SD card question

[Sam793]

Yesterday I removed my SD card to download it but stupid me forgot to put it back in when I was done. I realized this when I woke up at 2 a.m. I put the card back in at that point. My question is.... Is the data written as you go or when you turn it off? Have I lost my 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. data? I would check right now but I had to rush to catch my train this morning. Thanks for your help!

[Pugsy]

I don't know what happens when the card is left out of the Icon overnight. Don't remember anyone mentioning it but we don't a huge number of Icon users here using software.
With ResMed machines the detailed high definition graphs are lost.
With Respironics machines only the flow rate graph is lost.

Pretty much all the full data machines have storage for basic AHI and hours used on the machine itself and will write whatever it stores back on to the SD card when it gets inserted.
So it won't affect your compliance usage for sure...probably not the AHI but I can't swear to it. It may be like the ResMed machine or it may be like the Respironics machine.
You will just need to check your software reports tonight to see what might be absent.

Or maybe an Icon user forum member has done it (left out the card) and uses the software and can tell you for sure what happens.

[Sam793]

Thank you. On a side topic is there a reason there are not a lot of Icon users? The machine I have is on loan and will get my own in a month or so. I seem to be happy with what I have but of course don't have anything to compare it to. If I was to pick another machine other than the Icon I would probably go with the S9 but then again I seem to have no issues with the Icon. Any thoughts or comments?

[Pugsy]

The 2 main players in the cpap market are Resmed and Respironics.
Not many Icon users here. The data available on it isn't as comprehensive as the 2 main players data. It has some limitations.
The Icon software isn't easy to get a hold of or use and it costs money...the other 2 have easy to use and obtain and free software.

Also it seems like most DMEs go with one of the two main players and that is why we see more of those users here.
Not many DMEs dispensing the Icon when compared to the other brands.

Personally, I think the data available from the ResMed or Respironics machines is far superior but as far as effectiveness of the therapy...the F & P machines probably do just as good of a job..there are some minor differences as to the features and algorithms but overall not many deal breaker differences.

But you might ask Jencat84 how she feels about her Icon...
Send her a private message and ask her.
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=64174
though I can tell you right now she will say "get a different machine"....she is not a happy camper Icon user. Mainly I think it is the data available and software that gripes her.
If the most comprehensive data is important to you...get one of the other machines if you can..you won't regret it.

[Sam793]

Will do. I saw a ResMed S9 on display so I will probably ask for that. Thanks for all the info. I'm on my way home right now and will post the results of what data was logged without the SD card for reference.

[Pugsy]

If you are wanting a S9 machine...make sure it does NOT have the word "Escape" anywhere on the machine.
The Escape models either don't have any data available beyond hours of use or in the case of the Escape Auto it only has severely limited data (doesn't even give you a leak rate).

[Sam793]

All the data was saved luckily.... as I am new, I wondered if someone could comment on my data from last night. Ignore the leak at 2 am as my daughter was crying and I jumped out of bed to see why. Other than that the mask was on all night.

[Pugsy]

Your AHI is higher than I would want to see. We like it less than 5.0.
Given the clusters of events along with the Flow limitations it appears that the pressure is not quite optimal. Unless you think you were awake during those clusters of events the machine (in which case we don't know what to make of the clusters) probably need a little more pressure.
Maybe from supine sleeping or even REM stage sleep.
Are you scheduled for a follow up visit any time soon to go over the data that is collected? If not you probably should be unless you are doing this yourself and in that case a little more pressure probably is in order.

[4betterO2]

If I was to pick another machine other than the Icon I would probably go with the S9 but then again I seem to have no issues with the Icon. Any thoughts or comments?

I don't know anything about Icon machines, but before you choose another machine, you need to know what type of therapy your machine delivers now: CPAP, BiPAP, other? so you can look at corresponding machine models in the PR and S9 lines. (Supposing of course, that you want to continue the same therapy you are having now).
As for data, I believe all the current models from S9 and PR store full data on the SD card?
On the PR machines, the screen can also show you some stats right there in the morning: compliance and some pressure stats but that differs. (On my machine for instance, before I could see the max PS used, AHI, Periodic breathing which I believe includes also clear airway events but not sure. But now, for unknown reason, I cannot see those on the machine anymore, though they show on the SD data.)

[Pugsy]

As for data, I believe all the current models from S9 and PR store full data on the SD card?

No, not all models of either the S9 or PR S1 store full data.
They all store hours of use but not necessarily full efficacy data. One has to know the model names/numbers so that they know for sure what they are getting.

On the PR machines, the screen can also show you some stats right there in the morning: compliance and some pressure stats but that differs. (On my machine for instance, before I could see the max PS used, AHI, Periodic breathing which I believe includes also clear airway events but not sure. But now, for unknown reason, I cannot see those on the machine anymore, though they show on the SD data.)

Sounds like your "Show AHI" setting in the clinical menu has got turned off somehow.
Periodic Breathing that is shown on the machine's LCD screen is % of time that a person has had PB...has nothing to do with clear airway events. People can have Periodic Breathing with zero events...with obstructive apnea...with hyponeas and also clear airway events. So Periodic Breathing is not necessarily always tied to any particular event type.

[Sam793]

I go back at the beginning of March for another sleep study. I don't want to change my pressure until then but do realize that it needs to be higher. My biggest concern are the leaks except for that one spike. I do sometimes wake up and hear a little hissing which I fix by readjusting my mask. I'm sure i'll get it all figured out one night. There's so much to learn!

[Pugsy]

My biggest concern are the leaks except for that one spike

Your total leak line (the top one in SleepyHead) pretty much stays at what appears to be 20 ish L/min range.
That's probably real close to your expected vent rate for your mask at your pressure. The vent rate/intentional leak rate is shown on a graph in your mask paperwork. You can look it up and see what it is and get a ball park excess leak number by subtracting.
There's always a little plus or mine a few L/min anyway.

At any rate...The Icon's large leak number to avoid is Total leak at 60 L/min. That's where their large leak territory starts. Keep it below that and leaks are considered "acceptable" and the machine can compensate for any excess leak.
We through out the spikes because we know what causes them.
So you were obviously well below 60 L/min mark.

Total Leak is the vent rate plus any excess leak.
Different brands of machines report leaks a little different and have different large leak lines in the sand.
So if you were thinking your leak is bad because of say a S9 machine leak rate someone posts...not so. The S9 machines only report excess leak. It subtracts a vent rate before reporting leak.