Buying a new CPAP

Hello guys,

Please let me take some of your time to ask some questions regarding buying a new CPAP machine.

I discovered recently that I have sleep apnea with RDI 24/h. The doctor gave me a "phillips system one remstar auto A-flex" machine to use for one month before checking the results. After one month, my RDI went down to 4.11/h. That is good!

As I am living in Japan, it seems the CPAPs here are over-expensive! The hospital wants to rent me the device for 50$/month, and would not sell me the device. I looked online and it seems buying is the more reasonable choice considering that I will need to be using a device for the rest of my life. So I am thinking of buying a device online and just return my current one to the hospital again.

Since I have tried the phillips device and had a smooth month with it without any major problems, I need to ask the following questions:
(you can answer the questions you know the answer to only)

1. They say online that "auto A-flex" device is discontinued and now the newest is "60-series remstar auto". Is that true?
2. The device I used is A-flex, while the ones I found online were "60-series C-flex". What is the difference and would you recommend me to use C instead of A?
3. I used a mask named comfortclassic, but I see ComfortGel Blue online also and it seems newer. Which one would you recommend?
4. How can I move the settings of my current device to my new device so that I can have the same comfort at night?
5. What is the heated tube? and would you recommend using a humidifier?
6. Would you please recommend a place with the cheapest prices and international warranty? I want a place with cheap shipping to Japan as well.

Thank you.

DreamingToSleep wrote: 1. They say online that "auto A-flex" device is discontinued and now the newest is "60-series remstar auto". Is that true?

AFlex is just one of the Flex options available on the various PR System One machines and no, it has not been discontinued.

The newest 60 series auto cpap machines still offer AFlex.
AFlex is the term used for exhale relief in auto adjusting pressure mode called APAP
CFlex is the term use for exhale relief when using fixed pressure ...called CPAP

In the System One model line the first models were the 50 series machines
Now the latest models are the 60 series machines....these machines have the heated hose option available as well as a few other minor changes but the main feature improvement is the availability of the heated hose.

Sounds like you may have been using the PR System One Auto CPAP with AFlex machine...that is the model #550 and called a 50 series machine (the last 2 digits in the model number designate the series model).

There is a model 560 machine
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... -tube.html
It still offers AFlex in APAP mode as well as CFlex in CPAP mode.

There are some models that don't offer APAP mode...so they will just offer cpap mode and just CFlex exhale relief....
Model numbers 450/460 or below.

If you want to continue to use AFlex (yes, it is nice as I used to use it) you need a 550 or 560 model machine and use Auto adjusting pressure mode APAP. It's a good machine and actually is like 2 machines in one because it also has CPAP mode available.
I don't know that one Flex is necessarily better than the other but you can read about them here.
http://aflex.respironics.com/

DreamingToSleep wrote:4. How can I move the settings of my current device to my new device so that I can have the same comfort at night?

That part is easy. It just involves getting into the clinical menu setup area and setting it up so the settings are the same.
http://www.apneaboard.com/pr-system-one ... structions

DreamingToSleep wrote:5. What is the heated tube? and would you recommend using a humidifier?

Heated tube is a heated long hose...and yes, I would recommend using a humidifier unless you live in a rain forest.
The added humidity helps the nasal passages and sinuses well hydrated. The main benefit is comfort to the nasal passages and sinuses.
The heated hose is a feature that is useful if a person happens to have condensation occur in the long hose due to preferred humidity settings and bedroom temperature. The heated hose helps keep the air warmer so that the condensation is less likely to occur. This condensation is called rain out and while it can happen any time if the conditions are just right for it ....mainly it's a wintertime issue because we typically have much cooler bedroom temps in the winter.

Is the heated hose a critical need? No, but it sure is nice to have and it also allows for more customization of both the air temp coming to the mask as well as humidity delivered. Besides, it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I love the heated hose feature as I used to have a machine that didn't offer it and I went through 3 winters battling rain out.
Rain out doesn't really hurt you but it is highly annoying. A little bit of moisture in the long hose makes an awful racket and moisture in the mask gives a person a cold shower or they get to snort water up their nose. Won't hurt you but will sure wake you up.

Mask preference...I can't help you there...never tried anything but a nasal pillow mask but I will tell you that mask preferences are highly individualized. One man's treasure is another man's trash and you will just have to use a mask to see if it is treasure or trash to you.

DreamingToSleep wrote:6. Would you please recommend a place with the cheapest prices and international warranty? I want a place with cheap shipping to Japan as well.

International shipping is never cheap but cpap.com (our forum host) will ship internationally. I don't know if they can ship Respironics machines internationally...I know that they can't ship ResMed products internationally...but send them a note and ask them. I had heard that Respironics had got on the "no international shipping" wagon from someone...check to make sure.
That would be the machine that I linked to above the Model 560 machine.

If they can't ship internationally. Try Secondwindcpap.com as I know they will and they have new open box specials with their machines and they will offer the standard 2 year warranty on their new open box specials.

Be sure that you know your model numbers...the names are a bit confusing...forget the Remstar part of the name...they have use the Remstar term on everything that they have ever made.

Did you know that your current machine is a full data machine?
Check out my signature line for information on software that you can use...free too.