AEIOmed Everest Battery Powered CPAP System Interview
Product Overview
Introduction To The Everest
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AEIOMed has changed the name of their CPAP from Aura to Everest. They have also changed the name of their patient
interface to Headrest with Nasal Seal. For a brief period of time you may still see product labeled as aura as AEIOmed
is in the process of changing all of information and labels.
The AEIOMed Everest is the world's first CPAP with its own integrated battery power pack. It is light weight
and compact, which makes it very travel friendly. You can take it camping or any place where power is limited
without worrying about size or power issues. The battery charges during normal operation and kicks in automatically
if plug in power fails. It also comes with an optional, integrated heated humidifier. With the AEIOMed Everest Integrated
CPAP System, you're covered.
AEIOmed Everest Battery Powered CPAP Product Page
AEIOmed Everest CPAP Product Page
AEIOmed Everest Rechargeable Battery Pack
Introduction and Background
History
AEIOMed, Inc. is an innovative medical device company providing proprietary medical products used to
treat OSA and similar respiratory disorders. AEIOMed realized there was a need to design, manufacture
and market more innovative CPAP systems with features that patients had been asking for or otherwise
would eagerly welcome. The result is an increase in patient comfort, compliance and overall satisfaction,
truly realizing what the therapy has to offer in patient benefits.
AEIOmed.com
The Interview
Getting To Know The Product Manager
Q: Please tell us a little about yourself. Are you married? Do you have children? What do you do when you're not working on CPAP stuff?
A: Holly Larkin, AEIOmed, Senior Director of Marketing and Clinical Affairs
I myself have OSA, I was diagnosed in 1989 and was probably one of the most difficult patients that
ever darkened the door of a Sleep Lab! My initial RDI was 122, no wonder I had killer headaches all
the time – it didn't matter how much I slept I always felt tired and foggy. I've tried many different
treatments and therapies for my OSA including: CPAP, Auto-PAP, Bi-level, oxygen, drugs, T&A, UPPP,
inferior turbinectomy, genioplasty, hyoid resuspension, maxillar & mandibular advancement and liposuction.
I use the Everest CPAP System and Headrest with Nasal Seal now.
I am married to a great guy who is also a registered polysomnographic technologist, as I am, and I have
one beautiful daughter who is married to a sleep tech and they are the proud parents of my hobby, my 3
year old granddaughter.
For the past 16 years I have spent much of my time and energy involved with OSA and its awareness in the
community.
Q: What is your previous experience in the CPAP Industry?
A: I worked at a Sleep Lab in Minneapolis before I went to work in industry, my first job was as a Clinical Trainer for a sleep diagnostic equipment company. Steve Bordewick, President of AEIOMed, and I worked for Nellcor Puritan Bennett and we developed the Breeze SleepGear patient interface. I also worked on the Cloud Nine and 418 Series CPAPs.
Q: How is AEIOMed changing the CPAP industry for the better? What role do you play in this process?
A: As an OSA patient and long-time CPAP user what I really appreciate about AEIOMed is the fact that everything
we develop is based around the patients' needs and the clinicians' expectations. Let's face it, most of us (dare
I say none of us) would choose to use CPAP if we didn't feel so poorly without it? Our mission is to manufacture
and design products that fit into peoples' lives and empower them to live an uncomplicated life and be compliant
with their therapy. CPAP doesn't do any good if we can't use it wherever and whenever we need it.
The role I play is to always be the thorn in the engineering departments paw and continually reinforce our goal to
develop products that enable people to live comfortably with CPAP. Many of the people who work here have family
members that use CPAP so we all understand the effect CPAP therapy has on the patient, their bed partner and family.
Concept, Design and Market Pull
Q: We would like to know about the creative process behind the Everest. When was it decided that the world needed a battery powered CPAP? How did this product come to be?
A: Interestingly enough we always knew that we wanted to develop a CPAP which had its own portable battery. People didn't actually say "hey, we want you to make a CPAP with a battery", but they did say we want to be compliant with our therapy and be able to conveniently use it. To us that meant take away the obstacles which can make it difficult to use CPAP. We couldn't change the weather, nor stop power outages due to Mother Nature, but we could design a compact device that runs on a battery and takes up less room on the nightstand. Right from the beginning we designed the system with the battery – it is elegant, functional and easy to use.
Q: Is this CPAP intended to cater to a specific patient demographic?
A: No, this system is for anyone who uses CPAP. The beauty of this portable system is the fact that it fully meets the clinicians' expectations for treatment and it allows the user to be able to use the CPAP at home, while traveling anywhere in the world or in any situation where AC line power may not be readily available. Since the battery option will have to be purchased separately, we realize not everyone may be able to afford it with the initial purchase of the CPAP, but at least they know they can add it later as their need for it increases and their budget allows.
Testing, Feedback and Trials
Q: How large a user base was this CPAP tested on? Were the patients being served by DME or online providers? Were they previously compliant on their previous CPAP? How many nights in a row did they use it? How many hours per night?
A: We always test our products with CPAP users, typically we select people that have been using CPAP for at least a year. Our test subjects come from all walks of life and from all over the country – in addition to being a CPAP user we also look for subjects that communicate well and are able to give us good feedback. As with all trials and studies in testing we require our subjects be instructed on the product and sign a non-disclosure agreement which prohibits disclosing any information about the study without prior written approval.
Questions, By Component
Battery
Q: How is the battery recharged?
A: The battery can be charged in two different ways:
1. Connect it directly to AC line power (wall current) or a mobile power adapter (like a vehicle cigarette lighter) and
allow it to charge until the green indicator lights are lit.
2. It can be constantly trickle charged as part of the integrated system when plugged into a power source.
Q: How long does it take to recharge the battery?
A: The battery should be charged at least 5 hours before it is used the first time; subsequent charges are dependent upon the level of depletion.
Q: What is the life expectancy of the battery? How many charges?
A: The Everest battery is similar to a notebook computer battery, you should expect similar life. The warranty on the battery is 1 year.
Q: Does the battery lose some of its charge when not in use? If so, at what rate does this occur?
A: The battery has a bar of 4 lights on the bottom of the battery pack which serves as a charge capacity indicator. When the battery has been charged all 4 lights should appear lit green when the indicator "key" is pressed. If the battery has been discharged less than 4 green lights will be seen when the indicator "key" is pressed. We encourage users to track their own usage patterns and sleep duration, all of which will affect the performance characteristics, battery charge/discharge and storage.
Q: How long will the battery run using the battery on maximum pressure and heated humidifier on maximum setting at sea level?
A: Our testing has shown that the CPAP alone, set at 20 cm/H2O, used with one fully charged battery would run approximately 5 hours. The addition of the heated humidifier will decrease the battery charge by more than 50%.
Q: How long will the battery operate with the humidifier and unit set at average pressures (10-14 cm H2O) and average heat settings?
A: Optimal battery use is achieved with the CPAP only, the addition of the heated humidifier will significantly reduce the battery capability. A single battery will power the CPAP device used at 10 cmH2O approximately 11 hours, with the addition of the heated humidifier at a heat setting of 2 you could expect approximately 4 hours of use if the battery were fully charged. You could extend therapy by connecting two batteries together, this will approximately double the expected run time.
Q: What is the battery made of?
A: The battery contains a 12-cell Lithium-ion pack.
Q: Does the battery pack recharge while using the CPAP on AC current?
A: Yes, the battery will trickled charge when connected to AC line power with the Everest system in use.
Q: If plugged into a car or vehicle, will it drain the battery and how long might it take to do so?
A: It wouldn't be much different than leaving the dome light on in your car; it ultimately depends on the condition of the battery and charging system of the vehicle.
Q: What happens to the battery when the charge is already full and the CPAP is used on AC power?
A: No problem, the battery is there as a back-up just like it is with a laptop computer.
Q: Will the battery recharge while 110V is in use?
A: Yes, but more slowly.
Q: Will this be able to be charged by one of the portable solar power packs now on the market?
A: If the solar power pack has a “cigarette lighterâ€-type receptacle it should be able to be charged from the solar pack.
Q: When running the Everest on 110V power, will the unit automatically switch to battery power in the event of a power failure?
A: If the Everest system is configured with the battery and it is being powered via AC line power or DC power through the Mobile Power Adapter and the power source is shut off the battery will automatically take over and run the system.
Cables, Cords, Plugs, Converters and Outlets
Q: The Everest has a very small connection, unlike any other manufacturer. They seem frail and easy to break. Are those connections as reliable as the more substantial ResMed and Respironics cords? Are there redesign plans in the works?
A: Our proprietary connector was chosen for a variety of reasons, one of which was because of its small size. A larger connector could force us to increase the size of our device for the connector's sake. The connector which we use to plug-in to all of our devices is a extremely robust and is very highly rated by the manufacturer for durability in repetitive situations.
Q: Can the CPAP unit be connected to and operated from an external 12 V source (e.g., a 12 V automobile or marine battery), and can the battery unit be recharged from it?
A: You may use the Everest system via an external power source and our Mobile Power Adapter. The Mobile Power Adapter will provide the necessary power to run the entire system from a 12 V power source. It will trickle charge the battery while operating the CPAP and humidifier.
Q: Are there separate power cords for the CPAP unit and the humidifier?
A: No, there is only 1 power cord for the Everest Integrated CPAP system.
Q: If there is a DC cord available, will you be able to recharge the battery with it?
A: The Mobile Power Adapter is available, it has a standard "cigarette lighter" plug on one power cord and our proprietary connector on the other cord.
Q: Is there a built-in power converter that allows the unit to be operated and the battery to be recharged directly from 220 V AC sources, such as are found in many countries outside the US?
A: The power supply for the system is capable of utilizing current ranging from 100 – 240 VAC.
CPAP
Q: Is the pressure range the standard 4-20 cm?
A: Yes, the Everest CPAP ranges in therapeutic pressure values from 4 – 20 cm H2O.
Q: Does the unit have an auto on/off feature? If so, how is it triggered?
A: The device has a feature, Interface Interrupt, which detects when the interface has been removed from the user's face. After a calculated period of time the pressure will be reduced until the device once again detects a breath and it will then resume set pressure.
Q: How silent is the machine in decibels?
A: As per the prescribed standard for measuring dBa the Everest is less than 31 decibels.
Q: How long is this machine under warranty? Does that warranty start from the time you ship to a dealer or from the time a dealer sells to a patient?
A: The warranty period for the CPAP and humidifier are 2 years from the date of shipment to the dealer. The battery has a 1 year warranty from the date of shipment to the dealer and the Mobile Power Adapter has a 3 year warranty from the time of shipment to the dealer.
Heated Humidifier
Q: Will the heated humidifier operate on battery power?
A: The heated humidifier can be powered by the Everest battery but more than one battery in line maybe required to extend the run time.
Q: Does the heated humidifier have a variable heat setting? If so, how it is controlled?
A: The humidifier has 5 heat settings, 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. The heat settings are selected via the Everest CPAP and the humidifier button (on the right side), the settings are visible on the CPAP LED screen.
Q: What is the maximum amount of water the chamber will hold on the humidifier?
A: The Everest humidifier reservoir will hold approximately 245 ml of distilled water when filled to the MAX fill line.
Q: How much water does the humidifier hold? How much humidity does this produce?
A: Our testing meets FDA requirements and will provide enough water for humidification at the highest heat setting for at least 8 hours and will be significantly higher than that at lower temperature settings.
Software
Q: Does the machine have any ability to store and download data? If so, what data is available?
A: The device stores therapy hour for compliance purposes and also tracks sessions. A session is defined as therapy during an on/off period of time; number of sessions are reported at = 8 hours, = 6 hours and = 4 hours. The information is not downloadable, the Everest permits this information to be viewed by the User in the Patient Adjustment Settings.
Travel Bag
Q: Does this machine come with a travel bag?
A: The Everest CPAP system comes with a great little travel bag.
Q: If so, does the bag accommodate all components, hose and mask?
A: It's large enough to accommodate the CPAP, humidifier, battery, 6' hose, Headrest patient interface, and Mobile Power Adapter and yet it's small enough to be really lightweight and convenient for travel.
Q: Will the travel bag accommodate the CPAP machine with all its components (e.g. humidifier, hose, battery pack, cords plus mask)?
A: Yes.
Q: What is the weight and size of the bag when fully packed?
A: It is less than 8 lbs when fully loaded with all the accessories, including the battery system, and is approximately 12.5" L x 10" H x 6.5" W.
Compatibility
Q: What types of masks are NOT compatible with this CPAP?
A: We test the AEIOMed Headrest with nasal seal as part of our system. The fitting for the CPAP device is the standard 22 mm diameter; theoretically any interface which uses a 22 mm connection could be attached to the Everest system.
Size and Weight
Q: What is the total weight of the CPAP unit, the humidifier and the battery? How much does for each part weigh separately?
A: The Everest CPAP weighs 2.1 lbs, the humidifier weighs 1 lb., and the battery weighs 1.5 lbs; total weight is less than 5 lbs.
Q: What are the actual dimensions of the base unit, the humidifier with the base unit, and the base unit, battery option and humidifier all together?
A: The footprint of the system doesn't change with the addition of the humidifier and only slightly with the battery at the back. The Everest CPAP is 5" x 6" x 5", the humidifier is 5" x 6" x 4" and battery 5" x 7.5" x 1.75" – the overall height with CPAP, humidifier and battery together is 8".
Camping Durability
Q: How rugged is the unit? Is it built solidly enough to remain functional under normal backpacking-type conditions?
A: The Everest system is designed to meet the everyday stresses placed on a medical device. We do very rigorous testing of the packaged system; our expectation is that if the unit is treated with the same care as a portable radio it should remain in good-working order.
Q: What environmental or stress tests were performed on the Everest?
A: There are a battery of tests which are required by the FDA before 510(k) clearance is granted for a medical device. The Everest system has been tested to these standards.
Airline Use
Q: Has the Everest Travel CPAP been approved for use on an Airplane? If so, which airlines allow it, and which don't?
A: All carriers have their own permissions which apply to the use of electronic devices on their flights, however they're based on government standards. Currently the Everest CPAP and battery have been approved for use on SAS (Scandinavian Air) flights. We will keep you posted as other carriers are added to the list.
Q: Is the battery back approved for airline travel?
A: SAS has given approval for the use of it on their flights, other carriers are in the review process.
Q: Is there a power cord that will work on a plane that will attach to the passenger seat, like how you plug in a DVD player or computer?
A: The power cord connectors available from AEIOMed are the standard grounded AC plug and the "cigarette lighter-type" receptacle plug.
About The Interview
We are proud to provide the cpaptalk community with a means to communicate with the manufacturers of the newest and most innovative CPAP equipment. We have made an effort to keep questions posted by our community members in as close to their original form as possible, however, some gramatical and structural changes to community questions have been made in an attempt to improve the clarity and capture the spirit of the question. User questions, in their exact and originally posted form, can be found on cpaptalk's "Request for Questions" thread. We thank each and every one of you for your involvement in this process and look forward to gathering your questions for future interviews soon!
Thank You
A very special thanks to the cpaptalk users who participated in this interview.
wading thru the muck!, mrhyak, Janelle, snork1, Titrator, SleepyTimeGal, imacpappro, jdschooler, klady, wes, loonlvr, hubby2loud, bill2, coffee and monica.