New BiPap settings to match CPAP settings

OK, got my hands on an Aircurve bi-level such that I could see how additional pressure support (more than EPR of 3 on Airsense) would help with my treatment. My body seems to tolerate the ‘feel’ or default settings on the Airsense EPR, so I want to match Aircurve’s adjustable settings (Ti max, Ti min, Rise time, trigger, and cycle) per attachment to the default settings of the Airsense’s EPR. To my knowledge, Resmed has these settings fixed with default values on the Airsense’s EPR mode…soooo…what are those default values such I can set the Aircurve to match? Thanks.

Here is an old post that might help, from a guy who often posts helpful stuff around here (when he isn't harassing the trolls, anyway ):

viewtopic/t173578/explanation-needed-fo ... e#p1274833

lazarus wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 3:40 pm

Here is an old post that might help, from a guy who often posts helpful stuff around here (when he isn't harassing the trolls, anyway ):

viewtopic/t173578/explanation-needed-fo ... e#p1274833

he IS good.

but you're pretty good for finding that!

zonker wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 4:35 pm

. . . finding that!

Nah. Was easy. It was the very first hit in Google when I entered the following:

trigger cycle timax timin site:cpaptalk.com

Google is for cheaters like me.

lazarus wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 7:32 pm

Google is for cheaters like me.

Not just you. I do what you do fairly often myself.
About the only time that I use the forum search function is when I am searching for a specific post of mine and I am looking for a certain trigger word because I remembered that word but not the exact post where I posted that word.
So I will sometimes search my own posts but with so many.....I try to limit the hits by using specific words.

Oddly enough, my very first post in this forum (or any forum for that matter) was about TiMax. (I went by "jnk" then.)

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31896&p=276816#p276685

Don't know what I would have done without finding this place and then wearing out Google searching for old posts by -SWS and the gang. And Slinky getting me set up with ResScan.

Thanks for the above posts and links, but I'm still looking for the specific Airsense default EPR values for trigger, Ti max, Ti min, cycle (not listed in Airsense clinical menu) to those same settings in the Aircurve clinical menu. Might be a tough ask? Thanks again.

CPAPnerd wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 8:21 pm

Might be a tough ask?

Very tough ask. I have never seen any documents that tell us what those specific settings might be with the single pressure cpap/apap machines. Sorry.

You may end up having to go by subjective feelings comparing the AirSense to the AirCurve. That's tough as well.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 8:33 pm

CPAPnerd wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 8:21 pm

Might be a tough ask?

Very tough ask. I have never seen any documents that tell us what those specific settings might be with the single pressure cpap/apap machines. Sorry.

You may end up having to go by subjective feelings comparing the AirSense to the AirCurve. That's tough as well.

Thanks Pugsy. Yeh, my first go at using the bi-level, I was taken aback as to the difference with the airflow pulses, stops, starts, etc. I'm a simpleton, so I thought there would be an auto or easy breathe setting that would simply allow me to get going with more pressure support without having to to reinvent the wheel with all of these extra bi-level user settings. I've experimented some but this may take a long time as well as not be able to get close to default settings of Airsense? Former Resmed engineers in retirement, I'm talking to yu !

CPAPnerd wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 8:21 pm

Thanks for the above posts and links, but I'm still looking for the specific Airsense default EPR values for trigger, Ti max, Ti min, cycle (not listed in Airsense clinical menu) to those same settings in the Aircurve clinical menu. Might be a tough ask? Thanks again.

I can't explain it as well as palerider, but until he gets here . . .

There can be no exact equivalents because of the differences between EPR and bilevel. EPR drops pressure a set amount when you breath out. It is less exact than VPAP. ResMed bilevels can be set to customize effectiveness and comfort in a very specific way to your exact preferences. The defaults, though, should be closest to what most prefer in feel. Moving from the defaults can set sensitivity higher or lower to your preference or set rise time slower or faster for your comfort. The point from the link I gave to palerider's description that I think most directly pertains to your question is that the defaults are the defaults for a reason.

My belief is that just as EPR behavior is aimed straight at the middle of the bell curve for the population and the most phenotypes, the defaults in VPAP are likewise aimed right at the middle. Thus, VPAP defaults can be considered closest to the what EPR feels like, despite the fact that EPR approaches the idea of fluctuating pressures from the exact opposite direction that VPAP approaches it.

Hopefully Pugsy or palerider or somebody will clean up my mess if I said any of that wrong.

Just reset Aircurve to factory default settings...they are...Mode: S, IPAP: 10, EPAP:4, Ti max: 2, Ti min:0.3, Rise: min, Trigger: med, Cycle: med.
Tried it out for a few breaths, and this is what I noticed:
Inhale breath was very punchy and was too quick for me
Inhale got cut off too soon
Any suggestions for those things?
Thanks.

I have used both the AirSense and AirCurve machines in the past.

If I set the AirSense 10 to have EPR at 3.....and the AirCurve 10 with PS of 3 in a manner that epap/ipap is the same as with EPR....I just started with the AirCurve 10 defaults on those fine tuning settings. Felt the same to me but that's me.

Play with the rise time setting and see if you can make it more to your liking.

Remember Science 101....keep your variables to a minimum.
That means make only one single change at a time when experimenting.
If you change more than one thing and something really good (or really bad) happens you won't know who to blame or be happy with.

So thanks again for all that have posted...this is what I'm learning...from a regular CPAP converter, not someone with COPD, etc...just trying to find better therapy with more pressure relief...

Ti min, might as well set it to 0.1 sec I guess, I dont know enough to think otherwise.
Ti max, might as well set it at max of 4 sec, why cut your inhale artificially short?
Rise, 0.1 sec too punchy, 900 ms might be too drawn out, so fit might be around 400 ms? I liken this to the ramp for every inhalation.

Now this is where it gets tricky for me:
Trigger, set at med and perhaps continue to assess.
Cycle, very high allows machine to switch from IPAP to EPAP on a hair trigger, so I lowered to very low, but still seems a bit froggy to me.

Anyway, thats it for me tonight, hopefully I can sleep with machine tonight. Reminds me of getting used to CPAP for first night.

Thanks all again!

lazarus wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 8:44 pm

CPAPnerd wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2023 8:21 pm

Thanks for the above posts and links, but I'm still looking for the specific Airsense default EPR values for trigger, Ti max, Ti min, cycle (not listed in Airsense clinical menu) to those same settings in the Aircurve clinical menu. Might be a tough ask? Thanks again.

palerider, . . .
palerider's
palerider

Did someone say my name three times?