PR System One Auto vs S9 Auto

[BabyDoc]

I have just finished a period of comparison between S9 and PRS1. I started with 3 weeks on a PRS1 then changed to the S9 and ran with that for 3 weeks - then a week back on the PRS1 to check my memory of it.

I think it is a personal thing where different folks will get some differences in results...

For me I found it harder to to get used to the S9 and I found I needed higher pressure on it.

A lot of it comes down to likes and dislikes - with there being no definitive answer that one is overall better or worse.

From my point of view for the PRS1
LIKE:
The swiveling top hose connection - made it easier to fit the unit on my small bedside table.
The humidifier which is easy to clean and seems very robust robust.
The menu system which displays a lot of information.
The Power Pack - small and light.
The price.
DISLIKE:
The carry bag
The price of Respironics Software (thank goodness for SleepyHead)

For the S9:
LIKE:
The Climate line system.
The very quiet operation.
The carry bag.
DISLIKE:
Large heavy Power Pack - I travel a lot and every kilogram counts.
The fiddly humidifier tank.
ResScan software - it is free but not as good to use for me as Sleepyhead

In the end I bought the PRS1 and a third party heated hose that has a a Y-Lead to power it off the PRS1 power supply without a second power pack.

I pretty much agree with your assessment. I haven't lived with the particular Respironics machine that you had, but had a sister less frills Respionics Plus C flex for a few weeks. That machine had a display that was nearly impossible to view at night, even though it was illumninated. Perhaps, your machine is different. I really love the S9's color display and interface, even though the learning curve was a bit longer than for Respironics. I like that you can control temperature and humidity separately with the S9 and Climatateline tubing. Perhaps with your add on set-up, you can do that, too.

I agree that the water tank for the S9 is not as good as what comes with Respironics, but the non-disposable version of the S9 tank is nearly as good; the top comes off.

I thought the swivel hose attachment on the Respironics humidifer was a good idea and was worried about that when I switched to an S9. However, with the S9 kept near the front of my night stand and away from a wall, there is plenty of room behind for the hose to make any turns towards my bed. Slimline and climate line tubing is so flexible that you really don't need a swivel. The full size tubing that came with the Respironics machine was another story. It needed the swivel. The only problem with that swivel and hose arrangement is the tubing runs over the top of the machine's display, making you have to move the hose to see the entire display.

Another thing that may or not be important to you, but which is better on Resmed machines, is what happens when there is a power outage.
With Resmed, if there is a power outage, when power returns, the machine picks up where it left off. If it is running, it powers back on running.
With Respironics machines, if the power outage is longer than about a minute, the machine turns back on at the main menu. This feature of Resmed was a deciding issue for me, because I am Sabbath observant and prefer running my machine with an on-off timer, rather than leave it running all the time on the Sabbath as I had to do with my Respironics machine. While running any xpap machine constantly won't hurt it, the noise is disturbing.

Software preferences are rather personal. Fortunately, you can run either Rescan or SleepyHead with the S9. I prefer that Rescan reports median pressures, rather than average pressure readings that SleepyHead reports. Furthermore, you can call Resmed to get help with the software and interpretations, if you need it. There are good online tutorials at Resmed to help you get more out of there software. For other matters with the S9, it easy to talk humans at Resmed, too.

Respironics has customer support, but all of it is via email. I haven't found a phone number where I could actally talk to anybody. Perhaps I just missed it on their website. Obviously, they can only help you with their own proprietary software, which is an additional cost.

BTW, as far as noise is concerned, according Respironics, they report that their machines are quieter than an S9. It is interesting that you don't think so. I really didn't perceive a difference. Actually noise levels can be caused also by your particular mask or pillows. I found my nasal mask added noise that I thought was the machine's fault. When I switched to pillows, everything was much quieter.

[mjbearit]

I have just finished a period of comparison between S9 and PRS1. I started with 3 weeks on a PRS1 then changed to the S9 and ran with that for 3 weeks - then a week back on the PRS1 to check my memory of it.

I think it is a personal thing where different folks will get some differences in results...

For me I found it harder to to get used to the S9 and I found I needed higher pressure on it.

A lot of it comes down to likes and dislikes - with there being no definitive answer that one is overall better or worse.

From my point of view for the PRS1
LIKE:
The swiveling top hose connection - made it easier to fit the unit on my small bedside table.
The humidifier which is easy to clean and seems very robust robust.
The menu system which displays a lot of information.
The Power Pack - small and light.
The price.
DISLIKE:
The carry bag
The price of Respironics Software (thank goodness for SleepyHead)

For the S9:
LIKE:
The Climate line system.
The very quiet operation.
The carry bag.
DISLIKE:
Large heavy Power Pack - I travel a lot and every kilogram counts.
The fiddly humidifier tank.
ResScan software - it is free but not as good to use for me as Sleepyhead

In the end I bought the PRS1 and a third party heated hose that has a a Y-Lead to power it off the PRS1 power supply without a second power pack.

Good morning Moriarty. Thanks for the comparison. I have never used the ResMed machine so I have no idea there at all, but I do love my DS550! I agree with your likes, but not necessarily with your dislikes. I have no issues with the carry bag at all, but in all fairness I unpacked it from the carry bag and the bag went into the closet so I haven't actually used it. I may agree after I use it, but it appears to just be a cheap bag to me. If I were traveling I would use the mfg bag to keep everything together, but I think I would throw it in a duffle bag also to ensure it is a bit more protected. My issue with the Software is not really the price as much as the fact that finding one that natively supports a 64 bit operating system is becoming a bit of a challenge! Hello PR, this is the year 2012 and 64 bit systems are the norm now and have pushed 32 bit systems out! Time to catch up! Besides, what I don't get is if JediMark can make SleepyHead software that works on all platforms by himself with one Mac guy for an assist, why can a whole company not get it together?! Okay, I'm done!
I would add to the dislike the fact that it ships with the old style tubing instead of the new 15mm stuff.
But for all my complaining just now, I love this machine! Add to everything that I like the fact that it is working for me, and I have a winner!

[oldteddybear]

During my trial I used the same mask with both units. The increased noise could possibly be the problems with the breathing pattern or quite possibly the unit or could be the specific frequency of the noise but it was so disturbing that both my wife and I could not sleep.

I am using a 64 bit operating system and the resmed software works great!!

[mjbearit]

During my trial I used the same mask with both units. The increased noise could possibly be the problems with the breathing pattern or quite possibly the unit or could be the specific frequency of the noise but it was so disturbing that both my wife and I could not sleep.

I am using a 64 bit operating system and the resmed software works great!!

Yes, but I need Respironics. I have heard it exists, but all I ever find for sale is the 32 bit variety which they tell you up front will not work on 64 bit systems.

[fullthrottle800]

I feel the s9 carry bag is cheaply made compared to the prs1 and the swivel hose is nice as well on prs1 other than that the s9 is way quieter there is no whirring sound from the unit the display is better and viewing software is easily available for free. Top of the humidifier comes off both units for cleaning. The power bricks are pretty close in size too the s9 looks more modern but I'm sure they work equally well once they are set up which I am in the process of doing on s9.

[SuperSleeper]

DISLIKE:
Large heavy Power Pack - I travel a lot and every kilogram counts.
The fiddly humidifier tank.
ResScan software - it is free but not as good to use for me as Sleepyhead

Just as an FYI... SleepyHead can be used with ResMed S9 machines also, so with an S9, there are two options - ResScan and SleepyHead.

[jfmusil]

What is periodic breathing?

[zonk]

What is periodic breathing?

Definition of Periodic breathing (Medicine Net)

Periodic breathing: Clusters of breaths separated by intervals of apnea (no breathing) or near-apnea. As opposed to normal breathing which is usually regular.

Periodic breathing was originally thought to arise from serious neurologic or cardiovascular disease and therefore to carry a poor outlook. It is now known that periodic breathing tends to occur during sleep, it can occur in healthy persons, and the apnea in periodic breathing is usually central (without respiratory movements) rather than obstructive (caused by upper-airway blockage).
______________________________________________________________

Periodic breathing is an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by oscillation of ventilation between hyperpnea and hypopnea (not hyperpnea and Apnea as in Cheyne-Stokes respiration) with a crescendo-decrescendo pattern in the depth of respirations, to compensate for changing serum partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide.[1]

Cheyne-Stokes respiration and periodic breathing are known together as Central sleep apnoea syndrome (CSAS)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_breathing

[Sleepster]

For me I found it harder to to get used to the S9 and I found I needed higher pressure on it.

PRS1 has a feature called "System One Resistance". All it does is adjust the pressure according to the type of mask you have. I'm a PRS1 user, not a S9 user, but what I understand from reading about them, you tell the S9 what kind of mask you have, and it presumably then makes the same pressure adjustment that the PRS1 System One Resistance would make.

For example, I use the small pillow for the Respironics ComfortLite 2, which calls for a System One Resistance setting of X4. If I were to set my PRS1 to the X4 setting, it would lower the pressure a bit. So, presumably I would expect the S9 to make the same adjustment when I tell it that I use nasal pillows. I would then experience a lower pressure on the S9 that I would on the PRS1 with its System One Resistance set to zero.

ResScan software - it is free but not as good to use for me as Sleepyhead

I prefer SleepyHead to the PRS1 Encore software.

We travel frequently, and the PR has a car adapter that is much cheaper than the S9 (and a lot lighter as the S9 is a second brick) but overall the S9 has a much smaller footprint and everything (unit, hose, mask, travel documentation, even the second brick) fits into the carry bag with nothing being crushed.

The PRS1 runs on the same 12 volts as the car, so the adapter doesn't have to do any voltage conversion. You can just hook one up directly to a 12 volt battery and you're good to go when in a pinch.

[Moriarty]

PRS1 has a feature called "System One Resistance". All it does is adjust the pressure according to the type of mask you have. I'm a PRS1 user, not a S9 user, but what I understand from reading about them, you tell the S9 what kind of mask you have, and it presumably then makes the same pressure adjustment that the PRS1 System One Resistance would make.

For example, I use the small pillow for the Respironics ComfortLite 2, which calls for a System One Resistance setting of X4. If I were to set my PRS1 to the X4 setting, it would lower the pressure a bit. So, presumably I would expect the S9 to make the same adjustment when I tell it that I use nasal pillows. I would then experience a lower pressure on the S9 that I would on the PRS1 with its System One Resistance set to zero.

Its a pity that there is not a cross-reference between the various brands of masks for the System One Resistance setting. I wonder what a ResMed Mirage Liberty would have as a System One Resistance value...