PAD A CHEEK Nose Bridge thickness pad trial results here

[Cassandra]

Goll dangit, BB!!! (hopping up & down like Yosimite Sam)

I had to get up and go look! After some intensive research and comparing pictures, I've decided I'm almost... say... 83.7% positive that it was an Ultra Mirage that I used for the purposes of the trial. I'm gonna go try to correct that in my post so people reading the trial outcomes will know what I was doing.

And for crying out loud! Stop being such a worry wart! Wouldja? I mean, HONESTLY! (exasperation)

(hehe. thanks for helpin' me get that cleared up. )

Cassandra

[OCSleeper]

I too am reviewing the new Nose Bridges with my Resmed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask.

I would have reported back sooner, but I ran into the dreaded Encore Pro data drop problem. Also, my results with the Royal Blue may have less accurate than others as I had a cold during its use.

The following nose bridges were supplied for trial:

1. Standard ("Thin"). Felt material.
2. Blue Gray (Medium). Two materials sewn together. <== my favorite
3. Royal Blue. (Thick). Heavier felt material.

[There may be some disagreement about which of the two new nose bridges are 'medium' vs. 'large'. I'm going by the uncompressed thickness of the material itself].

I've already been using the Standard and find it very useful. The following is mainly my review of the Blue-Gray (Medium) Nose Bridge. (I tried the Royal Blue for a few days also).


What I like:
Thicker nose bridge material. Unlike the 'felt' used on the STANDARD design, this material is even thicker than the neoprene used on my headgear. Though I've had the pressure up to 17 cm, this extra padding results in no marks on my nose and is surprisingly comfortable.

No 'adjustments' were required: I didn't have to trim the nose piece as it was already a perfect fit. I also didn't have to adjust my headgear.

Another big benefit is that the nose bridge 'stays put' where it's placed in the folds of the silicone padding of the mask. The STANDARD design moves around and slips out easily when removing the mask. Not so with the new pads.

What I don't like:
The new bridge is somewhat stiffer. My leak numbers are a tad higher as a result, from an average of 39 to 42 L/min. On my mask, slight head movement results in a small amount of leaking near the eyes. However, these side leaks are minimal and don't dry my eyes significantly. (There may be a way to alleviate the eye leak problem by cutting the material where it goes under the interface, but I haven't attempted this as yet). I've also tried the Royal Blue nose bridge and it seems to leak a lot more.

Conclusion
Surprisingly, the leak line (from Encore Pro) looks more like a straight line, versus my usual stair-step pattern. Although my average pressure went up about 1cm during the trial from 14 to 15 , my AHI has averaged 4.1 over the past week. I've never been able to post a weekly average below 5.0 since using CPAP for the last three months. Can this consistency be due to the new bridge? I'm hoping it is.

Misc Comments
If you have the Mirage Quattro, this pad is a must have. (I found this mask difficult to adjust at higher pressures. Even the DME couldn't get it right--cuts in my nose were the result).

The Royal Blue is a 'leak monster'. Your results may vary. It might work better with a trim and with higher strap tension (I keep the top strap kinda loose).

The Pad-a-Cheek Nose Bridge is about as comfortable as MoleSkin.

I'll definitely be buying more of these (blue-gray) in the future.

Suggestions for improvement

1. More Padding in the center line of the forehead pad.
The silicone pads on the mask itself are concave shaped. Supposedly, this is to allow better contact with the forehead and to distribute the force of the pad more evenly as the pad flatten under pressure. Unfortunately, the padacheck forehead pad exaggerates this curvature. The result is that most of the pressure is concentrated at the top and bottom rim of the pad. Adding 3D oval shaped padding across the horizontal center of the pad would even out this effect, thus enabling better contact and distribution of pressure.

2. Make the end of the nose with a wider strip at the end for insertion in between the silicone layers of the mask. Since the bridge is held down only by friction, more material makes for a better fit. I think the bridge would be worthless without a way to secure it firmly within the mask. The Standard would definitely benefit from this change as it comes lose at times.

3. Velcro on the back of the forehead pad for attaching the nose bridge. I agree with other reviewers on this. This change would allow better placement of the bridge. The bridge could also be tensioned better to control flapping and leaks.

Pad-a-Cheek: Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to sample your new designs.

[bdp522]

The Pad-a-Cheek Nose Bridge is about as comfortable as MoleSkin, but won't leave your skin raw upon removal.

You're supposed to stick the moleskin to the mask, not the skin.

Brenda

[cpapnewbie]

I was also lucky enough to receive a trial set. I use the Quattro FF mask. Prior to the test PAD A CHEEK samples I was using a band aid or moleskin at night to try and alleviate some of the damage being done to the bridge of my nose from this mask. I will say that when I tried to use the medium or full thickness samples my mask generated way too many leaks near the eyes and I couldn't use them. The thinnest sample worked pretty good. I woke up in the morning and the bridge of my nose wasn't raw and in so much pain. The first couple of nights the padding didn't leak too bad but since the first night I have been getting leak rates around .1 to .2 L/S. Prior to using the pads my leak rates were well below .1 L/S. I can feel a little air blowing out of the corner of the mask into my eyes which is a little annoying and I have no success when I try to get it to stop. BUT - I prefer using this product to not using it and destroying my nose. This makes the mask more comfortable and does a decent job on the leaks.

One suggestion I would have is to include better directions for using the product - maybe photos that show how and where to cut the product to tailor it to your nose. I don't want to risk damaging the sample so I haven't started hacking it up to get a better fit. I'm afraid that if I destroy it that I will be back to the crummy band aids!

Overall - good job!

[Somes]

What I have found that either the med or thickest work the best for me. I alternate back and forth between a Comfort Gel full face and a Mirage full face mask. I previously had the thin pad and really think that the other two work the best. The comfort is great and no leaking problems with either one. I have been using them for 3 weeks now. I wish that I had know about these when I first started CPAP a little less than a year ago. I fought with a raw spot on the bridge of my nose for over six months. I tried all of the tips, using a bandaid, mole skin on the mask, silicone on the mask. I have what I would say is a semi permenate scar on my nose now. At with the Pad-A-Cheek protector that is healed and I have great comfort wearing either mask.

Steve S.

[hikewv]

I love your product, really helpful in preventing the bridge of my nose from becoming red in the mornings. /kudos

The thickest sample (Grey) worked the best in the redness factor, but it had my issues with leaks around the top of the nose. I could get the leak the stop if I really cinched done on the straps but didn't want to do that.

The middle sample (royal blue) worked the best overall from a leak point of view and even though I still had a little redness it was very slight and went away very quickly in the morning.

Thank You again for letting me participate in the trial.