CPAPtalk.com

I'm a newbie, but I'm getting fabulous relief with my S8 Escape "Brick", however, since I've only had it for a few days, and I've met all of you and realized the potential for more information and input into my therapy (in addition to being a techno geek) I don't want to live with this machine for 5 years (should be getting a new one from the DME soon). The chance that something could change over the next 5 years (health, weight etc....) is something I want to consider, now that I know I have a choice. My father and brother in law have bricks and would never have any interest in data, they barely have any interest in maintenance, they've been getting great therapy for years, so sure it's possible. The data is helpful if for some reason something changes, I know that if I woke up and felt awful I would immediately want to know why. I'm the type that diagnoses myself before I ever seen the doctor

dsm wrote:

Dive Apnea wrote:And are just fine? Feel like they are sleeping well, and rested? Just curious.

Are you meaning the older Remstar Auto ? circa 2005/6 (we used to call that the 'brick').

If yes it was one of the better cpaps I owned. Whilst at that time the data was good (still is) the newer machines are a techie's delight with the depth of data. So detailed in fact that we can do an in-depth interview of a single apnea event

DSM

PS the name 'brick' was to do with shape not its data recording ability. The 'brick' got replaced by the M series.

Hmmmm, when i first signed up here, I thought people told me to make sure my DME did not give me a "brick." aka non-data machine. Whoops! Replace dataless machine with brick in my title.

I took it to mean "dumb as a brick". Not a reference to shape at all, but to capability. Funny how euphemisms evolve.

For the record, my fully-capable M-series Auto (when detached from humidifier) is more similar in size and shape to a brick than the old RemStars were.

LinkC wrote:I took it to mean "dumb as a brick". Not a reference to shape at all, but to capability.

This is how I understood a "brick" to be too.

I don't have the software so I only see my data every few months when my RT prints it out for me before I check in with my doctor. I probably should have checked it two months ago after tweaking the rise rate, min pressure support and the min ep. I'll look at it next week. But I'm falling asleep a lot easier after the changes I made anyway.

I consider anything that doesn't record AHI, apneas, leak rate, etc. to be a brick.

A brick CPAP will give you exactly the same treatment as a data capable manual CPAP at the same pressure. The data capable machine gives you a lot more data to figure out whether the therapy is working and how to fix it.

I use a (dumb) brick and am SOO thankful that I have the option. Bells and whistles? Geez, I'm lucky to get air. But that'll work until our insurance ded. is met and I can get the grand pubah of C-Paps!

I have a fancy non-brick that is data capable. I download the info about once a month, and am pleased to see my AHI get lower as i get more acclimated to the mask and learn how to keep the leaks low. I found getting used to it took about a month, but I tweak the mask fit when necessary, as the cheek strap stretches out, and I can see now when I review the data that it is definately time to either tighten up that cheek strap, or get a new one now that it is stretched out. I am a retired nurse who also diagnoses myself before i ever see the DR, I only really need him to write prescriptions! Having the autoset feature is something I definately feel is worth the extra cost,because really, who sleeps "normally" in a sleep lab so i think the titration data is skewed in many cases. I don't plan on a sleep study/titration every year, so the data is important to me. I can't afford that every year!

The old (pre-M series) Respironics Remstar was called a "tank" when the M-Series arrived.
"Brick" was sometimes used to describe the power supply.