Help! Pespironics autoSV not working..

Hi,
My Respironics sutoSV is acting very strange. I went to bed and turned on my machine like any of the other nights over the past year & suddenly I can't breathe through the mask (swift LT). My machine suddenly seems to have forgotton how to monitor a breathing cycle & won't keep a constant pressure. From the moment I turn it on the pressure varies wildly & changes every second.
I did fly out of town and just got back yesterday. I thought something might have happened while on the flight (it was kept with me at all times & not checked) but it functioned normally while away and seemed to work fine last night when I got home. I do recall the pressue seemed to be a little "less smooth" over the past few nights, but tonight it is unbearable. This is a nightmare!
I'm one giant ear if anyone has a suggestion on how to fix?
Thanks so much.

Contact the people you got the machine from.

I'll take a quick guess and say that moisture may have got into the internal pressure sensing tube inside the machine.

I have seen this happen in Bipaps of the 'tank' style. If this happens, then the pressure sensing gets confused and that
could well cause the type of problem you describe.

There are 3 screws that hold the cover on the machine & when you open it you can see a pressure sensing tube and a
pair of flow sensing tubes - all go from the air circuit to pressure/flow sensing chips on the main board.

These can easily be pulled off the sensor chips & blow through them & that would clear any moisture bubble in the
sensing tubes.

Traveling with a 'tank' style Bipap means making 100% certain you clear ALL moisture from the H/H when packing the
H/H & machine away.

Good luck

DSM

(Pics of a Bipap insides (Pro II) but not dissimilar to the insides of the Bipap Auto SV).

GO TO http://www.internetage.ws/cpapinfo/
ON LEFT 'MAIN MENU' select 'Look inside Cpaps'
Choose ITEM 9 - 'Respironics BiPap Pro 2 with BiFlex Disassembled'
Then look at pic 5 (DSC08133) which shows the ais sensing tubes & the chips on the main board.

DSM

#2 PS - that Bipap had water get back from the H/H and it rusted the bearings in the blower.

#3 PS - Item 15 on the disassembled machines list may help as well, it shows a Bipap S/T as well as a Pro II - they are both similar to the Bipap AutoSV inside

Thanks DSM - I think you're correct about my problem. Fortunately I didn't need to attempt the repair as I can barely change a light bulb. The problem seemed to improve after letting the machine run for ~ 15 minutes. I then hooked up using the ramp feature, so the unit wouldn't over power me while it adjusted to my normal breathing pattern again. When I woke up everything was working normally again.
I'm disappointed the manual provides no trouble shooting section or guidelines for preparing the unit to travel. They should give specific warnings about potential for this type of problem. I'll bookmark your pictures in case this happens again.
Do you have a specific routine when packing your machine to travel?
Thanks again!

Guest wrote:Thanks DSM - I think you're correct about my problem. Fortunately I didn't need to attempt the repair as I can barely change a light bulb. The problem seemed to improve after letting the machine run for ~ 15 minutes. I then hooked up using the ramp feature, so the unit wouldn't over power me while it adjusted to my normal breathing pattern again. When I woke up everything was working normally again.
I'm disappointed the manual provides no trouble shooting section or guidelines for preparing the unit to travel. They should give specific warnings about potential for this type of problem. I'll bookmark your pictures in case this happens again.
Do you have a specific routine when packing your machine to travel?
Thanks again!

Yes

I use tissue paper (or equivalent) to wipe out any moisture from the H/H before packing.

I do this with all my machines - the only ones I have seen water get into the air sensor lines or bearings, has been the Resp 'tank' models.

just a little dampness is all it takes.

Good luck

DSM