Talking about BPAP

[Chuck]

Morning everybody. Finally (3 years post-diagnosis), I got the BPAP that the doc originally ordered. I've been making do with a Respironics CPAP for the past year.

My doc prescribed (and re-prescribed) BPAP based on the original sleep study. Insurance won't approve any further sleep-med-related expenses unless I have another sleep study, and I'm not in the mood to pay my large share of the cost. It's cheaper to go gray market.

So I have this ResMed VPAP (S8) Auto 25 w/ humidifier & case. Estate sale, 22 hours total use, $200 - great deal, sad story - seller explained "My mom died right after she got that thing." It's a lot more complicated than the straight-up CPAP. My prescribed settings are 12 and 8.

So I monkeyed around with it and think I've got some workable settings. I went for VAuto mode with upper I (inhalation max) of 14 cm and lower E (exhalation min) limit of 6 with a "pressure support" (i.e. the max difference between inhalation and exhalation pressures) of 4 cm. My understanding is that the machine is supposed to be semi-auto, finding the best pressures for you within the ranges that are set.

Then there's triggering, cycling, rise time adjustment and inspiratory time control. Since I have little to no idea what those are, I left the settings at the factory defaults. Can any of you shed some light on these terms/settings?

I could just set this thing on vanilla BPAP, 12/8. But I figured my needs might have changed since that sleep study in 2009, so I thought I'd let it try to find optimal settings. With the settings made, I slept surprisingly well last night, soundly, although I'm more tired than usual today.

Finally my questions:

1. This thing is supposed to have a data card (but it's missing). Will any SD card work? The ones I see online for this thing look weird, like an SD card with a spatula handle attached. One seller said they don't have the ResMed S8 cards for sale anymore since the S8 line is discontinued.

2. Anybody have any advice or suggestions to offer me about setting this thing up or using it? I'm pretty much on my own here. My doc is cool about giving me the prescriptions for the equipment & supplies, but he admits he knows nothing about xPAP therapy.

Thanks for your ideas! --Chuck

[trish6hundred]

Hi Chuck, First of all, WELCOME! to the forum.! I don't know the answer to your questions but hang tight and someone will be along shortly, you've come to the RIGHT place for suggestions to help you. Best of luck.

[zonk]

The clinical manual for ResMed VPAP Auto 25 is available via Email (section three)
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

User guide
http://www.resmed.com/us/products/vpap_a...c=patients

You might be able to get the smart card and reader on ebay

[big_dave]

You can get the data card from 1800cpap (supplier no. 10 on the supplier list). It's a smart card, which is an older technology and nothing like an SD card.

The card reader is only available on eBay and all the sellers are located in Israel. It took about two weeks for mine to arrive.

[Chuck]

The clinical manual for ResMed VPAP Auto 25 is available via Email (section three)
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

User guide
http://www.resmed.com/us/products/vpap_a...c=patients

You might be able to get the smart card and reader on ebay

Thanks Zonk. I already ordered the clinical manual from here. That's the only way I got as far as I have.

[Chuck]

You can get the data card from 1800cpap (supplier no. 10 on the supplier list). It's a smart card, which is an older technology and nothing like an SD card.

The card reader is only available on eBay and all the sellers are located in Israel. It took about two weeks for mine to arrive.

I'll have to give 1800cpap a call or email, as they have no ResMed cards or readers listed on their site. However, they did have the machine I just bought for only $1799 more than I paid, which I think is the same price as the S9.

eBay has only a couple cards/readers for sale right now. You'd think they'd be trying to pretty much give away what is now defunct technology (the s8's being discontinued), but the asking prices for the readers were over $75, all "buy it now," no auctions. I even saw a parallel plug ResMed smartcard reader. Hey, Australia, 2001 called and wants its printer cable back!

I may sit out the smartcard thing until they get a bit more reasonably priced. Unlike many machines, at least this model saves the data in the machine - the card is used only for retrieving and transferring the data. That means I can read my results on the machine itself and record them in a notebook or something.

[big_dave]

Search their site for "ResMed S8 Series ResScan Data Cards"

[Chuck]

Search their site for "ResMed S8 Series ResScan Data Cards"

Thanks again for the tip. I had to type in "ResScan" before I could get the cards to show in the results.

Another question, if you know - there are data ports on the ResMed machine. Can these be directly connected to the computer, thereby eliminating the need for a card? I have the ResScan software.

[archangle]

Another question, if you know - there are data ports on the ResMed machine. Can these be directly connected to the computer, thereby eliminating the need for a card? I have the ResScan software.

It's very hard for us mere mortals to get ahold of the cables and software to connect directly to the machine this way. Even the professionals usually use either the SD card or the cellphone based monthly fee wireless modem.

[big_dave]

There are two different data ports that can be installed on an S8. One has a small jack that uses a standard USB cable, along with a driver available in ResScan. (There are several different standard USB cables, but I'm not sure which one it uses.) The other has a large jack that uses a null modem cable, which is cheap, readily available, and does not require any drivers. Modern computers will also need a COM to USB adapter, which also is cheap and readily available. When I bought one, the package provided the download link for the driver.

I was able to download the compliance data from my S7 into ResScan using a null modem cable and a COM to USB adapter, but it didn't contain any efficacy data.