Mask for Sale: $1450.00

[roster]

K, You have the players jumbled.

The guy that spent "$5000 on masks" is in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Click on his link below to see his website.

"I just have serious doubts that "custom molded to your face"

i think iv tried every mask out there trying to find a comfortable on. after 2 years of looking and nearly $5000 down the drain i found a custom molded one. only this one i actually went to there lab and they sat me down and basically studied my face. from that they made me a mask that i hardly feel when i sleep ... and it works! no leaks no pressure. also it has this whole suspension system where i turn to my side and it doesn't fall off or sift from my face. u should look at it i highly recommend it. look at there website. http://www.customfitcpapmask.com

The original post was an article about some guys in Australia.

IA has made the post more relevant for the U.S. members.

Regards,

[ia1234]

yea i live in Brooklyn like Rooster said

[Acurest]

Wow, did this story generate some interest....

The original thread was about the Logical mask, made by my company Acurest in Australia. But it seems that another custom mask maker (ia1234) has jumped on board. I'm all for competition that may bring about a better solution for CPAP users and maybe even will spark a new way to think about the importance of properly fitted masks. Very simply, we believe that patient comfort = fewer problems = better compliance = better patient outcomes. We are growing at a significant rate (thanks in part to Morris Kaplan's story) and we are doing this by making what our clients say is the best CPAP mask available today.

I just want to make it clear that we do not have any affiliation with any other custom mask company and we DO NOT use blogs to manipulate the market.

Rested Girl asked a couple of questions about how a custom made mask would deal with the changes in facial geometry during sleep. The changes in the shape of the face are something that cause no end of problems for CPAP users - the loss of muscle tone supporting the jaw, the fluids draining from the tissues of the face, etc. Sit on the edge of the bed each night and get your off-the-shelf mask fitted properly, then wake up an hour later when your face has changed shape and the mask is leaking.... The Logical mask is moulded to fit the sleeping face - we do this by having our clients lie on a bed for 30 minutes to allow the face to relax. Of course, being a nasal mask, the Logical mask is unaffected by movement of the jaw. Our mask seals right around the base of the nose with a very effective patented double seal and sleep on your side, on your back, change sides, toss 'n' turn as you might, the seal stays right where it needs to be. Your top lip, nose and cheeks can change shape significantly without disrupting the seals. If I didn't know how well this works from personal experience and from a growing number of satisfied clients, I would think it was too good to be true too!

Hopefully you will hear more about us in the future, we would love to enter the US market and may do in time, but as I have said before - now you have another reason to come down under!

Thanks
Scott
Acurest, Brisbane, Australia

[Pendragon]

........... I just have serious doubts that "custom molded to your face" is the answer. ...........

That's easy for you to say.

WOW! all this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ from an ill fitting mask.. Think I'd rather take my chances with the apneas and any other event than have a terrible mask accident like that....

[sleepyinstlouis]

A mask that costs that much better be on a solid gold palanquin and have its own servants to keep it in working order. Why is it we can't see pictures of this incredible mask? Pics or it didn't happen.

[Acurest]

There are a few pictures on our website (http://www.acurest.com.au). I will get a few more up there soon....

[Kiralynx]

There are a few pictures on our website (http://www.acurest.com.au). I will get a few more up there soon....

We-ll.... as much as I want to visit Australia, I think your mask is currently out of my price range. <wry grin> I kind of doubt you accept US-based insurance, and I'm quite sure my insurance wouldn't pay for two airfares to Australia and the cost of the mask.

[Muse-Inc]

There are a few pictures on our website (http://www.acurest.com.au). I will get a few more up there soon....

Please add one that shows what touches the nose; it is hard to view. From the description, it seems that some sort of pillow or prong directs the air directly into the nostrils -- is that what is meant by the description?

[roster]

........... I just have serious doubts that "custom molded to your face" is the answer. ...........

That's easy for you to say.

WOW! all this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ from an ill fitting mask.. Think I'd rather take my chances with the apneas and any other event than have a terrible mask accident like that....

It's not all bad. I do make enough money at Halloween to vacation the rest of the year.

[roster]

There are a few pictures on our website (http://www.acurest.com.au). I will get a few more up there soon....

Just looking at the photos I am wondering if your designer used to work for http://dildo.com/?

[YouMaySayImaDreamer]

Hi Acurest and welcome,

A key aspect I got from your website is that you say your mask will last for three years. Considering that 3-6 months seems to be the far more common lifespan for a mask, that a) is critical in justifying the price and b) begs the question of what the mask is made out of.

Are you saying that the whole mask, including that (what I assume is a) delicate seal around the nose, will last for three years? Given that yours is a very young company, how did you arrive at this number?

I mean, custom fit aside, if you have a new material that lasts 6 to 12 times longer than the industrial average, then shouldn't you be playing that up?

Thanks.

[Acurest]

Good morning from Australia!

Yes, the normal life of the Logical mask is three years. The material that comes into contact with the face is made of a hypoallergenic silicone based material which is similar to the material used for most masks. However, as our mask does not rely upon soft silicone pressed into the face to achieve a seal, we can use a less flexible version of the material which lasts longer. The material is moulded to conform to all the contours of the face and covers the top lip, nose and continues up onto the forehead. The whole mask sits very close to the face, protruding only 3mm beyond the end of the nose. This is what gives the mask its incredible stability and why users only need very light strap pressure and why it doesn't leave marks on the face.

Despite the more heavy duty nature of the material, the finished mask weighs only 90 grams (a little over three ounces). The material reacts with the oils and acids in the skin and will deteriorate over time; the life of the mask therefore depends upon the combination of acids and oils in the individual's skin and (more importantly) on how well the mask is maintained. I have seen poorly maintained masks in need of replacement after two years. I have also seen a forerunner of the Logical mask, made of the same material, which has been in use for over seven years. The reaction causes the material to incrementally distort and therefore the mask becomes gradually less comfortable over time, however the seals are not normally affected by this process. Most of our clients continue to use their mask until they eventually get to the point where the mask has lost it's perfect fit and they order a new one. BTW, we make the next mask from the original mould at a price of AUD$1200.

The Logical mask was launched into the Australian market in January 2006. Prior to that another mask made of the same material was also being made by the developer of the Logical mask, so we have considerable experience with the materials. Acurest was formed about a year ago specifically to bring this mask to the market following the retirement of it's developer, so while we are relatively new, the mask has been around for a lot longer.

I think that answers most of the questions - thanks for your interest. I will post again when I have more photos up on the website.

Scott
(Acurest)

[Dog Tired]

I spoke to Scott at Acurest a few days ago, as I am seriously thinking of getting one of these myself. To me, he sounded like a knowledgeable and straightforward guy.

As I said in another post, the issue of price is a particularly prickly one for us Aussies.

I bought two masks a few weeks ago (I was only diagnosed in November) and paid $500 for an Optilife and a F&P Opus. Roughly double what the folks in the US are paying for them.

So $300 for a mask down under is not unheard of. My health insurance will only rebate $500 for 1 cpap machine every five years. Zip for accessories.

This means we are largely on our own (financially) when it comes to treatment.

Since November I have spent almost $4,000 (on 2 machines, masks, heated tubing and other bits and pieces), for which I will get back the princely sum of $500.

I would really love to hear from satisfied users of the mask - as I am nearly there in terms of my decision. I will need to spend about $500 in airfares to get to Scott for the moulding and measuring, so it is a substantial outlay.