Bipap Auto SV Record Time

[Kiralynx]

Does anyone who uses a Respironics Bipap Auto SV know how many days of detailed data fit on a Smart Card? The patient manual indicated 7 days of detailed and 6 months of compliance. I don't give a fig about compliance -- I know I'm using the thing every night. I want my details, and don't yet have a means of copying the data (I'm working on it, but it's slow...) from the card... and it's gonna get expensive getting a card a week so I don't lose any data until I can get this business with re-connecting the computers sorted out.

[Babette]

I think this might work for you:

Data Utility File by Phil – phil1001
http://www.mycpap.org/
For those who have had issues with their Respironics cards crashing, losing data and various other issues. I have written a small utility that downloads the smart card data to a file. This file can be saved to your hard drive on a daily basis, or uploaded to the companion website. In case of problems, the latest file can be uploaded back to the card. The utility also allows clean formatting of your smart card returning it to a "virgin" state, this may be useful on cards that are being rejected by the reader or CPAP unit. There is a companion website that allows you to upload and store all of your data files as well in case something should happen to them. The next phase of the website will be the online charting of the saved data files into your own profile.

But I could be wrong. Hey, it's all I have on short notice.

LOL,
B.

[Kiralynx]

I think this might work for you:

Data Utility File by Phil – phil1001
http://www.mycpap.org/

But I could be wrong. Hey, it's all I have on short notice.

LOL,
B.

Ha! GMTA! (That's Great Minds Think Alike!) Or maybe GOOMB! (Get Out Of My Brain!), cause I just found the utility and am now looking for the one flash drive which works (some of the time) with my Internet connected computer, so I can transfer it to the non-Internet connected machine which is, of course, the one Encore Viewer and my data card reader work on. If not, well, CDs are pretty cheap! And I bought some yesterday....

[rested gal]

Excellent suggestion by Babette!!

I've not needed to use Phil's good utility myself, but if you do that with your card once a week and save the files with different filenames, you'd be able to put them back on the card, one at a time, to download into Encore Pro later.

Yes, the older detailed data is going to be overwritten on the card after so long. Usually a week or less. If you want to be absolutely sure not to miss a single "Daily Details" graph, I'd download every 5 days. Or, in your case until you get the computer straightened out, save with Phil's utility every 5 days.

[Kiralynx]

Excellent suggestion by Babette!!

I've not needed to use Phil's good utility myself, but if you do that with your card once a week and save the files with different filenames, you'd be able to put them back on the card, one at a time, to download into Encore Pro later.

Yes, the older detailed data is going to be overwritten on the card after so long. Usually a week or less. If you want to be absolutely sure not to miss a single "Daily Details" graph, I'd download every 5 days. Or, in your case until you get the computer straightened out, save with Phil's utility every 5 days.

Well, I have established that I can fit one week of data on a card, but have not wanted to push it beyond that for fear of losing it. I have three cards, and #3 goes into the machine tomorrow night.

I especially don't want to lose it, 'cause this week's data in particular demonstrates the usefulness of being able to check your own data and to discuss things with the RT.

My original settings were 14 IPAP, 10 EPAP, Min 10 -- which effectively put me on a 10 cm CPAP with the ability to go higher on IPAP if needed. I questioned it at the time, since I told the sleep clinic I could not breathe out against the same setting I was breathing in on. The RT said to try it and see how it went.

My AHI was way too high, and so was the leak rate, and I was quite sure the two were related. At the same time, I noticed (again), when first putting on the mask, that I was struggling to exhale. (I don't use ramp; I don't like it.) I also could not swallow once the mask was in place, and ended up drooling on my pillow -- something I have never done before. At the same time, I was having dry teeth and lips.

That indicated mouth breathing... but I'm not a mouth-breather. I tried tape. One night. Not again. Most miserable night of all. I kept waking up, in a panic, unable to swallow, unable to open my lips to drool out, the leak rate went up, not down, and the AHI wasn't lowered.

I spoke with the RT and told her that I felt my inability to breathe out against the EPAP was causing the leaks, because the air had to go somewhere. When I was awake, I could force-breathe, but when I was asleep, it clearly wasn't working.

The RT spoke with the doctor, and got permission faxed to her to lower my EPAP to 6 cm. (We did this over the phone, and yes, I could probably get back into set-up again if I needed to.)

I'd been having persistent apnea strikes, and lots of hypopneas, running an AHI of only 5 less than my original study, and as I told the RT, it has to be better than that for me to continue to go through all this.

The night we lowered the pressure was best night to that point -- AHI of 5.0, no apneas, and the leak rate dropped nearly to acceptable for my mask. Next night, no apneas, 4.0 hypopneas, and further leak rate drop. I've now had two days with no apneas and AHIs of 1.0 and 2.0 respectively. And mask leak at the higher end of the scale for my mask and upper pressures, but still acceptable. (Though I'll work on the leaks, I think dropping the rate 13.0 in one night is decent.) No dry teeth and lips. No inability to swallow. And best of all, my aching hips aren't aching nearly as much. Not only waking refreshed, but waking not in pain is indescribable.

So yes, I want to hang onto this data! <grin>