Possible Breeze modification and a request for help

[Bookbear]

Mask exhaust is a problem for almost all of us who sleep with partners. The Breeze's resembles a jet engine blast... a tightly-focused beam of high velocity air. Sleeping spooned is no longer an option.

Gazing upon the mask this morning, I was struck with an idea (no, it didn't hurt!). How about a small bore curved brass tube inserted into the vent, pointing the exhaust upwards instead of outwards?

(Note that the Breeze has a rubber plug with a hole formed in it that fits into the plastic plenum that holds the nasal pillows. The rubber plug has some give to it, and can be removed and replaced.)

A brass tube, very slightly larger than the hole in the Breeze rubber vent plug, formed with a curve so it points upwards, should solve the problem, I think. The tube must not make the vent any smaller than it is, hence the need for a slightly larger diameter tube than the diameter of the existing hole. The curve cannot kink the tube, i.e. not an elbow or sharp 90 degree bend... I'm looking for a gentle arc of 75-90 degrees.

My problem? I have no supply of thin wall brass tubing, and no way to bend such w/o kinking the tube. My metalworking skills are non-existent.

Anyone out there have the tools/equipment/supplies to do this? It wouldn't HAVE to be brass, just whatever would work and not corrode with moisture and would stand up to being washed every once in a while.

[TxDreamseeker]

Why not a thin piece of plastic tubing? Might be hard to find, but you could experiment with plastic straws until you figured out the right size. It would only take a short piece to clear eye level and could be tied to your headgear.

[Bookbear]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try straws, all I could lay my hands on were too large in diameter. The hole isn't all that large.

[TxDreamseeker]

Try a large straw and slitt it up the side with a small pair of scissors, then roll it up until it fits the hole. If you tape it there, you will have the right size for the whatever you try in it.

[Bookbear]

<ping!> <lightbulb glow> Good idea!! thanks

[Babette]

Bookbear, I think what you want could be found by surfing google for "jingle dress tubes". A small brass tube is used by Pow Wow jingle dancers to adorn their dresses. Lemme see if the big catalog has what you want:

Okay, didn't find it at Crazy Crow, but hunted for brass tube beads and found some hits:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LIQUID-GOLD-TWIST-T ... dZViewItem

http://www.bobbybead.com/BaseMetalBeads ... _tubes.htm

On that last one, I'll be you could find those at Michael's, Artco, or Ben Franklin craft stores.

Brass tubing?
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/k+s/k+s155.htm

Man! The things I'm thinking of must be out of style. I've seen them, I just can't lay my fingers on them right now.

Keep us posted! I love this idea!!!

Cheers,
B.

[Bookbear]

Thanks Babette, I will check into craft catalogs.

I tried the slit plastic straw last night. It worked so far as re-directing the flow of air up rather than out, but introduced its own problem.... a high pitched whistle. Equally annoying, according to my wife. I think that may have been because I used one of the bendy straws, the ones with the accordion pleats that allow it to flex. Obviously, the inside is ridged as well as the outside, so maybe that caused the whistling? I think the smooth bore tubing would work the best, so I will be searching for that. But how will I bend it without kinking it? (Where's Bender when you really need him?)

[GeneS]

You can buy small diameter brass and aluminum tubing at most hardware and home improvement stores. It is usually in its own display stand and is made by and labeled K & S. They sell small benders to bend the tubing without kinking. If you cant find the benders there go to a Radio Control Model Hobby Shop. They also carry glue and brass tubing. Smoothing and rounding out the mask orifice hole on the inside might eliminate the whistling. I am not familiar with a breeze mask.
GeneS

[SleepingBeauty]

What about a piece of plastic aquarium tubing? It's flexible, smooth, and comes in various sizes.

I purchased the Aura partly due to the fact that it vents upward. My previous masks blew air on my hands and arms and drove me nuts. With the Aura, I can snuggle my arms up around my chin and not have them blown on.

[tomjax]

I would be very careful when messing with the hole.
It is a certain size for a reason and this size affects the pressure.
a tad may be compensated for as a leak, but be careful.

I have heard this before - that itg bothers a mate.
I cannot underetand it at all. It does not bother my wife at all.
Guess people vary in their tolerance.

I just cannot iimagine this ever being a problem.

[Babette]

Bookbear, getting an image in my mind. A deflector. You know those plastic deflectors you can stick on floor vents for your furnace? Maybe you could construct a deflector to re-direct the air up, without impinging on the vent hole, and thus creating possible pressure problems?

I would ALSO highly suggest contacting the manufacturer and stressing to them that they could COME OUT WITH A NEW MASK if they addressed this problem. I mean, come on! You KNOW the DreamFit and the DreamSeal are the same mask with different headgear!

Why can't the Breeze now morph into the... Zephyr?

Seriously - they want to make money. They need to come up with new masks in order to continue to interest us poor pathetic patients into parting with our money. Sounds like a story they'd be interested in hearing.

Cheers,
B.

[ozij]

Have just done some measuring:

Diameter of Breeze vent hole: 3mm

Inner diameter of PB pressure line -- looks to me like its also 3 mm.

https://www.cpap.com/viewImage.php?PNum ... ExtKit.jpg

The questions:
1. Will this litte plug fit in the PB vent hole? ((lower right bottom end of the pressure line - looks promising)
2. How does the presence of the line to line connector effect the CO2 clearing? If it apparently doesn't affect pressure sensing, will it make a difference to CO2 venting? Any hydraulics experts out there to tell us?
3. Would it change the sensed pressure within the mask for PB 420E users?

If the little plug is a problem you may want to try and broaden the hole till you can push the pressure line through the broadened hole.

And you can buy a replacement vent in case you harm the present one.
https://www.cpap.com/viewImage.php?PNum ... llVent.jpg

O.

[Bookbear]

You can buy small diameter brass and aluminum tubing at most hardware and home improvement stores. It is usually in its own display stand and is made by and labeled K & S.

Gene, thanks for the tip. Here, neither the Home Depot or Lowe's carry tubing small enough. The smallest (at Lowe's) seems to measure between 5 and 6 mm., about twice the size I need. I will keep that in mind, though, since the tubing bender would be just what I need for this.

[Bookbear]

What about a piece of plastic aquarium tubing? It's flexible, smooth, and comes in various sizes.

Another good idea... which also brings to mind drip irrigation hosing. I know the 1/4 inch hosing is too big, but I will look this week for smaller at the pet store.

Thanks!

[Bookbear]

Bookbear, getting an image in my mind. A deflector. You know those plastic deflectors you can stick on floor vents for your furnace?

Actually, that was my first idea, and I may return to it. My original cobbled together deflector made out of thin styrene snapped off when I rolled on my side too far. That's what led me to the idea of a brass tube... sturdier.

Why can't the Breeze now morph into the... Zephyr?

Heh.... the model with the straw morphed into the Banshee!

Seriously - they want to make money. They need to come up with new masks in order to continue to interest us poor pathetic patients into parting with our money. Sounds like a story they'd be interested in hearing.

No doubt! PB doesn't actually make the Breeze, Malinckrodt (in France) does. I shall write to them, tout suite! I can see it now....

New! Improved! Now With Snorkle!