LED data display

[SleepyinWhineCountry]

Can anyone help me figure out which xPAP machines have reasonable LED data capabilities.

I understand that what is most helpful is using software to capture helpful data (leakage, AHI, non-responsive events, and other helpful data I don't even know about yet) and I plan to purchase out of pocket the software and readers I need to be involved enough in my own therapy to make it successful.

My question is: which machines give good data on the LED? It seems it would be nice to take a quick look at the most important data each morning to see if there is a problem or if it would be okay to download weekly or whatever (after I can establish a reasonable therapy regime).

I am an absolute newbie and I realize I am asking a a lot of ignorant questions but I REALLY appreciate your patience and your help while I am trying to wade through all this stuff.

Thanks for all your wisdom.

[sleeplessinaz]

Hello--I use the Resmed S8 ELITE--it has data ready for me every morning in the LCD Window. It is simple to use, easy to ready and can give you the stats by the day, by the week and by the month. It is a GREAT machine-----it is quiet, compact, has a fabulous humidfier that fits right onto the unit. You can look it up on Cpap.com.

Hope this helps.
Carrie

[Goofproof]

No led display data will help as much with your treatment as the software for your machine. The led data can tell you some things but it can not say why and when things happened. Jim

[jules]

I don't have all the answers. There is a list of data capable machines here

viewtopic.php?p=307168#p307168

Which ones of those have LED data? The Remstar m series ones listed and the Resmeds listed. I think the Sandman Auto does too as mindy has mentioned looking at the LCD data each morning. I don't know about the Intellipap. The Sandman and Intellipap are new.

The next question is how accurate is the LED data?

We have seen problems with the data on the m series machines. At first people thought it would be great to have the LED data, but it has caused lots of frustrations. Respironics didn't hire people who knew basic math and so the averaging schemes and the firmware for the m series leave a lot to be desired. The data on the m series is weekly and 30 day averages not nightly numbers and the m series machine hiccup and lose nights worth of data.

The Resmeds report nightly numbers but you have to get them before noon or you will lose them. There may be a similar thing for the Remstars. I haven't see people saying that the Resmed data is way out of line or that the downloaded data is radically different than the LED night averages or that nights are missing for the Resmed machines.

The Goodknights have data - I think you have to download it - nothing on the LED. They have been around a long time. I had considered buying the Goodknight 420E myself when I started just over 3 years ago.

The Sandman and Intellipap are new. I am not familiar what what their software offers. I don't know well the LED information matches up with the software. I am aware of a few people on the forum using these but I haven't seen a lot of posts. Mindy has posted some as well as One Tired Puppy. There may be others that escape me right now.

But, as Goofproof said above, the software is necessary. Goofproof, Wulfman, and I are 3 of the old school where the only way we get data is using the software. There are others of us too.

[hose head]

I have S8 Autoset II. Data is easy to read from LCD. I type it into a spreadsheet in morning and track things that way. After seven months of wandering around in a quagmire and not getting any benefit from CPAP therapy,1.)I found this board and learned what I need, 2) I went to Doctor and got script for APAP with LED data, 3) started using machine everynight. I can look at screen in morning and know my leakrate, AHI, etc. When I finally get software, I can start to look at other numbers.
M

[jnk]

In my opinion, if you are going to go strictly by the data on the display and don't plan on getting any software, buy a ResMed. It gives great nightly data and is super-convenient. But if you know you are going to be using software (and I do think that is a good thing to do), the Respironics machine may be the better way to go, whether it loses nights or not. The Respironics software seems to be much more popular here, and there is some advantage to being able to post your charts and get observations from many other experienced users who look at the same charts all the time.

[GaryGarland]

my .02 - i echo the sentiments about the resmed - the display is good - the software is somewhat helpful but also to me disappointing - that's why i've put mine up on the auction site - the display is fine for tracking how you did for the night, trends, etc. - the software can show you the time(s) of events, how long they lasted, etc.
the resmed machine (at least the autoset ii) will give you the efficacy data (i believe that's the nightly average pressure on the APAP setting), the number of apnea events/hour, hypopnea events/hour, and almost more importantly to me, the leakage data (when i sleep on my side i get far more leaks). the software is able to display the leakage data, and you can the corresponding increase in pressure which matches the leaks - cool.

[alnhwrd]

The Resmeds will give you quick easy access to nightly average pressure, leak rate, AI HI and AHI. Like Goof says, this does little to tell you exactly when and why you are having events which reduces your ability to correct them, but it does tell you if you are still having events and leaks so that you can know you need to correct them. There is also some question about the accuracy of the HI number, as Resmeds have been found to "overreport" hypopneas, basically reporting what Respronics machines would record as flow limitations as hypopneas. Since I often wake up in the night, I can easily check the LED for leaks and AI, then check again when I get up in the morning and know something about how things went through the night. The Elite is what I have and it easily provides the minimal amount of info, but I have often wished I had access to more detailed data. MHO.

[Slinky]

One correction, Aln. The Resmeds report the 95th percentile, not the average, via the LCD screen. The 95th percentile is the pressure AT OR BELOW which you spent 95% of the night. The same is true for the reported Leak rate, its the 95th percentile, not the average. The Respironics report the 90th percentile.

[SleepyinWhineCountry]

Slinky,

When you talk about the 95th percentile pressure, etc. Is this on an auto CPAP machine that uses a range of pressures?

(Please forgive me if this is too stupid a question to post - I am just now learning all this stuff and trying to get up to speed).

Thanks

[alnhwrd]

Thanks for the correction Slinky.

[Slinky]

Yer welcome, aln.

No, not necessarily an APAPs, Sleepy. Even straight CPAPs can have some variation in pressure: Ramp, EPR or C-Flex and compensation for leaks for instance.