Encore Pro data analysis software nearly ready...

As I have said ad nauseum , I have been writing software to glean long term data trends from the Encore Pro database. It is getting to the point where I can think about releasing it to others, and sometime next week I may ask for "alpha" testers.

In the meantime I would like comments on the plots that the code produces, and suggestions on the presentation. Below are four pdf files, each containing a single sheet of four graphs.

Daily data 1
Daily data 2
Pressure Charts1
Pressure Charts2

The question is: is this stuff useful and of interest to anybody? Is it worth my time to make it suitable for use by others?

It is written as an Excel workbook. The Encore Pro database is interrogated, and the plot data organized, in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) under Excel. I am not sure just what the minimum system requirements will be - certainly you will need a fairly recent version of Excel.

Comments please...
derek
ps - I'm out of town from early tomorrow (Friday) to late Sunday, so not much will happen over the weekend.

I think it would be useful in helping to determine the trends of my treatment. My doctor is very supportive and this information would help me present the data to him.

I for one would LOVE to be a tester for this.

First of all, I am in awe of anyone who is able to develop these programs.

I loved the cylindrical shapes for the Daily Data printouts - my tired bifocal eyes can see the charts and understand the printout without getting out a ruler to try to get a line to match the HI and AI and AHI to the pressure setting at which it occurred. I also found the info of length of events inyeresting. On the present chart, it is hard to tell if it was 1 microsecond or several minutes. Personally, I think that should be significant information.

The snore graph is interesting because it shows exactly which pressure is lowering the snore. My only problem with the snore index is that I personally think it is pretty inaccurate. I read your previous posts about some tests you performed on the machine to check out the snore index. I read "somewhere" in my tons of reading that the Remstar uses a vibration index as an indication of snore. I have also tried several things - I have put on the mask in a straight up seated position, reading a book and then checked the card - it will indicate a snore index of 32 for 10 minutes!!!!! So the snore index is problematic to me - it is not your problem, it has to be something in the index being used to measure snore. I am not sure what they are measuring!

The graph showing pressure effects on events is also interesting. It would help people understand which pressure levels are actually preventing events and which pressure levels are actually causing further events. If you do any reading on any of the medical sites, I have found several comments that 12 is generally accepted by respiratory therapists as the "best" pressure - that titration above that can cause central apneas in people predisposed to them. Of course, they did not explain "best".

I find all the things that you do extremely interesting and informative. Congrats to you for working so hard to bring better understanding to all of us CPAP users! Thank You

Derek,

I, for one, would find this very useful. I currently do this in my head, sort of. For me personally I suspect my long term pressure requirement is higher than the 7cm I was lab titrated at. I'd love to show proof of this to my Doc. This would be a very good argument for and in-home auto-pap titration rather than the one night (or split night) lab titration.

Thanks for taking the time to develop this. Feel free to put me on the alpha list.

These outputs are GREAT!!! I've been dabbling with my data for the past couple of weeks, using your previous graphs as guides. However--I'm doing all the data extraction MANUALLY!! (cutting and pasting between Access and Excel...) Having software that will auto-extract the data and plug it into Excel will be FANTASTIC!! Thanks for your expertise and HARD WORK!!

Being the data-hog that I am, it will be nice to have the ability to create these long-term charts, since the only long-term graphs available through Encore are "compliance" related--being absolutely no help for treatment tracking. These will be excellent to give to my doc.

I like all of your graphs, wouldn't change a thing. Plus, I have a question. When I'm analyzing my data for trends (still trying to ID my optimal pressure) I've been looking at both the 90% pressure level and the average pressure vs AHI. Have you looked at your data from the 90% level? I'm wondering if there is a "best" pressure to use?

Last thing; Have you noticed the glitch in Encore's detailed report where the flow limit index calculates correctly(??) but graphs incorrectly? (I am using the most recent version, too!)

Again, Great Job! Can't wait to get my hands on your software and would be happy to be a tester.

Grant

Derek,
I, too, am in awe. That's great. I've been just kind of comparing in my head, with occassionally printing one out to compare.
Debbie

Beautiful work, Derek!!

Derek,

I would love to be a tester. I am getting my Respironics Auto soon - just ordered it from cpap.com.

I would love to look at long term data and present it to my doc.

Jen

Do whatever I can to Help if you need it Derek, Great Job!!

Would love to be a tester for you just order my APAP and should have it in a couple of days.

Wow Derek - truly amazing. Of course I'm a data freek. I'm diabetic & have high blood pressure. All my measuring machines have PC interfaces and appropriate software. Now all I have to do is convince my doctor that the APAP is the way to go. Without something that measures under every night conditions, how do the doctors or patients going to know if the treatment is effective?? It is entirely subjective.

I've only been on a CPAP for a week, but what I read and some of the problems I'm having make me pretty sure that there is a better way to do this. (My CPAP pressure is 23!!) - I'm planning to give the current setup a month and then press my Dr for and APAP try out. Having your software to document performance would be a real convincer. Aside from the APAP machine and PC, what do I need? (a card reader?)

What is exciting for me personally are the 'patterns' that emerge and the correlations among and between all of the information sets - it helps me understand the nature of this complex condition a little more - thanks!

Derek, do you know if you have to use the encore smart card reader to read their cards? I have at least 3 smart card readers - 2 from credit card companies and a third that is part of a built-in card reader for smart cards in my PC - they are all USB ported. I just found & plugged in the one from American Express and my WinXP machine recoginizes the reader, but I don't have any software that makes use of it. Any ideas if this will read the Remstar smart card with your software?

His "software" requires that the card was already downloaded with the Encore Pro Software. I don't know if anyone has had success using a different reader with their software.

Please add me to your list. Thanks!