VPAP III and Activa mask

[tattooyu]

Hey there, my friend's wife is getting a new machine, so he is going to start using her older VPAP III (in CPAP mode) to get some data for him at last. I have set his machine to match his old machine (11.0 cm) so we can see if his current settings are working for him.

The choices for mask are:

• STANDARD
• ULTRA
• MIRAGE
• MIR FULL

He has an Activa, so that would be the Mirage setting, correct?

[SleepyDragon]

Hey there, my friend's wife is getting a new machine, so he is going to start using her older VPAP III (in CPAP mode) to get some data for him at last. I have set his machine to match his old machine (11.0 cm) so we can see if his current settings are working for him.

The choices for mask are:

• STANDARD
• ULTRA
• MIRAGE
• MIR FULL

He has an Activa, so that would be the Mirage setting, correct?

According to the manual "Standard" is the best all round selection if you are not using one of the other three. It doesn't hurt to try both. I think it only effects the calculation that determins the leak rate.

[tattooyu]

Okay, so here is the data from my friend Paul's first night on the VPAP III (in CPAP mode @ 11.0 cm). He said that the pressure drops when he exhales, but I could find no setting for exhale relief on that machine.

Leakage: 32 L/s (.53 L/s) [He is using an Activa with the mask selection on "Standard"]
Usage: 4:15 hours
AHI: 19.6
AI: 6.5

There were some other numbers on there, but I don't know what they mean, and I'm not sure if they are helpful in CPAP mode.

(I hope I got these right)
Respiratory: 10-24
VT: 400-600
MV: 4.4-10.0

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the leakage I'm sure. Any suggestions?

He hasn't gotten any new equipment in a year, and hasn't heard from his DME that whole time. He needs to get a new mask, or at least a new seal for the mask, and probably a follow-up for a new sleep study. He's a regular on some other types of message boards, so I hope he takes my advices and registers here.

[SleepyDragon]

I got this from the user manual ...

Respiratory = Number of breaths per minute
VT = Tidal volume: Volume of air inhaled per breath (units: milliliters per breath)
MV = Minute ventilation: Volume of air inhaled per minute (units: liters per minute).
It is the product of respiratory rate and tidal volume.

The setting for exhale pressure relief is called "Spontaneous". You can tell what mode you are in by looking at the screen while the machine is providing treatment. If it says something like "C:RAMP 11.0" then you are in CPAP mode and the pressure should be constant. If it says something like "S:RAMP 8.0-11.0" (numbers may be different) you are in Spontaneous mode and the pressure will vary between the values given. The "RAMP" indicator only appears while the pressure is ramping up. If ramp is turned off this will not appear.

This machine provides a lot of useful info. It just doesn't have the nifty data card like a lot do. You can down load the manuals from http://www.internetage.ws/cpapdata/manuals

[tattooyu]

Thanks Sleepydragon, I set the machine to CPAP, but I'll double check to be sure. Just to clarify, in CPAP mode there should be no exhale relief?

[SleepyDragon]

Thanks Sleepydragon, I set the machine to CPAP, but I'll double check to be sure. Just to clarify, in CPAP mode there should be no exhale relief?

Correct. I use the VPAP III in CPAP mode myself and can confirm there is no exhale relief if set that way and the machine is functioning correctly.

[tattooyu]

Paul brought the machine again this morning so I could check. It was definitely set to CPAP at 11cm, just like his ResMed Escape. I switched the mask fit from "Standard" to "Ultra" since we figured out he does have an Ultra Mirage nasal mask. We'll see what happens tonight.

[tattooyu]

Helping my buddy, Paul, again. He has garden variety OSA. Does the VPAP III have a regular APAP mode?

[JohnBFisher]

... Does the VPAP III have a regular APAP mode? ...

It does not look as if it does. From the Provider's manual:

The VPAP III can operate in either Spontaneous or CPAP mode.

Also sending PM.