Help with PR S1 REMstar Auto CPAP with A-Flex

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

I need help in knowing how to use a PR System One REMstar Auto CPAP Machine with A-Flex. I have currently used it for two nights, but only on the Therapy setting (top left corner of the display). Does this setting run it in CPAP mode only using the information provided from my 3 night home Titration test done by my HMO’s OSA/Sleep Lab? Also, I am new to this so I don’t know if it is helpful information to those reading this or not, but the home Titration was done on the same exact REMstar make/model that I now need information on. I have read the user guides/pamphlets that came with the unit, but they seem intentionally very vague and don’t help me as a newbie to know what features I can/should use, and what they all can do.

Eventually, the RT at the HMO’s OSA/Sleep Lab will contact me to get the data off of my SD card so I can ask her then, but I do not know when that will be. Can one of you wonderful posters here that are also using the PR System One REMstar Auto CPAP Machine with A-Flex give me a quick rundown or at least point me to a post or posts that would contain this information? I have tried using the forums search feature and it did come up with close to 400 topics posted, but it didn’t provide anything like what I am looking for.

I know that it is helpful to post my numbers for others to see but I don’t have a printout of the information that was gathered during my home Titration. I was only told two of my numbers over the phone and they were AHI 73.8 and my SPO2 74% (I know, not good). They didn’t give me a number for my heart rate but said surprisingly my heart rate was still good. Knowing even the little that I now know from my short time learning here, I should have gotten much more information about what they found during home Titration.

On a side note - After reading about the struggle some go through in getting the machines that they want, I really feel like I got lucky to get this as my first ever CPAP and not the Brick I thought I would get! Truthfully though, what good is it to own a new Cadillac if you can’t drive it because it is just sitting there on cider blocks?

Any help/information that can be provided about this machine will be greatly appreciated!

John

[Pugsy]

Please check your private messages.

Then let me know if you have further questions.

One of the members has a brief tutorial about the data available on these machines. It may help explain some things.
Scroll way down the page near the bottom after the hose hanging tips.
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

[sleepnationtv]

Hi,

Here is a video that we put together that will show you how to use the System one and change the settings. If you have any other questions email me at cpaplibrary@gmail.com

http://www.cpaplibrary.com/machine-education

just scroll down to the right video.

Hope this helps

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

Pugsy, Thank you for all your help! I will check the information out.

Sleepnationtv, Thats great! I will be going to look at the video at ASAP, Thank you!

After viewing Video:
Sleepnationtv, Viewed the Video and is very well done and informative! I will be referring back to the video often as I work at learning more about using this machine.Thanks

[Janknitz]

t the HMO’s OSA/Sleep Lab

Kaiser?

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

Janknitz,

Yes it is Kaiser. I was trying to be kind of vague because I don't really see a lot of posts going into detail about the exact name of a Doctor, Medical Group, Insurance, DME, etc..., so I assumed it was a forum etiquette sort of thing to discourage overt rants about ‘them’ by keeping it more generic. Honestly, I am mostly happy with the care I have received so far, but I feel there could be better communication about my ongoing treatment. Maybe I should be more active in that area with them as well, I don't know.

John

[RandyJ]

From what I have learned here, and my own experience, there is very little communication from anyone after you get your machine, unless there are problems with payment.

It seems to be par for the course to follow up with a doctor 4 to 6 weeks after you get your machine; at the appointment you are generally asked how much you wear the mask and how you "feel"... it is the rare case to hear of someone's doctor being interested in any data - AHI, leak rate, etc. In fact, in my case, everyone from the doctor who sent me for my sleep study to my primary care doctor to the DME are all surprised when I tell them about my "data," as if I were talking about aliens or some other nonsense.

[Java Time]

2 B Sleeping Soundly,

I was a 70+ AHI person myself.

It seems like you were already given a great video and some other info.

I have been using the same machine for 5 or 6 weeks. I have used all of the functions. If you have any specific additional questions, list them here or PM me and I will also try to answer.

You didn't ask this, but here's some info that may help you at your next checkup.

When I went in for my 30 day checkup, they looked to make sure the machine was "on my face" 4 hours minimum per day. My insurance needed this to turn the machine from a rental, to a purchase.

Second, the DME tech who downloaded the info from the APAP machine (that I needed to take to my doctor), was very clear that I should mention to the doctor that I feel the need for varying pressures throughout the night and feel an APAP machine had really helped me. Also to emphasize that this particular machine was working very well for me and I'd like to make sure my equipment prescription is for an APAP machine with humidifier.

The doctor also did something else that probably helped me at my 1 month checkup and wrote on my prescription that my mask and hose needed to be changed every 6 months. Because this is now on the prescription, my insurance MUST approve an APAP machine with humidifier and allow the masks and hose under my insurance every 6 months. Maybe I didn't need that and the insurance would have said okay anyway, but now it is listed on the prescription as a medical necessity.

Good luck and welcome to the journey. 6 weeks in I can tell you that it is all worth it and I am seeing consistent progress. I can tell I have gained energy and am better-rested since I started the treatment.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

RandyJ,

Thank you for the sharing your information! At least now I won't be surprised if it unfolds just like you have experienced. I guess there are so many of us XPAPers to use as test subjects that the Doctors and Sleep Labs aren't very interested in documenting/studying most of our numbers anymore unless it is something really rare or unusual. It would almost seem that being part of the the vast numbers of Sleep/OSA sufferers has made us (not because of any of our own doing) almost undesirable, that is clinically speaking...

John

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

Java Time,

Yeah, a 70+ AHI brother Hose Head!

Thank you for your post. This site is so wonderful due to people like yourself who share openly their experiences, whether up or down, in dealing with the new lives we all now have using a machine to help us ‘really’ sleep. I think the learning curve here at CPAPtalk is probably greatly accelerated due to this very reason!

Things are going well for me over the last few days and it feels like everything is progressing much better than I had expected it to. I feel lucky because my DME is part of my HMO and seems like it is going to offer the same type of equipment and 6 month replacements that your DME tech is helping you to get from your Doctor. It is great to always hear from someone who is weeks, months, or even years down the road from where I now am. I will remember your suggestions when I have a check-up, assuming they ever call.

Do to my mostly positive experience so far with my Auto CPAP I almost look forward now to going asleep!

I certainly won't hesitate to ask you in the coming days for help in learning what this machine has under the hood.

John

[RandyJ]

John,

I think for the most part they think that once we have a machine, we are "helped." As long as we tell them we are feeling well and using the mask all night (complying with therapy), we are good. My primary care doctor (who had referred me to the ENT who sent me for the sleep study) seemed genuinely interested in seeing my ResScan reports, but also surprised that I had access to them. The DME was not used to hearing from a patient who wanted a full data capable machine because he wasn't convinced that his therapy was successful (me), and with the brick they had given me had no way of knowing anything about that therapy. Even the ENT who referred me was surprised when I handed him a printed ResScan report showing my successful therapy, but I'm not convinced he had ever really seen one before.

There are lucky ones here who actually see real "sleep doctors" who want to see their data, but they are more the exception than the rule, I think.

Good luck with your therapy and, as you have already seen, there are many here who will help if you stumble over any aspect of the therapy and need some input from others.


RandyJ

[archangle]

SleepyHead is a free, open source program that will read and display your data for your PRS1 Auto.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sleepyhead/

It's under development, but I like it better than the official manufacturer's program already.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

archangle,

Thanks for the link to the site with sleepyhead software. I have been wanting to find it and check it out. It is helpful to know that you are using it and that you already like it better then the Official Manufacturers' program which seems very pricey to me.

I went to the website that sleepnationtv mentioned to me earlier in this thread to view a video from cpaplibrary.com. on the
PR S1 REMstar Auto CPAP with A-Flex. It was great and prompted me later to explore the machine very carefully (I really don't want to mess up something I don't yet even understand).

One thing odd though, when I got to the SD card information it showed that the SD card was unlocked and was 100% free. I pushed the SD card in to make it pop out and the pushed it back in. The screen said then that it was loading data, which is really weird if the card is 100% free. I had assumed that there might be some information on the SD card that was gathered from my home titration, but I must be wrong.

It seems like nothing may be on the card to me. Is there a setting to change to have the machine save information to the SD card or does it do it automatically when the machines internal memory gets full? I am currently waiting to get a card reader that I ordered online delivered; should be here in a couple of days. I will download the sleepyhead program onto my PC before then so I will be ready when the card reader gets here and then will see if anything being sent to the SD card or not (not that I would understand what I would be looking at if there does happen to be information on it)

Thanks again for the software info!

John

[jules]

the data for a night is pretty small - the card might not be quite 100 % free but close to that - I was surprised about that too as I was used to using a smart card that only held 7 session on my old machine

the card will always trigger the message about some kind of data exchange when you put it back into the APAP - i have the same machine and have noticed at least once I didn't see the message and the card icon was missing on the LED so I took it out and put it back in

I am also in the 70 plus club with a double 71 - 71 AHI and 71 for lowest O2 sat during PSG

[Pugsy]

Regarding the amount of free space on the SD card.
Started using the PR S1 APAP mid April this year. Just checked card the other day 98% free.