IS Resmart CPCP machine any good?

[zonk]

BMC CPAP made in China just like most of the stuff we buy are "made in China"
In Australia the price of the machine is less than half of ResMed machine

As for namesake ... ResMed and Respironcis start with Res too

Edit: S9 made in Australia and Singapore but does not surprise me if some or most parts used in the manufacture of the machine are made in China so the place of manufacture might just mean that the machine been assembled there from parts sourced elsewhere

[SleepinginAdelaide]

Good balanced post zonk. I have both a BMC APAP and a Resmed S9 Autoset. Treatment wise my ahi is almost identical with either machine. The Resmed is a quieter machine. The Resmart like any machine has to be set up correctly and actually has 3 modes built in. Auto Titrate, APAP and CPAP. Auto Titrate and APAP are different in the way they handle the minimum pressure set in the machine. The Resmart has its own proprietary software and is very good with the data collected. There are an abundance of bar and line graphs available and flow graphs are also provided. Data transfer is via a serial to usb cable. This is a bit of work to start with but works very well.

The humidifier works really well and even after 9 hours there is still plenty of water left.

Res-piration : maybe all the manufacturers are trying to indicate a connection with breathing.

There is an excellent pdf on the web explaining how to use the figures provided from the Auto titration to set up you machine. The clinical menu is easily accessed. You don't mention which machine you have APAP or CPAP or maybe I missed it. What I have written is primarily for the APAP machine. As zonk said the machines are half the cost of the market leaders here in Australia but definitely much more than half as good. I'm happy with mine and I have an S9 Autoset as a backup or the other way round if the mood takes me.

All the best with you machine.




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[Shastzi]

Trust but verify.
I'd check the plastics being used for lead content.

[SuperSleeper]

BMC's choice of name that sounds similar to ResMed isn't by accident, nor is it simply because of the word respiratory or respiration - it was a specific choice made by BMC who knew that people would read it and think that the machine was made by ResMed. The BMC company itself has illegally copied patented ResMed technologies in the development of their machines. If they knowingly did that with no regard for business ethics, I'm sure they have no problem using a similar-sounding machine name in order to fool customers.

ResMed even has pending lawsuits against BMC for patent infringement-- here's the press release:

http://investor.resmed.com/phoenix.zhtml...ewsArticle

I don't think that BMC is some type of "upstanding, honorable, honest" CPAP company - I think they're opportunists who want to make a quick buck without spending money on research and development the way ResMed or Philips-Respironics has on their products.... and, being a Chinese company, BMC probably doesn't care whether they steal proprietary technology and capitalize on ResMed's success and image to do so. It's quite common for Chinese companies to steal foreign technologies and violate patents by making their own knock-off versions of other companies' products.

I'm not holding ResMed up as some sort of ethical giant either. I'm just pointing out that none of these companies are altruistic in their product releases: they do it to make money primarily (nothing wrong with that). I just think that patients need to go into machine choices with their eyes fully open, not assuming that these companies have the same ethical standards as the average patient - they don't. Caveat Emptor, in other words.

If BMC is willing to take shortcuts like this to make money, I'd ask myself "what other shortcuts have they made in their products?" Things like: materials quality, production quality control, warranty and service issues, etc.... these are all things to consider when purchasing a CPAP machine. For me, it's worth it to pay a little bit extra for a quality ResMed product over a BMC RESmart product, knowing that ResMed as a company is a bit more concerned about their image and is less willing to use inferior materials or shoddy production techniques, etc. ResMed has more to lose by appearing to be "shady" in their business operations. BMC, having virtually no market share in comparison, has far less to lose by being "shady".

As always, just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

[jdireton]

I'll digress from the central point of the thread to say I welcome the competition. I love Ethan Allen furniture, but I can buy four brand new cheap couches for what one Ethan Allen costs. I can also change my style and color four times.

Good point on the R&D, but generic drugs have slashed health care costs.

I'll guess many of us shop at Walmart. Are they ethical, no. Are they $25 dollars cheaper a grocery run, yes.

Now, if/when Medicare starts only supplying this manufacturer, we start to get into dark territory. It's a wonderful world!

[zonk]

ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) accepts court enforceable undertaking from ResMed Asia Pacific Limited - Sept 2010
The ACCC is concerned that between March and June 2009 ResMed is likely to have engaged in resale price maintenance by making it known to its Accredited Partners that ResMed would not supply to them unless they agreed not to advertise ResMed products at a price less than the price specified by ResMed. http://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/acc...ic-limited
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ResMed gouged prices in Australia and they defend ripping-off Australians by saying that they provide higher level of service in Australia

Why is there a cost difference between similar products sold in Australia and the United States?
https://www.sleepvantage.com.au/outlets/faq.aspx

[Paptillian]

Why is there a cost difference between similar products sold in Australia and the United States?

That much is true with other things, also. On our honeymoon my wife and I were speaking with an Australian couple who were floored with how much less things like athletic clothes and shoes cost in the U.S.

To us that was a shock because we assumed that prices here were overly inflated (which they are!) but it's worse 'down under.

zonk, that FAQ you linked is just dead wrong! I am in the U.S. and I have private insurance. My CPAP is *not* fully covered, in fact they only cover 50% of the rental fee I found out, and that's after I satisfy my yearly deductible. The deductible resets before the machine becomes mine since it's a 13-month rental program. Mine happens to reset in December, so if I use my insurance right now to buy the machine, I could be liable for most of the CPAP cost out of pocket. If the DME's fees are more than the online suppliers, then I'd be royally hosed.

If the government is giving away CPAPs, then surely it isn't giving away ResMed S9 Autosets! If it is, then I want to know how to get mine!

[zonk]

Why is there a cost difference between similar products sold in Australia and the United States?

That much is true with other things, also.

Why do Australians pay so much more for tech products than Americans - sometimes over 80 per cent more?
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technol...23991.html
______________________________________________________________
Supermarkets argue global suppliers make fat profits by charging Australian retailers

When Coca-Cola Amatil boss Terry Davis fronts the group's AGM Tuesday morning he will be asked to explain why a bottle of Coca-Cola costs up to two-thirds more in Australia than Asia. http://www.smh.com.au/business/grocery-c...2j3hs.html

[archangle]

Why is there a cost difference between similar products sold in Australia and the United States?

That much is true with other things, also.

Why do Australians pay so much more for tech products than Americans - sometimes over 80 per cent more?
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technol...23991.html
______________________________________________________________
Supermarkets argue global suppliers make fat profits by charging Australian retailers

When Coca-Cola Amatil boss Terry Davis fronts the group's AGM Tuesday morning he will be asked to explain why a bottle of Coca-Cola costs up to two-thirds more in Australia than Asia. http://www.smh.com.au/business/grocery-c...2j3hs.html

It's the extra cost to fill the bottles upside down. Expensive special bottling equipment is necessary to keep the cola from pouring out before they can get the cap on.

Australian CPAP machines cost extra because they need special water tanks that work upside down and run on beer instead of distilled water. Plus there is the special kangaroo fur filters needed on the back of the machine.

[SuperSleeper]

It's the extra cost to fill the bottles upside down. Expensive special bottling equipment is necessary to keep the cola from pouring out before they can get the cap on.

Australian CPAP machines cost extra because they need special water tanks that work upside down and run on beer instead of distilled water. Plus there is the special kangaroo fur filters needed on the back of the machine.

Hey Bruce, you sure are smart. Must be that degree from the University of Wallamaloo.