Sandman Auto

This is my first post after many years of daily reading and encouragement from this forum. I have used the classic tank for over four years with much loyalty and success. I just recently switched to the Sandman Auto after careful research about the new APAP'S. While I tried the M-Series I just wasn't impressed with the unit and software glitches. I have spent over 6000hrs. on the tank and felt that it was time to try another machine since my OSA therapy is under control and my tank is still working and can be used as a back-up should the Sandman fail. My initial reation to using the Sandman is positive due to the feel of the therapy on it and the ease of use of the Sandman therapy software. Coming from the Respironics product line including the Encore Pro software over to the Puritan Bennett line is like using my right hand instead of the left. The Sandman feels smooth is quiet and has a front LED panel using real time that will light in the middle of the night with a touch of a button. The humidifier is presise and the unit is small for the nightstand. The programming is simple and the software is easy to navigate. I have to get used to the terminology and its flow limitation(runs) recording. I have used it for 10 days and feel great. My settings are set at 6-10 with a comfort setting of 8 and humidifier setting of 5(out of10). My AHI is about 1.0 at thes settings. I will keep you imformed of my progress with this unit and look forward to sharing my experiences with APAP on this forum.
Thanks and Greetings from the great northeast but not Asbury Park!

that is good news, if you could post a sample report that would be awesome, places that sell that machine cannot even put up a sample copy, they'd probably sell a lot more machines if they did.

I understand it has a direct USB cable to connect to your PC for downloading reports in addition to the card reader and key card.

Thanks for the report.

Nice to hear from you snoredog. I have been using the memory card for downloding data but yesterday I received the USB cable from CPAP.com. I believe the cable with allow me to change device settings via my computer such as therapy usage and session resets should I want to zero those out. The memory card or on screen display has these perameters locked out. As I learn more about unit I will post. I would post a downloaded report but I do not know how to do that.

Snoredog wrote:if you could post a sample report that would be awesome

Yes!! Please do post a picture of one of your detailed data reports, if you can. Or, if you'll take a screen shot of one or more pages from one of your reports and email it to me (PM me for my email address), I'll be glad to post it here. Preferably a page that shows the detailed pressure/leak/events graph.

As Snoredog said, many people would be very interested in the Sandman Auto if they could actually see a report downloaded from it, and could see if the report covers the kind of details they're interested in. From what you are saying, Thunder Road, it sounds like there may very well be the kind of detail in it that Puritan Bennett 420E users are accustomed to getting. Sure hope so. I always liked (still do) my 420E and its Silverlining software. If the Sandman Auto's software gives anything like the kind of detail Silverlining gives.... wooo!!

P.S.
I was typing while you were posting again, Thunder. Can you take a screen shot of your report and email it to me? If you need help doing that, just PM me for my email address and I'll send you instructions.

I hope we will all be impressed as this line is to replace the P&B 420E and the software is written by the same team in France. Yes, even if the screen shots are simply print screen and then e-mail for publication, it will give a lot of good information to the Sleep Apnea community.

It will also be nice to see what settings they give you since this one has the same switches as the 420E and allows you to set how high in pressure to chase apneas. Sounds good, just no marketing of the machine at this time.

Did you get the Clinical manual. There seems to be a lot of confusion if that is published at this time. Also any data from the software description would be quite useful.

Thunder Road wrote:My settings are set at 6-10 with a comfort setting of 8 and humidifier setting of 5(out of10).

What is the comfort setting of 8 you speak of ? Is that a new option on the Sandman? Or do you mean initial pressure?

Yes please post pics of the software! Thank you for your service to the community

And many more good nights to you...

Dang! They WOULD come out w/this auto AFTER I've been switched to a bi-level!! I have been so interested in the 420E and Sliverlining software for so long now ..... *sigh*

PLEASE, please, do post some of the images from the software and let us see what data the Sandman shares w/us. I always assumed once I heard the Sandman name that the software, when it became available, would be pretty darn good given there is a professional version of Sandman used by many sleep labs for their titration studies AND the reputation of the Silverlining software.

Thunder Road, please consider all the requests to learn more about this Sandman Auto Software capability!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep ... still waiting to see what the data output look like

I thought we might have been able to see a Sandman report from geopal yesterday, but after the download the report was password protected then PM message couldn't find geopal, so that was all a wasted effort.

Someone will eventually come up with one.

I PMed Geopal and got his password and was able to save his data from the card (8 pages)but I don't think I can get it onto the forum. I did print it out and have looked at it. Some of the info I can understand to an extent. It is quite different than my Encore Viewer data but there are, of course, similarities. I am not skilled enough to really give geopal advice but I think he did not use the machine enough hours any night to really get a picture. I would say he has sleep apnea, maybe severe, but there is not enough data to say that for sure, I don't think.
Some of you more experienced forum members should get his password and get that data and reply to him!
You could, for sure, see things that I don't have the experience to see. You would help him and you would get a look at Sandman data!
Of course, he said his friend sells them and he may have used software not available to patients, as is done with Remstars., etc.

update: I got the pwd from geopal (thanks!)

Sandman Auto's resports appear identical to Silverlining 3.5 with some improvements (fonts look much better when printed etc.).

It also has some new reporting fields and it clearly defines Obstructive events from Centrals, appears to have similar options for settings as the 420e but easier to understand, pressures are now defined as "Comfort pressure" etc. It also shows:

Compliance Information (date, use, in ramp etc.)
data....

Last Settings of the period (machine settings)

Min Pressure:
Max Pressure:
Latency time:
Pressure Decrease:
Command on Flow Limitation Run: (enable/disable)
Max. pressure for Command on Apnea: (default=10) changeable like the 420e.

Leaks:
Min, Max, Avg in Liters per Second

Detected Events: Number seen: Index/h (AHI)

96-Hour Detailed Report: This report graph wasn't included, don't know if they left it off the reporting "template" or it is gone, hope not that was the most valuable graph in Silverlings reports. Hopefully they didn't do away with it.

Thanks to geopal for supplying the report. Since the report doesn't contain any personal data, I'll send it to RG and see if she cannot make it available.


AH (obs) for Obstructive Apnea
AH (cnt) for Central Apnea
Hypopneas: (Obstructive Hyopnea)
Hypopneas CNT: (central hypopnea)

Snorings: (Vibratory Snore)
Runs: (Flow Limitation Runs)

Snoredog, thanks for your interpretation of the reports. I could not figure out how to post them. Could you please PM me I have a question for you. The new software does not include the 96 report you referenced.

Snoredog wrote: Hypopneas CNT: (central hypopnea)

Thanks for the info snoredog and geopal!

Now what the HECK are central hypopnea's? I can guess what they are, but I didn't know such a thing existed..??

Thanks for the update.

Centrals apneas are different form the physical obstrcutive apneas such that the the diaphram, for whatever reason, fails to do its job to make you breathe. I dunno how the software determines the difference between the two, maybe SD or RG can explain.