My experiences with Fisher & Paykel ESON2 Nose Mask

[braindead]

Hi All,

I've used F&P's ESON2 nose mask (medium) for around 10 years. I want to make you aware, if you're not already, that this mask is defective in the following way:


Easily broken harness-retaining-clips.jpg (13.06 KiB)

Most of the mask framework is made from molded clear acrylic. While generally strong when thicker, F&P have made the upper harness retaining clips very thin. And thin acrylic snaps very easily, making a NZ$250.00 mask useless.

I first brought this to F&P's attention about 12 months ago. They did nothing which I suppose could be a good cash cow for F&P. But perhaps it's just me, and I'm not treating the the mask harness clips gently enough. I dug deeper and found that the Manukau Superclinic in NZ, which has an excellent loan service for CPAP machines, has had a number of ESON2's returned with the same kind of breakage.

I received a corporate-speak email from F&P's sales manager again about 1 month ago and they say "they are looking into it". Yeah, right.

I decided to make a new stronger clip-retaining fitting, initially from brazed copper. It is ugly but it works. All the mask problems went away. The smarties among you may be able to model and 3D print this in a stronger plastic. Image below.



An ugly Eson2 modd that works - eson2-modd.jpg (25.54 KiB)

The prototype is made from copper plumbing offcuts that slip over the "stump" of acrylic (after grinding off the jagged remains of the broken clips) and is firmly held there by a soft plastic splint pushed down between the central copper tube and acrylic stump. Two (upper) harness clips are brazed to the tube sides.

Repeated heating of copper to soften it helped the bending process to a rough clip shape. After cleaning with isopropyl alcohol to remove skin oils, I sprayed it with 2 coats of black anti-corrosive paint. To remove the copper clip, gently push the whole thing upwards with your thumb until splint releases. No glue is necessary.

It works like a charm and, as with many of my projects, I learned as I walked the walk. Next time around I would use flux-core silver solder and wire-wrap the 2 clips to the tube with copper wire, BEFORE soldering and bending the clips downward. Holding the clips on the tube while brazing was the most awkward part. Wire wrapping would relieve you of being supernaturally steady-handed.

[DeepBreathing]

G'day Trans-Tasman Cousin.

That's a very cool modification you've got there. It's really annoying when manufacturers won't address design faults, and it's heartening to see people taking them on and improving things.

[braindead]

Thanks DeepBreathing. Nice to get your message from across the great pond.

[chill]

I have not been using this mask as long as you, but I have used it for a few years now.  Have you considered that you may be over-tightening the straps?  I have never tightened mine to point where any stress at all is placed on this part.  That strap is mostly just to keep the frame near the forehead, not pressed into it.

[braindead]

Hi chill - I love your punk Cpap/Diving/Gasmask!!
Thanks for your note. I've been very careful to have the upper straps nice and loose, with about 1/4" clearance to my forehead. I use the bottom straps to apply the cushion sealing pressure. I'm assuming the top straps simply keep the mask centered on the face/forehead.

The top strap clips cannot handle any sideways pressure above a feather-light pull. The rest of the ESON2 is strong enough. Personally I would never design something in acrylic that is that thin at a critical junction  point. That is why I wondered if F&P are doing it deliberately, as a cash cow. I'm quite happy to be found wrong. F&P said they would do something about it. I say SHOW ME!

[JamesW]

I have been using an Eson 2 mask for about nearly 8 months now, after using an Eson (1) for a number of years. The Eson 2 head gear is lighter and more elegant, however I have found that it is no real improvement over the Eson original. I am a total skeptic when it come to the phrase "new and improved". I would be happy to have a hybrid of the Eson2 headgear and the rest of the mask being Eson1. Why do consumers always have to suffer because of marketing blah- blah- blah.  

JamesW

[braindead]

Thanks James. From my experience, corporations can behave badly, sometimes dismissively and arrogantly. Sometimes they straight out lie. Yes, as you say, not so good for the consumer. All the ESON2 sellers in New Zealand sell the mask for NZ$250 - isn't that called price fixing?

[chill]

Well that is interesting.  It sounds like you have your headgear adjusted the same as I have.  I am now wondering if there was a bad batch they are not letting on about.  I just got a new mask last week and the top strap clips look very sturdy.  I just tried to break one off (I have an old frame).  I am sure that I could if I needed to, but I pulled harder than was comfortable and it did not budge.  

They are about CAD$240 here, so we are paying even more than you.  They are certainly not inexpensive!

[braindead]

Hi Chill - I see you have a walk-in closet for your Cpap gear. How do you decide which is the one you're going to sleep with?

[snorybob]

re: post #8

[Commercial Link Removed]See Supplier #35, F&P Eson 2 nasal=$119.00 can.

      sb.

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