Climate Control, Tube Temp, and Humidity settings on ResMed AirSense 10

[donwbc]

I’m looking for clarification of the Climate Control and Tube Temperature settings for the ResMed Airsense 10. I’ve downloaded and read the Clinician Manual as well as done a search in the ApneaBoard Forums and there seem to be some inconsistencies or I'm misreading the information.

The Manual states that with Climate Control Auto “The Tube Temperature is set to 80°F (27°C) and Climate Control adjusts the humidifier output to maintain a constant, comfortable humidity level of 85% relative humidity while protecting against rainout (water droplets in the air tubing and mask).”

However, on my unit, opting for Auto only sets the humidity to 4 and the Tube Temp is set by the user. Which raises the question of what the Auto level of 4 means for relative humidity at other temperatures, i.e. what is being tracked/adjusted as temps change, i.e. how Auto differs from manual?

Operationally, does this mean that if I have the tube temp set at anything other than 80F/27C and turn on Auto Climate Control that the relative humidity will be something other than 85% depending on the temp chosen and ambient air temperature?  Will this effective relative humidity (at the chosen temp) be maintained if ambient air time rises above the temp selected? In other words, is this the way that I can get a humidity higher than 85% but will still track the actual air temp?

Or does the humidity setting of 4 (with Auto) always represent a relative humidity of 85% for the Tube Temperature chosen and ambient temperature as it changes so that Auto limits me to 85%? 

Also what do the units 1-8 given for manual setting of the humidity represent? % relative humidity at the selected temp? Presumably the relatively humidity will decrease/increase from these settings if the ambient air temp increases/decreases. Is this correct? Unlike on Auto?

I’m hoping that someone can explain the settings as I am experiencing pronounced nasal/sinus discomfort (I believe from the Auto/temperature settings being too dry/high), but I’m also having rainout with Humidity set to 6 and tube temp in the 70s.

Thanks for your help!

[SarcasticDave94]

Let's take this as 2 separate items and combine at the end.

Hose setting is a temperature setting to warm the hose to combat humidity rainout. As best as I recall, it will just be a range of Off then 60-86 °F or the Celsius equal. My ResMed AirCurve 10 ASV has that but not any Auto setting for the hose.

Next, humidifier. It has a mode, Auto and Manual which edits how much humidity output there is. Manual is solely by your setting and can increase humidity over what Auto can supply. Auto humidity uses an ambient room sensor to modify output along with your humidity setting. Both Auto and Manual modes have off and 1-8 if I'm correct.

Together, the humidity setting and mode work to add humidity to the air from your PAP, while the heated hose controls rainout. From there, you need to balance mode, humidity level, and hose temperature to find your humidity needs and control of rainout.

[donwbc]

Thanks, Dave. Your explanation helped me understand what is happening.

I now see that the Temp is just for the hose to provide air at a temp that is comfortable for the user and also, as you point out, combat rainout. And, as you say, the climate setting is separate and only for the humidity.

I think my confusion in this respect came from the phrase in the clinical manual that with Climate Control Auto “The Tube Temperature is set to 80°F (27°C)…” i.e. at the factory default temp of 80F/27C and Humidity rating 4, the APAP gives 85% relative humidity. That comment only refers to what ResMed considers its default values, not what is possible to have under Auto.

Since posting I have noticed that if I set the humidity to Manual, modify the humidity setting +/- from 4, and then switch back to Auto, the AirSense 10 now uses my modified humidity choice not the default value of 4. So I can choose more or less humidity and the machine will modify the output using the ambient room sensor.

As you suggested, I should be able to choose the temperature that’s comfortable (ResMed says don’t make it too cool or it won’t deliver sufficient moisture), then use Manual and chose my desired humidity level, and switch it back (always) to Auto. The machine will then automatically adjust to maintain the chosen humidity value as the room temperature changes.

Thanks for helping me work through this. Much appreciated.

Cheers,

Don

[SarcasticDave94]

You're welcome.

[donwbc]

As an update for anyone reading this thread and trying to find their way through the same issue, here are a couple of updates.

1. it turns out that with my machine, at least, the climate control info in Sleepyhead “machine settings” reads the opposite to what the machine is set to: i.e. when I set climate control on my machine to “manual”, Sleepyhead tells me that it is set to “Auto”, and vice versa. So what appeared to be happening in Auto, when I posted the notes above actually wasn’t. So please ignore my descriptions above about what I thought was going on. (And if you are using Sleepyhead and a ResMed, you might want to check your own settings.)

2. When I spoke with the tech at the sleep centre that supplied my ResMed, he described the climate control settings/function more clearly than the manual.
- “Auto” has only a single setting: you turn it on and it attempts to provide 85% relative humidity at the temperature provided by the auto temperature sensor. When the temperature changes, the machine accommodates to maintain the 85%. So the relative humidity rate always remains the same 85%. The user cannot change this level.
- “Manual” allows the user to manually increase or decrease the amount of moisture in the air to the mask (and, in parallel, the relative humidity). However, the relative humidity will also increase/decrease according to the temperature setting in the hose. To compare the two modes: A setting of 4, should produce a relative humidity of 85% at a temperature of 80F.

3. The tube temp setting acts independently of the Climate Auto/Manual Control but impacts the result. Decreasing the tube temp while maintaining the same humidity setting will increase relative humidity to the point where rainout happens. Increasing the tube temp will decrease the relative humidity (at the same amount of moisture content) because warmer air can carry more moisture. So increasing the tube temperature in either Auto or Manual should increase the *amount* of moisture the air can and does carry to the mask.

Choose the settings that work best and are most comfortable for providing the desired air temp and moisture level. In my case, I should now be able to eliminate the sinus and nasal passage discomfort I have been experiencing caused by the relative humidity being too low and drying out the membranes.

Hope this clarifies how the Climate Control settings on the ResMed AirSense 10 function.

[Avign0n323]

I am having problems with rainout with the AirSense 11 AutoSet and the ClimateLineAir 11 tubing. One thing I noticed is that, no matter what temperature I set the tubing to, including all the way to 86 degrees...it doesn't get warm at all. With my last machine (DreamStation) and heated tubing, you would feel the tubing being a bit warm, and that might fluctuate through the night.

I have played around with the Clinical Settings, and currently have Climate Control to Manual, Humidity to 3, and Tube Temp to 86 degrees, which prevents most rainout, but, I feel dry in the morning.

The machine and reports aren't reporting a fault, but, should I try another tubing, or is something else going on?

Thanks!

[Sleeprider]

AvignOn I replied in the other thread where you asked this http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...#pid418904
Please try not to ask the same questions across multiple threads.