I'm just sayin'

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:24 pm

I'm speculating a few changes comming in the future for Respironics PAP machines.

1. SD card memory.
2. New software.
3. A complete physical redesign of the current models.
4. A color change to the blue that is currently used on their O2 concentrator and portable ventilator.

Once again i'm just speculating here, but I get the feeling something is on the horizon within the next year.

AKCPAPGUY

elader · Post by **elader** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:34 pm

I would be more interested in a better algorithm

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:39 pm

Would SD card memory eliminate need for a reader (just askin cuz I don know much about this stuff)?

Why not a thumb flash drive with software built into the flash drive?

jnk · Post by **jnk** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:51 pm

Dear Respironics,

(1) Please undercut ResMed's prices and start a REAL price war.

(2) Put a color screen on top that gives meaningful charts and daily/weekly/monthly statistics on efficacy.

(3) Give away user-version software.

I believe that if you do those things, you will take over the world.

jeff (a ResMed user with an open mind )

Uncle_Bob · Post by **Uncle_Bob** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:11 pm

jnk wrote:Dear Respironics,

(1) Please undercut ResMed's prices and start a REAL price war.

(2) Put a color screen on top that gives meaningful charts and daily/weekly/monthly statistics on efficacy.

(3) Give away user-version software.

I believe that if you do those things, you will take over the world.

jeff (a ResMed user with an open mind )

I second that
Given the price of color displays these days there it would be great if PAP machines had screens like digital camera or cellphone displays.

LoneStar · Post by **LoneStar** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:27 pm

Dear Respironics,

1) Please respond when a patient e-mails you repeatedly with the same problem.

2) Get rid of the "SmartCard" - how about a USB cable instead?

3) When the OS that most people use is upgraded, you need to upgrade your user software so that it works on the newest OS. Be proactive. There are usually warnings that a new OS is coming out. I'll bet the OS software writers would even help you!

4) And how about software for Mac users?

5) Turn off the ippity-blippity bleepin' blue lights!!

Lisa

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:51 pm

Why not a wireless connection to my PC,
We gave my boss a special baby monitor that is a wirless internet device so he can see the baby on his black berry - it is smaller then a CPAP machine.
never mind the cards or UBC ports just send the info directly to my PC and at the price I pay for the machine it SHOULD come with free software.

Hose_Head · Post by **Hose_Head** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:11 pm

Guest wrote:I'm speculating a few changes comming in the future for Respironics PAP machines.

1. SD card memory.
2. New software.
3. A complete physical redesign of the current models.
4. A color change to the blue that is currently used on their O2 concentrator and portable ventilator.

Once again i'm just speculating here, but I get the feeling something is on the horizon within the next year.

AKCPAPGUY

If you're right, then I have to wonder why they would piss away R&D money on such changes. I mean, what's the advantage of a SD card as opposed to a smart card? Both require you to take the card out of the machine and use a special reader in order to access the data with your computer. While an update of software would be appreciated so that it's compatible with current operating systems and provides a few improvements, entirely new software runs the risk of all the bugs that usually come with new software. A physical redesign and change of colour falls into the category of "lipstick on a pig".

I'd much prefer some real re-development and functional changes. As someone else wrote, how about improvements to the algorithm. Why not an improved humidifier? Put a switch on those blue lights of death. We need software that doesn't lose data and will save more than a week's worth at a time! Respironics should be a leader in the quieter-is-better race!

At least that's MY take on what you've speculated. YMMV

rocketdork · Post by **rocketdork** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:48 pm

How about a backlit display?

How about a more power efficient device?

How about an internal battery backup that will run the machine in the event of a power outage? They could have the humidifier in pass over mode for this.

How about a mask that is comfortable AND works.

I started a thread about this a while ago...and got some great ideas...not that we could ever get ANY manufacturer to listen to us, we are the users, not the customers...the dreaded DME is the customer.

boston · Post by **boston** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:38 pm

i cant see them doing an SD card, then you could get any 5 dollar SD card and use, right now we are forced to buy their smart card.
the lights dont bother me, but sooo many people complain about them, it needs addressed, why not have them turn off 10 seconds after the last button is pushed.
a larger water tank would be friggin awesome, about 2x the size of this one.
the overall design really doesnt matter to me, just keep it compact.
a battery backup would be cool, just let one of the people that design this machine wake up at 3 am when the power goes out cutting off your air supply, they will respond quickly then.

LinkC · Post by **LinkC** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:44 am

SmartCard vs. SD vs. USB cable: Keep in mind these machines are NOT designed for user-monitored data. Data are meant to be read by your DME/Sleep Doc staff and interpreted by your Sleep Doc. Thus any talk of making it more accessible to the end user is moot to the manufacturer. (USB cable from your machine to the Dr's office?????) Any idea what percentage of CPAP users CARE about their therapy beyond "I sleep better and don't snore"? I'm guessing less than 1%. To provide features for only 1% of your market is not good business sense.

Blue lights: I keep a hand towel by my bed to wipe condensation/drool as needed thru the night. The blue lights make an excellent place to store it. The towel blocks most of the light and what DOES get thru makes finding the towel in the dark very easy. I can still identify and press the buttons thru the towel. I see the lights as a plus...

SleepyInIndy · Post by **SleepyInIndy** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:32 am

Add a plug to the humidifier power cord so that you can disconnect the 'brick' from the machine. That way, when you have to take the machine out for TSA checks, you aren't dragging wires and the 'brick' with it.... You can already disconnect the CPAP from the brick, but not the humidifier.

jnk · Post by **jnk** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:27 am

LinkC wrote: . . . Keep in mind these machines are NOT designed for user-monitored data. Data are meant to be read by your DME/Sleep Doc staff and interpreted by your Sleep Doc. Thus any talk of making it more accessible to the end user is moot to the manufacturer. (USB cable from your machine to the Dr's office?????) Any idea what percentage of CPAP users CARE about their therapy beyond "I sleep better and don't snore"? I'm guessing less than 1%. To provide features for only 1% of your market is not good business sense. . . .

I agree with you LinkC. But I do think that if the push of one button brought to the screen a graph of leak and events from the night before in an easy-to-read fashion for the user, then doctors and DMEs would soon see the success rate and compliance figures skyrocket for that brand as compared to others. Furthermore, I beleive that docs, sleep-center staff, and DME employees would soon find that they could get at the root of most any patients' problems over the phone in a matter of seconds instead of guessing what the real problem might be while engaging in time-consuming complaints and office trouble-shooting. The amount of time and frustration that would save for doctors and DMEs would likely make that brand of machine their first choice every time, for entirely selfish and financially motivated reasons. I think that brand would soon take over the world. Well, at least the dream world in my head!

jeff

boston · Post by **boston** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:42 am

LinkC wrote:SmartCard vs. SD vs. USB cable: Keep in mind these machines are NOT designed for user-monitored data. Data are meant to be read by your DME/Sleep Doc staff and interpreted by your Sleep Doc. Thus any talk of making it more accessible to the end user is moot to the manufacturer. (USB cable from your machine to the Dr's office?????) Any idea what percentage of CPAP users CARE about their therapy beyond "I sleep better and don't snore"? I'm guessing less than 1%. To provide features for only 1% of your market is not good business sense.

i agree, however there are far too many patients just given equipment and left to fend for their selves, if they could produce machines that gave better info either thru a display or downloading to the computer, maybe more people would succeed at this. of course there would have to be some sort of education given to new patients so they would understand what they are reading and be shown how to tweak their own therapy.

i dont think the industry really cares right now, they are selling machines, regardless of wether they are sitting in closets not being used, or if they are being used.

rocketdork · Post by **rocketdork** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:50 am

Remember that its the DME's that are the customers here...they don't want you to be able to read the data from the machine, they want to charge you do read it for you.

If it doesn't generate cash for the DME, they could care less about the functions of the machine. Why do you think so many of them hand out the cheapest machine they can find?

From a business side of things, the people on this forum are the worst customers the DME's have. We are educated, informed and care about our therapy. This is unusual to the DME. We call, we demand, we know what's going on. Most of their customers don't. I would bet the best customers the DME has are the ones that show up sleepy and dazed, they hand them a machine, a mask and a replacement schedule. The customer goes home, uses the machine, feels better and comes back on schedule for overpriced, under supported items. Each interaction that takes time costs the DME money...the less time they can spend with the customer the better. The balance of low time spent vs. customer satisfaction is the hard one to do.

If we in this forum could make any significant change to this way of doing business it would be to allow the DME to charge MORE for machines that are fuller featured. Then the DME would profit more from the sale of that machine and not less as the current way is set up. Then the DME's would be demanding additional features for comfort, quality of care, ease of use and data capability...of course, all this would come at increased cost to us, the user...

It's a pessimistic view of the system, but they always say "Follow the money". If the customer of the xPAP machine and not the user began to demand additional features that could improve their profit margin, the MFG's of the equipment would step up.

Machine	Mask	Humidifier

Additional Comments: 11-14 cmH2O

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