Automatic Mask Leak Compensation

Post by **forumadmin** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:43 am

Automatic mask leak compensation detects mouth and mask leaks, which can decrease the effectiveness of therapy. When leaks are present, the pressure that should be delivered to the patient's upper airway escapes – either through the mouth or mask. This feature compensates for leaks so that treatment remains effective.

FL andy · Post by **FL andy** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:48 am

Anyone know if this feature is only for AUTOPap? Or is it available on Respironics BiPap Pro 2, which I use?
Andy

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:55 am

Andy,

I am not aware of any machine other than an auto having the ability to adjust pressure itself.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:48 am

Will an auto adjust this when it's lower and upper limits are equal, or is the adjustment limited by the upper pressure range?
O.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:34 pm

The auto operates within it's set range.

SleepyGuy · Post by **SleepyGuy** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:52 pm

I went to the cpap.com site and the chart there says that most of their CPAPs do compensate for leaks:

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-compare-chart/CPAP

FL andy · Post by **FL andy** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:00 pm

Thanks Sleepy Guy,

On the site you linked, I found the comparison for BiLevel machines. ALL bi-levels auto compensste for leakage. Nice to know because I sometimes see a few high leakages in the Encore Pro results.

Andy

kinin · Post by **kinin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:57 pm

my therapist gave me a flexifit 405 which seemed small and then replaced it with a 405, which has lots of leaks on my head. however, I never washed it: just used it new. Has anyone had this problem how do you know what is the best fit? Thank you

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:10 pm

SleepyGuy wrote:I went to the cpap.com site and the chart there says that most of their CPAPs do compensate for leaks:

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-compare-chart/CPAP

I think this is a moot point, just for ad value. XPAP's are made to provide a pressure or a range of pressure, Leaks, leak off that pressure so the XPAP does whats in it's power to maintain that pressure, until the leak passes the machines ability to keep up with the leak.

If this wasn't the case it wouldn't be a XPAP, it would be a fan. Jim

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:18 am

As GoofProof said, even a straight CPAP such as the Resmed S8 Elite w/EPR can compensate to a pretty good degree for mask or mouth leaks. Check your xPAPs User's Manual. Somewhere in it will be that information. As I remember it the Elite's manual even tells you how much leak it can compensate for. I know from past experience that my Elite can produce as much as 0.6 cms above its set pressure to compensate for a high leak.

TerryB · Post by **TerryB** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:50 am

Think of any XPAP this way. First there is a variable speed fan with control circuits. The fan moves air and the control circuits sense pressure. Whether the goal is a single set pressure or a range of possibilities like on an auto just increases the complexity of the controls. It doesn't change the basic physics. If you turn on the machine with no mask connected to the hose the machine will race at top speed because it cannot reach the set pressure(s) with that leak rate. Place your fingers over the end of the hose to a lesser or greater extent and you simulate a reduction in leak rate. Sooner or later you'll find that the leak rate is no longer too high for the machine to keep up. That would be the leak rate the machine is capable of handling in it's current condition, state of filter obstruction, line voltage available, etc, etc, etc.

When I look at my Encore Pro reports long ago, I'd once in a long while see a large leak reported. That means that there was too much leakage for the machine to keep up. Treatment unavailable for that interval of time. With my CL2 and denture strips and a chin strap every night, I don't see large leaks anymore.

Hope this info. helps to clarify. As Goofproof said, any machine has a range of flow in which it can supply the needed pressure automatically.

TerryB

Velbor · Post by **Velbor** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:10 am

forumadmin wrote:Automatic mask leak compensation detects mouth and mask leaks, which can decrease the effectiveness of therapy. When leaks are present, the pressure that should be delivered to the patient's upper airway escapes – either through the mouth or mask. This feature compensates for leaks so that treatment remains effective.

The really puzzling question is: why was the original statement posted, and what information did the writer intend to convey?

Barring a defective system, all air blown by the machine goes to one or more of three places:
-- venting through the mask (ideally should not be called "leak")
-- leak around the edges of the mask
-- leak through the mouth
No machine "knows" how much air goes to which of these three exits.

As others have pointed out, all PAP machines inherently "compensate" for these three "losses". All PAP machines vary their output volume to maintain their desired pressure (up to their design capability).

Would the original writer please let us know the purpose and intent of the first post?

[Sorry, just noticed that this thread was resurrected from 2005.]

TerryB · Post by **TerryB** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:29 pm

Yeah, I wonder who or what has done that and the other one from Johnny about Iraq was from 2005. Maybe the spam kickout is broke and only kicks out the spam entry and not the ancient thread?

TerryB

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:57 pm

kinin wrote:my therapist gave me a flexifit 405 which seemed small and then replaced it with a 405, which has lots of leaks on my head. however, I never washed it: just used it new. Has anyone had this problem how do you know what is the best fit? Thank you

THIS was the post that resurrected this thread. WHY this person decided to ask this question in a thread about "leak compensation".....I have no idea. BUT, everybody's been posting to the original thread and not THIS post.

And, I have no idea what this person is looking for....... "Mask fit", I guess.

Den

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:05 pm

Wulfman wrote:
kinin wrote:my therapist gave me a flexifit 405 which seemed small and then replaced it with a 405, which has lots of leaks on my head. however, I never washed it: just used it new. Has anyone had this problem how do you know what is the best fit? Thank you
THIS was the post that resurrected this thread. WHY this person decided to ask this question in a thread about "leak compensation".....I have no idea. BUT, everybody's been posting to the original thread and not THIS post.

And, I have no idea what this person is looking for....... "Mask fit", I guess.

Den

That is one of our two biggest problems with treatment.

Getting a mask that's fit to use, and getting a machine that gives us the data so we can see how our treatment is going. Jim

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