Sleep Apnea Mask Prototype Design SURVEY PLEASE TAKE! :)

[jniemeie]

Hello,

I am apart of a group of Senior Mechanical Engineering Students at Stevens Institute of Technology.We are designing a new Sleep Apnea Mask prototype that has the potential to change the way Sleep Apnea patients cope with the disorder. The prevalence of Sleep Apnea, combined with the existence of dissatisfaction in comfort and convenience of devices currently on the market provides our team with an opportunity to create a product that successfully mitigates the symptoms of Sleep Apnea while keeping comfort and convenience in mind. With your help and contribution of information, we hope to make a prototype that could potentially lead to a life changing device for Sleep Apnea patients!

If you know others who has Sleep Apnea, PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK!!! Thank you for your participation!

http://goo.gl/forms/4Vk41mgrLs

[ramblingasian]

So is this mask going to be an actual mask for a CPAP machine or a "mask" like the airing?

I'm interested in finding out how you're going to create this mask that will mitigate symptoms and further increase comfort as you write, seeing that there are masks out there in the market today that pretty much have the comfort and convenience of use already.

[jniemeie]

Thanks for your response!

We are taking a methodical approach to product design, and as such have not gotten too far in the development of our concepts as we are still trying to get an understanding of the market and what customer wants and needs are (that is why we have made this survey).

We know that there are products out there that do work well, and we have seen the Airing, which is not going to market until 2017. At the moment we do not have the intention of commercializing a product, this is more so intended as a capstone project to utilize our full curriculum as engineering students; however, if we do see the potential after prototype development of the product, then who knows! maybe we may just look into commercialization!!!

[ramblingasian]

My question was more towards whether your team is thinking about developing a mask as in what most people currently use with a machine or developing an integrated machine that functions as a mask.

[jniemeie]

AAAAAhhhhh, Now I see what you mean!

Our initial target was intended to create the mask, alone.

However, after finding the airing, we are considering the possibility of incorporating a form of electromechanical pump system into a compact enough size to allow for the elimination of tubing and a machine.

Short Answer, We are still in the process of choosing!

[ramblingasian]

You do know that Airing neither has a working prototype nor any venture capital - if they really had something that would work, venture capitalists would be all over them. Yet they had to crowdsource. Most people here on this board and on others that actually use CPAP have little faith that Airing is more than vaporware. I tend to agree.

Read up on the threads on this forum and others - until Airing actually comes up with a working prototype (which they have not done yet at all), you're much better off understanding what CPAP is versus a pie in the sky idea that is virtually certain to leave people disappointed.

[jniemeie]

I appreciate your suggestion!

I am very much aware of the fact that Airing is only showing marketing samples and does not have any functional prototype (at least not one that has been advertised) the 2017 projection is from their provided information.

to your point regarding the faith put in such a device as airing:

That is completely understandable, I can see why such a novelty as the airing may seem like a pie in the sky idea. If it was so simple, someone would have done it by now!

This will not discourage us from exploring the possibility. Innovation is the key to breakthroughs in any industry, and we are looking to innovate, to renovate.
I am reading up on CPAP, APAP and BiLevel as part of my research into the history and capability of such devices and will continue to do so as you suggest.

All I'd ask is that you keep an open mind to the ideas of innovators like the dev's of the airing.

Without innovation, there is only stagnation.

[Goofproof]

Maybe they will come up with Cold Fusion to run it too. Maybe one of those Nigerian Princes will take over funding. Jim

[jniemeie]

Jim,

While I can understand your doubt in such a possibility, I would appreciate it if you could show some more respect for the individuals who are simply looking for ways to improve the daily lives of people in whatever fashion they see possible.

case in point: the computer you used to post your comment: didn't just happen...someone (Charles Babbage and later, Alan Turing) dared to see what noone else saw as possible and did it.

Best,

Justin

[Hose_Head]

....

We are taking a methodical approach to product design, and as such have not gotten too far in the development of our concepts as we are still trying to get an understanding of the market and what customer wants and needs are (that is why we have made this survey).

....

You may want to keep in mind that there are likely a greater number of different "needs" in mask design than there are shapes of faces. For example, someone with a high bridge of the nose needs a different mask than someone with a low bridge. etc. etc. Also, some people cannot tolerate nasal masks and do better with a nasal pillow type. Others may need a full face mask. No single mask or single type of mask can satisfy the needs of everyone.

Also, people struggle with cpap therapy for a number of reasons, most of which I suspect are unrelated to mask design. For example, some reasons for failure are purely psychological, often from non-acceptance of their diagnosis.

Yes. New mask design is always needed and wanted. But be realistic about your chances of creating the ONE solution for everyone!

One last piece of advice: I recommend that your team try to get a working cpap machine and a few different masks. Try it out - and not just for a few minutes! An empirical approach will produce far better results than a purely theoretical one. Too much crap that was born in some theoretician's lab with little or no input from users is already on the market.

Best of luck!

[Goofproof]

Actually I built it, my 4th generation, out of parts designed and manufactured from thousands of brilliant minds and skilled workers, and maybe a few aliens that crash landed on earth, or in the earth.

Every few months we have people come here wanting us to lead them to making a project to " Help" sleep apnea sufferers, and fill our wants and needs. Most have no idea of what works to keep your airway from closing in apnea. Most are to busy to read the basic info posted here to find out.

Many of these educated people don't know the basics in power required or pressures, venting of air to keep CO2 levels safe and correct. We seldom see anything turned into a viable product. The first computers were mechanical.

Good luck with your project, hope it turns out better than most. Jim

[PoolQ]

Respect is earned. Personally I have 9 patents in production, so I know something about this subject.
The problems with the airing is power density of the power source and size of the unit to move the air in enough volume to be useful. It's not the concept that is of concern.

There seem to be a few basic calculations that could have been done to see if it was feasible before they raised money to try and build something.

[PoolQ]

So I just took your survey and by the questions you asked and the choices you offered I can see that you have not read enough forums to be anywhere close to designing a mask (along with some information in the posts above). You need to define the problem, not only what are people looking for in a mask, but what problems do they have with the current masks. I will discover these yourselves if you try sleeping with one. Read posts and keep track of what people are complaining about, what you think their compliant is really caused by, and what you are going to try and solve.

You also have missed one type of CPAP machine.

Don't give up, but everything you need to know is stuck in the middle of a bunch of boring text on forums concerning something that you don't suffer from.

If you do get a machine set it to 20-25 cm of H2O, put the mask on (any mask) and turn the machine on. Some people sleep like that.

[jniemeie]

Thank you all, very much for your insight! It is all going to be very helpful with our project! Yes, I must admit that this survey is not thorough in nature, and we are looking into forums and other mediums for finding what customers really need. This survey is just intended as a way of getting a general idea to help generate some of the customer needs so we can make specifications around them.

Thank you all for your true concern and comments, you are all far more knowledgeable then I am in this area, as this is an active learning experience for my team and I.

Best,
Justin

[flightco]

So I just took your survey and by the questions you asked and the choices you offered I can see that you have not read enough forums to be anywhere close to designing a mask (along with some information in the posts above). You need to define the problem, not only what are people looking for in a mask, but what problems do they have with the current masks. I will discover these yourselves if you try sleeping with one. Read posts and keep track of what people are complaining about, what you think their compliant is really caused by, and what you are going to try and solve.

You also have missed one type of CPAP machine.

Don't give up, but everything you need to know is stuck in the middle of a bunch of boring text on forums concerning something that you don't suffer from.

If you do get a machine set it to 20-25 cm of H2O, put the mask on (any mask) and turn the machine on. Some people sleep like that.

they are not designing anything; this is all about a school project and what they need to do to get a grade. They sit around in a group, through a bunch of shit against the wall until they come up with a thesis which they think is brilliant, but in actuality will probably never work. They then do their research (that is us) and come up with a design that has not been tried before. Doesn't matter that it wont work, in only has to impress the professor.

I really have no problem with this if they were honest up front. Hi, I am in college and for our term paper, project, whatever we are exploring what the next cpap mask might look like and I would really appreciate it if you would share your experience and knowledge with us so we can get a good grade. Rather we get some self important college kid trying to dupe us by telling how great he is going to make our lives.