a higher value (3.0 or 3.5s) so that it just never happens. As long as I am inhaling I want the IPAP pressure and 3-3.5s is more than enough time.

The "benefit" of accurate Ti values is if you have a large leak.. then the unit will look at the Ti min/max to guess as best as it can when you are done inhaling to switch to EPAP. I dont have large leaks and if I do, i wake up and fix it. If you have large leaks and sleep through them, then the aircurve is a good unit and you want accurate Ti numbers and to spend more time on it. But for me, I like 3.0 or more so it never cycles too early and I lose the benefit of large leak.

Also, I like my sensitivity on "cycle" to be "very high" and not "medium". Just play around with it.. it is personal preference. With a high sensitivity it will cycle to EPAP quickly.. I do not like the feeling of exhaling into pressure so I want it to cycle quickly... with medium, it would take some extra milliseconds and I did not like that. I could have lived with it on medium, but why not make it as comfortable as possible? You can play with the trigger.. trigger is how sensitive the unit is to switching to IPAP. I tried the various settings and found medium to be the correct one.

PS of 4 is something where you need a good baseline of data before adjusting it. Then you can increase or decrease if desired. Ti max, cycle, trigger I think you can change after a few days.

I know people like to do "small changes", but dont do PS changes too small (0.2 is meaningless in the scheme of things to me). Because it might be that you want a lower PS. After a week or two, try out 3 (old setting on your old) and if it is not better, then maybe go and try 5. If that is not better, then maybe somewhere around 4 is where you need to be. But at least you made a big enough change to see if there is a benefit or not.

Doublev wrote:
Ti Max 2.0s is something I would look at.. You can get real-time inspiration time while using the machine. Click the knob and turn the dial until you get the screen that shows the Ti values. You can see real-time Ti and also what % are you within the range of 0.3-2.0. If you inhale more than 2.0s with the current setting then it will switch to EPAP. Try it.. take a deep breath and see if you can get it to switch to EPAP while breathing it and if it seems too quick.

I remember my second sleep study for titration they must have had Ti set to 2, it was kind of a new thing for me, and I kept complaining to them that it was stopping too soon while I was breathing in. It took them an hour to figure it out.

My new machine has a Ti setting, my old machine did not. I recognized the symptom right away (of course) and had to do some digging to figure it out.

This is a good point for peeps like me (us?) who breathe deep and slow... According to my sleepyhead flow charts, as soon as I fall asleep my breathing gets much more rapid and shallower than while I'm awake, which surprised me.