What's in R&D for new Mask Interfaces?

sleepykitty · Post by **sleepykitty** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 5:11 pm

I have comfort lite I am trying to wrestle with for almost a month, still having events with the mask on --

Nasal Seal interface doesn't totally seal thru nite... other halo masks' head gear hurts my head. Trying nasal pillow in smaller size 2 but doubtful.

I tried both the swift and the comfort curve at the RT's office, but feeling ambivalent about both -- comfort curve seems like a lot of face contact, and I am not sure I can tolerate any nasal pillow system at all now, not even the swift---

I can't tolerate a traditional mask, no how, no way. It's the bottom strap that kills me as well as the weight of the mask on my face-- I have a lot of ear and neck sensitivity and can't tolerate it.

Is there anything on the horizon in terms of R & D on a new mask coming out soon I can try?

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 6:17 pm

sleepykitty,

You're looking to fill a TALL order!

Take a look at the AEIOmed aura. It feels like you are wearing a baseball cap.

Click on the cpapopedia link below to look further.

sleepykitty · Post by **sleepykitty** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:10 am

Thanks for your reply. Hmm. It looks very interesting. I went to the site suggested in your reply, and can't figure out how it exactly contacts the nose. It claims to rest just outside the nose, but the instructions do tell you to insert at the nares... If it goes into the nares, how come there is only one size? Maybe you can explain.

Thank you so much for posting your reply.

If anyone has information on anything else that might fit the bill or may be coming down the pipeline, I would be interested in knowing.

trying just to get some rest,

sleepykitty

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 7:06 pm

someplace called Salter Labs is working on getting approval of a nasal cannula xpap interface and a machine too I think, it doesn't have a name yet and I dont know how far along they are in the approval process.

here is a link to the application

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf4/K040202.pdf

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:06 pm

Sleepkitty,
I just got the Swift and absolutely love it. I have been on the Oracle, the Activa, the Breeze and now the Swift. I used only the Activa for about six weeks, the other two being totally impossible for me to use. I have to say, the Swift outweighs any of the others I've tried. The Breeze actually gave me blisters around my nares trying to adjust to it, in addition to a list of other problems I had with it. The Oracle was a nightmare, with it causing left-sided TMJ to appear out of nowhere (never had it before, or at least felt it before) and mouth sores, and it wanted to pop out of my mouth every night, not to mention nose popping. The Activa was good, but I had troubles every nght with leaks. Had to use the mole skin to keep away some pressure sores on the bridge of my nose and top of my forehead, and to try to circumvent leaks in other areas, and mole skin hurts to take off every morning.
The Swift is so lightweight, is very easy to get your nares adjusted to, nothing like the Breeze that blistered me, and is an absolute dream when it comes to being leak-less and, for me at least, silent. I am not on high pressure, 10 when I was on straight CPAP, although after getting my new auto machine, it varies nightly now. But I find it incredibly light and comfortable to wear. The only problem at all is strap lines on my face in the morning, but I'm working on that. I am an exclusive side-sleeper only, and it doesn't bother me a bit.
I am preaching and I shouldn't, but I love my Swift. I have finally found the mask for me. Now if only I could eliminate the indentations on my face in the mornings, there would be nothing wrong with it at all from my point of view. But like we always say, what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.
Hope you find something that works better for you, too. Let us know.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:12 pm

Sleepykitty, like Wader, I absolutely love the Aura. My favorite interface of all, with the Breeze my second close favorite.

However, the reason I love the Aura is because of some rather drastic changes I made to mine. The Aura headgear straps are often way too long, too big, for many women with small heads.

From your nickname, I'm assuming you're a woman. But, I've been wrong about that before! LOL!! (Right, WAF? heheh)

If you're a woman and have an average or small woman's head, the Aura might not fit you very well. As much as I love my deconstructed Aura, I do think the "real" Aura right out of the box can be a problem fit for a good many women.

It comes with two sizes of nasal pillows - that's not the problem for women, but the headgear is definitely designed to fit men's heads better.

If you want to see what I did to my Aura, click here:

Apr 29, 2005 subject: Aura Lite - solution to hair breaking or thinning

sleepykitty · Post by **sleepykitty** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:21 pm

Thanks for your responses. It's interesting what you have done with the Aura, rested gal. I can't tolerate the lower strap you made, and a halo shaped headgear is a plus for me... I am not sure that my medical supplier has an aura for me to try on, so if I get it, it would be a stab in the dark... I am a woman with an average sized head -- so maybe it would be big on me...

Still wondering about that pipeline, but looking for something to use now..

much love,

sleepykitty

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:11 pm

re the newest of the new, it seems like it must have been shown at the big sleep conference in Denver. I know the people who own/run this board went to it and had a booth there. Perhaps they would like to drop some hints about what is to come????

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:19 pm

I have to say that the Aura is a very comfortable mask and can be made to fit better with a few modifications that I have previously posted. It was too big to adjust to my head too, but I have a few kids at home and when we buy them helmets for their bikes, the helmets always have foam pads that you can put inside to effectively make them smaller and customize the fit to your childs head.

With that in mind I bought a roll of Foam weatherstripping like this :

http://www.polsteins.com/blspruweta.html

And applied it to the inside of the headgear to make the inside diameter of the headgear smaller. This also makes it more comfortable than the rubber straps against your head. I also added more velcro material on the headgear that would allow me to pull the straps tighter and still have plenty of velcro to velcro contact because the stock headgear, as you tighten it, really leaves you with a small contact area and it lets go easily.

I have been getting full nights of sleep almost every night since doing this. I can sleep on my back, side and stomach without losing the seal. There are times, though when the baseball cap style straps can't hold it on your head when you turn and you wake up with the whole thing laying in a pile off your head. I think I may need to devise one more strap to help retain it in those cases and it will be perfect lol.

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 10:02 am

Hey Sleepykitty,
I have no experience with this but it is new:

http://www.sleepmarket.com/product_info ... cts_id=144