Announcing Dragon Breath

Dragon Breath is an app for viewing European Data Format (.edf) files commonly used for CPAP machines, sleep studies, PSG, electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), and sleep scoring. EDF+ can also be used for nerve conduction studies, evoked potentials and other data acquisition studies. While there are a number of Windows programs, Dragon Breath may be the first app for the MacOS.

The program is specifically focused on files stored on ResMed AirSense CPAP machines, and it allows the user to review the files in a graphic format, charting flow, pressure, leaks, snoring, etc.

Dragon Breath is a free app and may be downloaded from the Falco aircraft website at http://www.seqair.com/DragonBreath/DragonBreath.html

I would like to emphasize that this is just a start and that the program will be going through dramatic changes to make it highly interactive, so please check back often.

This is a new field for me, and I would be very grateful for any explanations you may have for what the various signals are for.

Thanks,

Alfred

Alfred P. Scott
5407 Patterson Ave, Suite 202B
Richmond
VA 23226

(804) 353-1713
cell (804) 690-4591
alfred@seqair.com
alfred.scott@me.com
www.seqair.com

Interesting. Is it only for mac?

Never ever put your private address and phone out here in public for any reason except when e.g. you've already been in communication with someone through private messages and exchanged e=mails where you then choose to share. It can be a big problem, whether or not it becomes one here.

Julie wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:02 pm

Never ever put your private address and phone out here in public for any reason except when e.g. you've already been in communication with someone through private messages and exchanged e=mails where you then choose to share. It can be a big problem, whether or not it becomes one here.

Uhm, that's a listing for a business. Kind of hard to have a business and keep the contact info secret. There is such a thing as being too paranoid.

But, yeah, I wouldn't post my cell number online. Maybe only half too paranoid

Thanks, but I’m already pretty public by virtue of my WildTools software.

Yes, for Mac only.

Alfred

When I got started on this, I assumed that the doctors were using a ResMed program not available to the public, Windows only, and probably a basic, unimaginative program. I was not aware of any other alternatives, so I started work on Dragon Breath with some clear ideas of how it should operate and behave.

Someone pointed me to this forum, and I found everyone was talking about and using SleepyHead. Never heard of it.

I’ve now downloaded the software, and I’m surprised to find that almost everything I had in mind is already implemented in the program, it runs on the MacOS and is an exceptionally well designed and complete program.

I’m going to rethink my approach in Dragon Breath, but I am flat out impressed with the work Mark Watkins has done.

Alfred

Alfred Scott wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:31 pm

When I got started on this, I assumed that the doctors were using a ResMed program not available to the public, Windows only, and probably a basic, unimaginative program. I was not aware of any other alternatives, so I started work on Dragon Breath with some clear ideas of how it should operate and behave.

Someone pointed me to this forum, and I found everyone was talking about and using SleepyHead. Never heard of it.

I’ve now downloaded the software, and I’m surprised to find that almost everything I had in mind is already implemented in the program, it runs on the MacOS and is an exceptionally well designed and complete program.

I’m going to rethink my approach in Dragon Breath, but I am flat out impressed with the work Mark Watkins has done.

Alfred

So are we!

One criticism/suggestion: most programmers tend to think in technical terms and often use terms and expressions that are hard to remember or understand. And I like to make software that is highly responsive and even fun.

ResMed machines flags events with names like unrecognized apnea, or UA. Whut?

I think this would be a great place to use emojis, such as surprised face, shrug, bells, astonished face, etc. Not hard to see how you could come up with easily understood pictographs in place of technical abbreviations.

Alfred

Alfred Scott wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:39 am

ResMed machines flags events with names like unrecognized apnea, or UA. Whut?

ResMed machines do indeed use UA for a flag name but only when the machine doesn't know what category to put the flagged event in for some reason.
Usually it is because of large leak but there are some models of machines that don't use all the flag names and instead use only the Apnea flag name and when that happens SleepyHead can only go by what the machine uses. SleepyHead doesn't do the naming of events or the flagging of the events.
The machine does its own flagging per whatever criteria it is set up to use.....SleepyHead only reports what the machine is reporting.

ResMed has used this system since their time began with reporting. Originally (and still) designed mainly for professionals which probably wouldn't care one whit about using anything fun.
And to be quite honest here...as a patient...I really don't care either. It's confusing enough for some people just using the appropriate name and explaining why ResMed uses unclassified apnea on those machines that don't separate central apnea vs obstructive apnea.
Keep things as simple as possible IMHO.

SleepyHead is open source software...you are free to grab it and run with it as you wish. Go for it.
Available on the main download page way down in little print.
https://sleepyhead.jedimark.net/

It is good to see fresh blood in this field.
It is a demanding task, and we welcome creative minds.
Thank you.
My thanks are for others, as I am locked on Android.

Alfred Scott wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:31 pm

When I got started on this, I assumed that the doctors were using a ResMed program not available to the public, Windows only, and probably a basic, unimaginative program. I was not aware of any other alternatives, so I started work on Dragon Breath with some clear ideas of how it should operate and behave.

Someone pointed me to this forum, and I found everyone was talking about and using SleepyHead. Never heard of it.

I’ve now downloaded the software, and I’m surprised to find that almost everything I had in mind is already implemented in the program, it runs on the MacOS and is an exceptionally well designed and complete program.

I’m going to rethink my approach in Dragon Breath, but I am flat out impressed with the work Mark Watkins has done.

Alfred

I believe Mark is working on a new, completely rewritten, improved version.
The current version was written while he was suffering from a combination of sleep apnea and migraine headaches.

Given I'm on the latest/greatest Mac and OS count me among the most appreciative & supportive of any/all energies related to this. I appreciate the effort likely more than even the author/designer can know!

Saying that SleepyHead is open source is a little like saying there are some good books in the Library of Congress!

I have the source code, and I continue to be impressed, but it is extremely difficult to work on or understand someone else’s programming. A program of this complexity and quality can only be created by a single, obsessed individual whose sanity is very much in doubt. Certainly that applies to me and WildTools.

Alfred

Alfred Scott wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 24, 2018 11:57 am

Saying that SleepyHead is open source is a little like saying there are some good books in the Library of Congress!

I have the source code, and I continue to be impressed, but it is extremely difficult to work on or understand someone else’s programming. A program of this complexity and quality can only be created by a single, obsessed individual whose sanity is very much in doubt. Certainly that applies to me and WildTools.

Alfred

Remember the programmer was going through a very stressful time when he wrote version 1.0. The unstable 1.1 was a slight improvement but still had many design issues that were already solved in the version he is currently developing.

Now that I’ve spent a couple of days looking at SleepyHead, what it does, how it works and looking through the SleepyHead source code, I’m throwing in the towel on Dragon Breath. SleepyHead is an exceptional piece of software, and in looking through the source code, I can understand and appreciate what a complex subject this is.

My hats off to Mark Watkins. It’s rare to find any app designed and executed as well as this.

Mark, if you’re listening in on this, I’d be happy to share my work with you. To read the files, I bring the file into NSData, then step through the bytes following the published file format, and memcopying the bytes into local variables. I do all the drawing with Quartz using a WildQuartzEnv C++ class I’ve used in WildTools for drawing into an NSView.

Alfred