How do I know my 3 year old PB 420E working properly

[rbanavara]

Hi group,

I had been reading this forum since 2007. most of my doubts had been answered w/o asking when I started with my APAP. I am using:

• PB 420E APAP
  Mirage Activa mask
  Silver Lining software (hardly use this as its hard to find laptop with serial port)
  Titrated pressure 10 mmH20

These days I am not feeling the same freshness after sleep as I used to get when I started. I am not sure where the problem is. Initially I was using 2 filters (the sponge one & the disposable one). These days I only use the sponge one. Does this lead to accumulation of dust on the APAP blower blades and reduce its efficiency? How do I ensure my machine is working properly (adjusting pressure properly to my apnea incidents). Is there any chance that the displayed pressure & the actual pressure are different (due to the dusty rotor blades).

If its a mask issue, how do I ensure if the leaks from the mask is within the permissible limits. How do I know its time to change the mask. (I have changed 3 masks so far (activa, swift & back to activa).

[Hawthorne]

When I was not getting as much benefit from cpap as I had been getting, I went for a retitration and also had my machine checked by a Provider to see if it was working at the prescribed pressure. It was.

I also had an in home apap test done by a Provider ( 2 weeks). It was more helpful than the retitration, showing that I needed an increase in pressure of 1 cm.

I have an auto now and the software so that, If I am feeling less than good as far as cpap therapy goes, my data will tell me and I can make some changes myself.

I see that you are unable to use your software so you may have to try at least one of the things that I tried. I would get the machine checked first and then maybe try to get an in home titration.

Hey, I just thought, can your DME read your data card and advise you? If your DME will give you a printout of your data for the last while, you will be able to assess your leak rate and your events too.

[Wulfman]

Hi group,

I had been reading this forum since 2007. most of my doubts had been answered w/o asking when I started with my APAP. I am using:

• PB 420E APAP
  Mirage Activa mask
  Silver Lining software (hardly use this as its hard to find laptop with serial port)
  Titrated pressure 10 mmH20

These days I am not feeling the same freshness after sleep as I used to get when I started. I am not sure where the problem is. Initially I was using 2 filters (the sponge one & the disposable one). These days I only use the sponge one. Does this lead to accumulation of dust on the APAP blower blades and reduce its efficiency? How do I ensure my machine is working properly (adjusting pressure properly to my apnea incidents). Is there any chance that the displayed pressure & the actual pressure are different (due to the dusty rotor blades).

If its a mask issue, how do I ensure if the leaks from the mask is within the permissible limits. How do I know its time to change the mask. (I have changed 3 masks so far (activa, swift & back to activa).

What pressure setting(s) are you using? (Fixed at 10 cm. or a range?)
Do you regularly wash out your sponge filters?
Are you sure you're not leaking air out your mouth while you're sleeping?
Do you have the software to monitor your therapy? (That will tell you alot of information)
You can either take your machine to a DME shop to have it checked or you can check it yourself (you'll have to set it to a fixed pressure when you do). If you do a forum search on the word "manometer", you'll find many links. There are some that you can make yourself or a simpler method of marking your hose with the marker to the appropriate length in centimeters and holding it in a container of water and watching for bubbles.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=49152&p=450105&hili ... er#p450105


Den

[ozij]

You can buy as serial to USB converter -- that will let you use Silvelining on a machine that has no serial port, by connecting the machine to a computer through the computer's USB port. SilverLining is very informative, it's a pity not to use it.

Snip a very short piece off the pressure adjustment tube where you connect it to the CPAP nipple (sharp knife or sharp scissors)-- the adapter tube may have lost its ability to stay snugly on the nipple piece.

Go back to using the disposable filters since you may be congesting more without them, and that may impact your therapy.

[echo]

You can buy as serial to USB converter -- that will let you use Silvelining on a machine that has no serial port, by connecting the machine to a computer through the computer's USB port. SilverLining is very informative, it's a pity not to use it.

Darn you beat me to it. Yup, I recently changed laptops to one that didn't have a serial port, so now I use a serial to USB converter and it works. They are very cheap and easy to install.

If I were you I would make it my first priority to download the 420e data, that way you can see the AHI and leak info.

[rbanavara]

I will try to download the data (first need to get the USB converter / find machine with serial port). I just wanted to know what are the chances that my machine is still in good shape and just needs some tweaking (either cleaning filter or changing mask or changing pressure). This gives me heart to still stick on to 420E.

And here are some asnwers
What pressure setting(s) are you using? (Fixed at 10 cm. or a range?)
-- range (think have set from 8 to 14)
Do you regularly wash out your sponge filters?
-- not regularly, I wash once in 2 to 3 months
Are you sure you're not leaking air out your mouth while you're sleeping?
-- I am 99% sure I wont breathe through mouth (I press my tongue to the top of mouth cavity)
Do you have the software to monitor your therapy? (That will tell you alot of information)
-- Have the silver lining software, will download the dataonce I find the USB converter
You can either take your machine to a DME shop to have it checked or you can check it yourself (you'll have to set it to a fixed pressure when you do). If you do a forum search on the word "manometer", you'll find many links.
-- This seems like sure-shot way to ensure if its delivering the same pressure what it shows, but will go for this once I am done with downloading the data.
There are some that you can make yourself or a simpler method of marking your hose with the marker to the appropriate length in centimeters and holding it in a container of water and watching for bubbles.
-- Is this for checking the pressure (with the marking on the tube) or to chk if my tube is leaking?

[Wulfman]

There are some that you can make yourself or a simpler method of marking your hose with the marker to the appropriate length in centimeters and holding it in a container of water and watching for bubbles.
-- Is this for checking the pressure (with the marking on the tube) or to chk if my tube is leaking?

It's for checking the pressure. The pressure for these machines is measured in centimeters of water......or, said another way, if your machine is set for 10 cm., the air pressure will push a column of water 10 cm.
That method I linked to is just a cheap way to test it. If you have the machine set for 10 cm., and make a mark on the hose at 10 cm. distance from the end of it, and then put it in a container of water and turn the machine on, you would be able to see air bubbles if you have the hose positioned in the water on the "short side" of that mark but not on the "long side" of that 10 cm. mark. If you do, then you know it's putting out 10 cm.
There's a caution in there......that pushing the hose into the water while the machine is running could potentially blast a quantity of water out of the container. Make sure the hose is farther into the water than the mark you've made on the hose when you start the machine.


Den

[ozij]

I'd change filters ASAP.

[rbanavara]

Hi Here are few of the images of the compliance data from my machine. I dont understand runs. But other details makes atleast some sense.

(having difficulties to upload images, will post later )