AirSense™ 10 AutoSet Opinion

charlesrshell wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:52 am

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:35 am

Yes...IMHO ResMed is still the go to brand.

The AirCurve 10 model line is the bilevel models. There is no for Her model in the bilevels.
For plain OSA...the AirCurve 10 VAuto would be my choice. Essentially the AutoSet with the ability to go to pressures over 20 cm (which the autoset can't) and a bit more customization available in terms of some comfort settings.
I always believe that auto adjusting is a better choice than a fixed pressure only machine....we simply don't always sleep the same each night and our pressure needs can vary.

https://www.resmed.com/ap/en/consumer/p ... vices.html

Pugsy, I came up with this link in the ResMed site. Scroll down to the Bilevel section. ResMed has five AirCure models. Which model do you suggest?

https://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/p ... ml#Bilevel

Depends on what kind of apnea a person has and what their needs are.
For plain jane vanilla OSA.....the AirCurve 10 VAuto.
The AirCurve 10 S is just a fixed bilevel machine...again for plain jane OSA. I don't care for fixed pressure only machines but sometimes they work and there is a need. Since the VAuto has a S mode available for any of those special needs...it has it covered.

The other 3 models are specialty needs machines...central apnea or maybe complex SA or maybe special ventilation needs.

At this point we don't know what kind of apnea your friend has and we don't know pressure needs and just because someone has "severe" OSA doesn't necessarily mean they need high pressures or a bilevel. Severity of apnea has no relation on pressure needs at all.
I have seen people with "mild" OSA need 22 cm and I have seen people with severe OSA with AHI over 100 be able to get by with a modest 8 cm pressure. It's all about the airway patency as to how much pressure is needed and not severity of OSA.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:40 am

charlesrshell wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:52 am

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:35 am

Yes...IMHO ResMed is still the go to brand.

The AirCurve 10 model line is the bilevel models. There is no for Her model in the bilevels.
For plain OSA...the AirCurve 10 VAuto would be my choice. Essentially the AutoSet with the ability to go to pressures over 20 cm (which the autoset can't) and a bit more customization available in terms of some comfort settings.
I always believe that auto adjusting is a better choice than a fixed pressure only machine....we simply don't always sleep the same each night and our pressure needs can vary.

https://www.resmed.com/ap/en/consumer/p ... vices.html

Pugsy, I came up with this link in the ResMed site. Scroll down to the Bilevel section. ResMed has five AirCure models. Which model do you suggest?

https://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/p ... ml#Bilevel

Depends on what kind of apnea a person has and what their needs are.
For plain jane vanilla OSA.....the AirCurve 10 VAuto.
The AirCurve 10 S is just a fixed bilevel machine...again for plain jane OSA. I don't care for fixed pressure only machines but sometimes they work and there is a need. Since the VAuto has a S mode available for any of those special needs...it has it covered.

The other 3 models are specialty needs machines...central apnea or maybe complex SA or maybe special ventilation needs.

At this point we don't know what kind of apnea your friend has and we don't know pressure needs and just because someone has "severe" OSA doesn't necessarily mean they need high pressures or a bilevel. Severity of apnea has no relation on pressure needs at all.
I have seen people with "mild" OSA need 22 cm and I have seen people with severe OSA with AHI over 100 be able to get by with a modest 8 cm pressure. It's all about the airway patency as to how much pressure is needed and not severity of OSA.

OK, got it. Thanks again Pugsy. You are the go to person for Sleep Apnea.

BTW it never hurts to get and use a bilevel machine like the VAuto...for plain OSA even if pressure needs are modest.
The problem is they cost so much more and getting insurance to pay the more money is often difficult unless there is a proven need that the regular machines can't meet.

alexander wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:03 am

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 7:11 am

Do you use Sleepy Head or OSCAR?

If you do, then don't wait. There is no guarantee that either will work for whatever machine is released next. ResMed's latest machine the Mini doesn't.

Didn’t think about that. Is it likely to happen (i.e. have they tried to prevent it in the past)?

ResMed (nor any device manufacturer) has cooperated with third party developers. Their data formats are proprietary and undocumented. Third party developers have had to learn data formats by reverse engineering.

Best case scenario, new machines will have an SD Card or some other mechanism to transfer data, and it will be compatible with OSCAR

Acceptable, new machines will have an SD Card or some other mechanism to transfer data, but there will be data formatting changes that require some reverse engineering before compatibility with OSCAR

Worse case, SD Card removed and no supported mechanism to transfer data for personal use. This is what happened with the Mini. Though one motivation is smaller size to benefit travel, other motivations are because less Doctors and DME's use SD Cards themselves preferring to download data from cloud.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least, if ResMed and other manufacturers took the ability to access one's own data.

They don't support what we are doing, and they don't recognize that we add value to their business.

Thanks for your detailed answer, Dog Slobber.

I actually use myAir a lot, and I like that it gives me a simplified view of things. However, it would be better if the manufacturers acknowledged the fact that many patients need the actual data for a multitude of reasons.

I have the AirSense™ 10 AutoSet.
I am pleased with it.
I did have to get my unit replaced due to a defect, but that can happen with any machine.

One comment. The new unit I have has a setting for response. IIRC, it's regular or "soft".
I have read that that's the same algorithm as the "For Her" model.
If that's accurate, you can have the more manly looking machine, and still get the "softer" response.
I don't remember seeing that setting on my original unit, but I could be mistaken.

If anyone can confirm the soft setting vs. for her, chime in.

jsmit86 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 1:35 pm

One comment. The new unit I have has a setting for response. IIRC, it's regular or "soft".
I have read that that's the same algorithm as the "For Her" model.
If that's accurate, you can have the more manly looking machine, and still get the "softer" response.
I don't remember seeing that setting on my original unit, but I could be mistaken.

If anyone can confirm the soft setting vs. for her, chime in.

It is NOT the same thing nor does it do the same thing that the For Her special mode does.

You probably simply didn't have it on the older unit that you had replaced. It was a feature that was added after a bit of time to the AirSense AutoSets. So some have it and the older units don't have it available. I don't remember when it was added but maybe a couple of years after the first release of the AirSense line. ResMed didn't make a big to do about it...just one day people were asking "what is this" and we realized it had been added.

So... no....you can't make a regular Autoset into the For Her mode by just changing to "soft response". There's simply more to the for Her mode than that.

I went from a PR System One to the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset and I love the ResMed. I think it's a great machine and have zero complaints. I only have the PR to compare it to, and that was a pretty lousy machine in comparison. I can't speak to the DreamStation since I've never used that.

I like that the ResMed is very quiet, the algorithm doesn't make me feel like I have to breathe according to it's rhythm (I always felt I had to with the PR)--I don't even notice the transition between inspiration and exhalation with the ResMed and it was VERY prominent with the PR. There's plenty of on-board information, there's something to hold the filter in place and it's easy to get to for changing. The light goes OFF when you are using the machine (novel concept, since the damn PR lit UP while you were using it in the dark ) No beep when you turn it on (ResMed, my husband thanks you for that one!). The humidifier actually works. Everything I hated about the PR is fixed with the ResMed and most importantly, my AHI's are consistently 0.1 - 0.2. Couldn't ask for better.

I don't think you will be disappointed at all with this machine.

jsmit86 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 1:35 pm

I have the AirSense™ 10 AutoSet.

One comment. The new unit I have has a setting for response. IIRC, it's regular or "soft".
I have read that that's the same algorithm as the "For Her" model.
If that's accurate, you can have the more manly looking machine, and still get the "softer" response.
I don't remember seeing that setting on my original unit, but I could be mistaken.

If anyone can confirm the soft setting vs. for her, chime in.

No, not even close to the same, read the manual, both are documented.

jsmit86 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 1:35 pm

I have the AirSense™ 10 AutoSet.
I am pleased with it.
I did have to get my unit replaced due to a defect, but that can happen with any machine.

One comment. The new unit I have has a setting for response. IIRC, it's regular or "soft".
I have read that that's the same algorithm as the "For Her" model.
If that's accurate, you can have the more manly looking machine, and still get the "softer" response.
I don't remember seeing that setting on my original unit, but I could be mistaken.

If anyone can confirm the soft setting vs. for her, chime in.

Expanding on what Pugsy stated:

• The Soft response was added as an update.
• It is not available on older AutoSets, nor is it available when the for Her Model is in for Her mode.
• A softer response is part of the for Her algorithm, but setting the response to Soft doesn't change the traditional AutoMode to the for Her algorithm.
• The components of the for Her Algorithm are (from the clinician guide):
  • Reduced rate of pressure increments designed to help prevent arousals.
  • Slower pressure decays.
  • Treats apneas up to 12 cm H2O and continues to respond to flow limitation and snore up to 20 cm H2O.
  • Minimum pressure (Min. Pressure) that adjusts according to the frequency of apneas:
    If two apneas occur within a minute, the pressure reached in response to the second apnea will become the new minimum treatment pressure until the next treatment session.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 21, 2019 7:28 am

The extra mode is an algorithm marketed for women. It is a less aggressive response and when it senses a a set amount of apneas in a short time period will establish a new minimum pressure.

Thank you so much! I was wondering about that.

Thanks to all for the response on Soft vs. For Her.
Got it... an enhancement, but NOT the same as the For Her algorithm.