Custom Fit Mask

$1450 for a cpap mask...... Wow, the first place people can tell I have either lost or gained weight is in my face. Four weeks ago I had possibly 2 pounds more cheeks than I have today. Where my jaw ends and my chin begins there is now a small, slanted inward, vertical crease that is presently giving me fits causing leaks. Now, if I had just spent $1450 three weeks ago for a custom made mask I'd be SICK! I'm just sayin'..............

I would like to read the guarante. If the mask does not work properly do you make a new one? If it still is NG do you refund the $1450.00? Does it have to return to Australia for mods? Is there shipping and duty/taxes on the mask? Which Insurance Companies will cover the $1450.00 cost?

Bob

Thanks for the feedback jimnsc, the weight gain/loss question is a good one.

About 90% of the TrueFIT mask surface sits on the top lip, nose and forehead. These areas of the face are relatively unaffected by changes in weight. Where the mask protrudes onto the cheeks, fit can be impacted by changes in weight. However, there are a couple of things working in our favour:

1. As the face relaxes during sleep, the cheeks soften and much of the fluid which fills the soft tissues during the day drains from the face. The tissue which remains is soft enough to be quite comfortably depressed by the mask material (don't forget, we make our mask out of a sturdier grade material than is commonly used in mask seals).

2. We take care to mold the "sleeping face" of our clients (a face that has relaxed as much as possible prior to molding) so the difference between the profile of your cheeks with and without additional weight is a minimal as possible.

Everyone is different, so this will be more of an issue for some people than for others. As this is a tailor-made product, we have the ability to provide some additional room in the mask surface in the area of the cheeks if you are concerned about this issue.

Thanks again for your comments.

cortez356 wrote:I would like to read the guarante. If the mask does not work properly do you make a new one? If it still is NG do you refund the $1450.00? Does it have to return to Australia for mods? Is there shipping and duty/taxes on the mask? Which Insurance Companies will cover the $1450.00 cost?

Bob

Thanks for the question Bob.

The guarantee is pretty plain: we guarantee that the mask will fit you comfortably and will seal effectively when you receive it. If it does not, we will make adjustments or replace the mask entirely to honor the guarantee. If we are unable to solve the problem, we would refund the cost of the mask. Adjustments would need to be made here in Brisbane, so there will be a delay while the mask is shipped back and forth (no duty/tax implications).

We have not yet dealt with all insurance companies, so unsure if yours would provide coverage. When our clients approach their insurance company about this mask, they go armed with a letter from their doctor explaining the struggle/sub-optimal outcomes using standard treatment options and a letter of medical necessity for our mask. For a direct answer on this, we suggest you take this issue up directly with your insurer.

In the video you can see two raised openings inside the mask that somewhat resemble nasal pillows. What is the purpose of these two raised openings?

You spent a long page on the website to trash Full Face Masks. Is this because you expect many complaints from customers that they are mouthbreathing/leaking with your product?

The product comparison comments on the website refer to nasal masks and fail to make comparisons to nasal pillows. Is this because you believe nasal pillows are as easy to use as your product?

Thanks for the questions Rooster.

While nasal pillows are a great innovation and they provide an alternative for people who struggle with the conventional "box" mask design, they are not "as easy to use" as our mask. In my opinion, they are just too unstable to last through the night. In terms of design, the TrueFIT Custom mask could actually be classified as a set of nasal pillows. But there are a few important differences.

The nostril protrusions in the TrueFIT Mask are made from the mold of the individual nose, so they "hug" the base of the narres to create a perfect seal. They are also the full width of the nostrils which allows a very natural sensation of breathing, unlike the aperture at the top of the pyrimidial-oval shape of normal nasal pillows that focuses a jet or air into a single spot inside the nose causing irritation.

The remainder of the TrueFIT Mask is there for comfort and stability. Becuase the mask conforms to the shape of the face, it only goes on in one position which ensures that the seals are correctly seated every night. This also means that you can move around in bed as much as you like and sleep in any position without disrupting the seals. And all this without tight straps.

I don't think we "trash" FFMs, but we know from the published research on the issue that FFM users struggle more than others. The stats show that around 30% of CPAPers use FFMs when only around 10% need to because they are mouth-breathers. Aside from a few people who choose a FFM because they prefer it, there are many CPAPers struggling with FFMs unnecessarily. Just because you are using a FFM does not mean that you are a mouth-breather.

We have had mouth-breathers switch to our mask because the amount of uncontrolled mouth-leak while using our mask (with a chin strap) is significantly less than the leak from around the "seals" of their FFM, to say nothing of the much improved comfort. We don't get reports of complaints about mouth-leak as you suggest.

Like all CPAP equipment, our mask is not going to be the ideal solution for everyone. And we don't want anyone to think that their current mask is rubbish just because it isn't custom-made. But our experience (and the research) shows that significant numbers of diagnosed OSA sufferers give up treatment because of the discomfort of masks. An option like the TrueFIT Custom Mask is long overdue and could be the mask that helps more users stay on therapy.

Thanks!

And thank you for the reply. I do appreciate people who are investing their money to make innovations in treatment of sleep apnea even if their products are not right for me.


And now on to a little technical point which is a general one not directed at your product.

The Myth of the Jet Effect

Acurest wrote:They are also the full width of the nostrils which allows a very natural sensation of breathing, unlike the aperture at the top of the pyrimidial-oval shape of normal nasal pillows that focuses a jet or air into a single spot inside the nose causing irritation.

This comes up often when discussing CPAP masks of all types. My comment is always, "A properly working CPAP system creates no additional airflow in any of the patient's airway passages as compared to a person breathing normally. CPAP creates additional pressure but not airflow above a normal breathing level. The rise and fall of the patient's diaphragm determines the amount of airflow."

There is no "jet" effect.

Thanks Rooster, I appreciate the feedback!

I must disagree with you about the "jet effect" however. I understand the difference between flow volume and pressure, but the phsyics of airflow means that a fixed volume passing through an aperture in a fixed period of time must pass through a smaller opening more quickly, and this creates the sensation of a "jet". This is also borne out by anecdotal feedback from many CPAPers we have met.

Maybe what we are calling the "jet" concept is the issue - whatever it is, breathing through a pillows mask with an aperture that is the same size as the nostril certainly feels more comfortable!

We are so very close: the 3-D printing community (cupcake, makerbot, and others) are even now building and improving machines that can create custom plastic parts for nearly anything--(custom cushions, pillows?). Many plastic types are available for printing--some as soft as silicone. Some printers cost less than a CPAP machine. Much innovation is happening in 'the cloud'. Ordinary citizens are becoming cottage manufacturers--the outlay is incredibly small; considering what the technology can do. DIY CPAP equipment!