[Product Review] Fisher & Paykel Icon+ Auto

[woozie38]

I give this machine five stars because it:-
1. is competitively priced being around $200 less than most
2. does what it is supposed to do
3. has an attractive and functional design
4. has a large humidifier pot concealed within the machine itself
5. F&P's SensAwake is a new innovation which is effective & comfortable.

1. My US supplier lists the S9 autoset with H5i humidifier at US$883.
   F&P Icon+ Auto with inbuilt humidifier is listed at US$650, which  
   makes  it really good value.
2. I've had my Icon for almost a month & find it very quiet, efficient &  
   easy to set up & use. Setting & adjusting pressures is easy,
   setting things like humidity, clock, alarm, display darkness etc. all
   easy to do using the single button and surrounding ring on the
   machine's front panel. Sleep data is recorded in real time on what is
   actually a custom designed SD card which plugs straight into your  
   PC USB port. No card reader required! An added benefit is your  
   night's sleep data is available that same morning.
   Sleepyhead vers.09.30 reads the information from Icon's card with no
   issues.
3. The design of Icon gives it a rather small footprint which means it
   can sit on a bedside or small table and leave room for your      
   flashlight, glasses, whatever. The LC display shows either time in 12
   or 24 hour format, or the current therapy pressure. Better still, this
   display in on the machine's front and is illuminated all night by a
   dim-able  back light, So its easy to see from your sleeping position.
4. The humidifier pot holds a fair amount of water sufficient almost for
   two nights. The pot is cleverly concealed within the machine  with
   access being via a bayonet type cover. Easy to remove with a part
   turn to the left. Variable heat settings from 0 to 7 are available to
   control the amount of water vapour in your PAP air.
5.  I was a bit dubious about SensAwake. After six years of Resmed's  
   EPR (which I if found to be very comfortable and easy to get    
   accustomed to), I doubted SensAwake could or would be as good.

  It is as good, but in a different way. SensAwake as the name says,
   senses when you are awake by the frequency of the vibrations of the  
   air column from your airway to the machine. When it detects you are
   awake it reduces the pressure to a comfortable level where it
   remains until you drop off to sleep.

My numbers have remained the same as with my previous machine with my AHI just below the dreaded 5.

It's hard to find something not to like about the Icon. F&P have put a lot of R&D into this device and as long as it has the durability of their SleepStyle models, in my opinion, this machine is a winner.

[Skypilot]

I thought the F&P was rather noisy compared to the Resmed.
I lack understanding how the sensawake is supposed to work. At night you are supposed to be asleep yet the machine thinks you are awake but you are asleep and thus reduces the therapy?

[SuperSleeper]

Nicely done review. Thanks.

[woozie38]

I thought the F&P was rather noisy compared to the Resmed.
I lack understanding how the sensawake is supposed to work. At night you are supposed to be asleep yet the machine thinks you are awake but you are asleep and thus reduces the therapy?

I find the Icon+ Auto quieter than my old Resmed S8. My wife agrees. She says its the quietest machine I've ever had!
SensAwake senses the nature of your breathing whist you are awake. It also senses your breathing whist your are asleep. It can tell the difference, so when one is asleep it delivers therapy pressure. When one wakes up it registers this and reduces the delivered pressure to a much lower and comfortable level. When you go back to sleep it returns to therapy pressure and so on.

[PaulaO2]

Which makes sense because then you don't get any false events. I get several central events recorded during the time between when I first wake up and I turn the machine off. It takes me a while to wake up enough to sit up and turn the machine off. During that time, I am stretching, yawning, etc.

[truckerdad57]

If you're looking at running the icon on battery via an inverter or in a semi with optimized idle check into the power supply issues.

Just finished up testing an accessory power supply transformer to address malfunctions like scrambled compliance data and unexplained stopping when being run on 12 via inverter.

With the transformer in an Apu equipped truck no issues.

[Woodslinger]

Are you able to see flow rate graphs using Version 9.30?

As of 12/30/2014, Sleepyhead ceased to be able to import this data from my ICON's SD card.

[woozie38]

Are you able to see flow rate graphs using Version 9.30?

As of 12/30/2014, Sleepyhead ceased to be able to import this data from my ICON's SD card.

On my Icon+ Auto, I can see all available data with no problem. I know there is a difference between Icon & Icon+ regarding data, but I don't know the exact nature of the difference. I'm currently using vers. 9.6 Sleepyhead.

[woozie38]

Nicely done review. Thanks.

An Icon+ feature I was unaware off at the time was the ease of locating the on/off button in the dark. All one has to do is locate with fingertips the machine's big button on the front panel & press.