Weinmann / Löwenstein prismaTS software

[Costas P]

Hello my friends!...

As I promised, in this post, I will present to you the Weinmann / Löwenstein prismaTS software, which is a custom made software by Weinmann / Löwenstein for monitoring the results of patients treating their OSA problems using APAP / CPAP Weinmann / Löwenstein equipment (prisma 20A etc).

The installation of this software requires a PC with Intel Pentium Core 2 Duos (mine is @ 3.00GHz) equipped with 4GBs or RAM (mine's got 8) and a screen resolution of 1024x768 (mine's 1280x1024). Also some space free on your hard drive, and we're ready to go. The installation has 2 selections: Typical (prismaTS) and Full (prismaTSlab).

prismaTSlab is a full suite containning all the necessary database management system for controlling and monitoring a series of Weinmann / Löwenstein CPAP (and other) equipment, mainly addressed to night sleep study clinics, which of course is not our case. It is capable to monitor and adjust all these equipment via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or even Ethernet connections.

prismaTS is the software designed for the evaluation of the therapy progresss of each patient, by reading its SD card and representing all this recorded data into graphs and summaries, allowing doctors to perform this evaluation, and make all the necessary arrangements for each patient's therapy. As you will see in this post it is very easy to use and yet it contains and analyzes data (in easy to read reports - summaries, as well as in in-depth analysis - understandable by doctors and expert users, like many in guys in this forum) so as to monitor the therapy followed by the patient for each period of time that is loaded, or selected (since each SD read is also stored in the database of prismaTS per patient, since it can acomodate a whole list of them).

After installation of prismaTS is complete (through a Next> series of steps) a new icon appears on the desktop screen of our PC: prismaTS. All you have to do is double-click on it and...

...here's the main screen of prismaTS.

At this point the user can either enter the data of a new patient (step need for the 1st time) or select from a list of currently stored patients (in case of a clinic or a seller of Weinmann / Löwenstein seller offering the after sales customer support services - required for printing the results of each patient before each session with his/her doctor).

So here's a list of patients to select from...

After this selection is done, then the next thing that happens is the new "page" opening automatically, leading to an overall "idea" of the patient's compliance to the therapy scheme assigned / followed.



Through this easy to read page one can see the compliance of the therapy, the quality of the therapy analyzed in terms of: AHI, oAHI, cAI, cAHI, duration of periodic breathing, snoring and P90. Finally, unintentional leakage is shown too. All this data is well organized and presented in numbers as well as in easy-to-read pie-charts. Also, one can see the settings used for this period on the CPAP/APAP machine, and there's a field in which the doctor can add some comments in terms of "Findinings". This page can be saved, used to form a report and export.

By clicking on the 2nd button (on tor right of this screen) follows the next page:



Here one can see all the previous data, in a day-by-day analysis, through some bar-graphs and pie-charts. This page can be printed.

By clicking on the 3rd button found on the top-right side of this screen, follows the next screen. From this screen things are shown in detail, expressed in graphs.



The standard screen shows in (an 8 hour basis) analysis of each day of sleep being recorded for the following parameters: Pressure, Respiration flow, Obstructive AHI, Central AHI, Snoring / RERA, Obstruction, rMV, Uninher. leak and humidifier level. As the user is passing the mouse over the graphs, the values recorded for each one of the above mention parameters is shown (besides the green line).

Now if some more detail is needed, no problem!...


A 4 hours analysis is available too, always showing each measured value at the same time. Maybe this is not detailed enough. No problem...



Here's a 10 minutes analysis for the whole night, always with the detailed values available, riight next to the green line. This goes down to a...

... 30 sec depth analysis!

All the "steps" available for this graph analysis are: Therapy time, 1 sec., 10 sec., 30 sec, 1 min., 2 min., 3 min., 5 min., 10 min., 20 min., 30 min., 1 h., 2 h., 4 h., 6 h., 8 h., 12 h., 24 h. Simply: Amazing!!!... isn't it?...

I think it's extremelly informative and it can give the expert user - doctor, all the information needed to analyze and understand every single event during this data recording.

What really impressed me, apart from the ease of use of this software is the way it "handles" data and it presents it to the user: easy to understand charts (bars and pies), easy to read summaries with understandable values - for the patient / non-expert user. Aslo, extremelly detailed information for the expert.

Last but not least: I mentioned that there is a measurement called "Respiration Flow" which records the actual respirations during the period examined. I think this kind of data must be highly appreciated and must be a tool needed for sleep study doctors. The fact that it is recorded - and therefore available - shows in my opinion the height of the quality of the CPAP machines made by Weinmann / Löwenstein, plus the fact that they're built not only for patients at home but also for medical use.

My only complaint is that this software is not easily available for the end-user / patient. In my opinion the therapy through the use of CPAP equipment should be an interractive situation, in which the patient should be really "involved". A patient will never be a doctor. But a patient that is able to monitor - and have explained the progress of its therapy through time - will be a much more "willing" to co-operate with this "heavy duty" therapy: the CPAP therapy.

If permitted to do so, I would strongly suggest to Weinmann / Löwenstein to let this software be available to all of us: the patients using their CPAPs. There's no better patient, than the well informed and "involved" with his therapy scheme and progress patient.

Finally, I hope this presentation will give the chance to all the expert members of this great forum to share their comments based on their highly appreciated experience.


Costas

[Sleeprider]

Very impressive presentation of one of the most complete manufacturer software programs available. The capability seems equal or better than almost anything out there, and I don't see why any patient problem could not be addressed with a review of this output. The minute vent tracking (rMV) is especially impressive.

In your examples, you have some very good screenshots. Is the usual report output an image file or Acrobat? Thanks for posting this informative article, and I agree it would be helpful if this software was available to all Weinman users.

[Costas P]

Thank you very much for kind words about my post.

These are actual screenshots of the software in full operation, not just a demo. Of course, there's a printable version of all the above data produced by the software, which are necessary for the doctor in order to estimate the progress of the treatement and its parameters that are needed in order for this evaluation.

As I wrote too, Weinamnn should give all the patients - using Weinmann CPAPs, this great software for free. This will make patients more "active" to their apnea issues and help them see in a very interactive way their own progress.


Costas

[Costas P]

Well, reading again my post regarding Weinmann / Löwenstein prismaTS software, I realized that I forgot to mention one very important thing.

I forgot to express my deep appreciation on the Weinmann / Löwenstein seller from which I bought my equipment.
Thanks to these people, not only I was driven to select a fine set of equipment for the treatment of my apnea issues, but they also gave me the chance to have a "hands on" experience of this fine software. At this point I must say that I instisted on this, after having read lots of posts in this forum, through which I understood the difference between a "brick" and a really good CPAP.

They did not just showed me the software, but they allowed me to use it, in their installation, and guided me through its various options, so as to get the experience, which I tried to pass to you, through this post. They too, understood and it seems that they share our (in this forum) point of view, which in a few words summarizes in this: "A well informed patient is a good patient". The more  we learn from each other's experience the more we get "involved" with our apnea issues. This is a strong "tool" in our therapy - as in any therapy I suppose.

I hope that Weinmann / Löwenstein will share our point of view and (through the efforts of us all) will finally issue this exceptionally fine software free to all of us, users of Weinmann / Löwenstein CPAPs.

After all, this is an excellent way to let people all over the world to get to know the great abilities of the CPAPs Weinmann / Löwenstein manufactures!...



Costas

[Marillion]

Well done Costas! Very informative. This machine and the software associated with it looks like the "real deal."

Congrats on selecting such a good product and for staying involved as well as informed in your treatment.

[Costas P]

Well done Costas!  Very informative.  This machine and the software associated with it looks like the "real deal."  

Congrats on selecting such a good product and for staying involved as well as informed in your treatment.

Dear Marillion,

Thank you very much for your comments. I really hope the choise I made will prove to be a "real deal" !...
Only time will tell...


Costas

[Costas P]

My friends,

as I promissed earlier in my first post, I'm presenting to you a review, I posted today, on Weinmann / Löwenstein prismaAQUA humidifier.

In the following link you can read all about it:

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...humidifier

I'm looking foreward to reading your comments on this post too!!!...


Costas

[Michael_F18_Pilot]

Hello,
well easy qustion where you have download such software from I am very interested in it

Regards Mike

[Costas P]

Hello Mike!

As I've already written in another post of mine: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ece?page=4

"My friends,


at this point I would like to clarify to anyone that I DO NOT HAVE A COPY of prismaTS at all. I never had one.
The whole installation took place at the Weinamann Seller's facilities, in Athens, from which I bought my Prisma 20A Auto CPAP and its peripherals, such as: mask (F&P Eson), prismaAQUA humidifier and a Weinmann heated tubing (still waitting for it).

Before I place my final order for the equipment, I asked them to show me the software, in order to evaluate the data it is "grabbing", and through this, estimate if Prisma 20A is a "brick" - or not. I made this clear, and they accepted to allow me have a full scale evaluation of prismaTS - AT THEIR OWN FACILITIES.

This is what happened: they allowed me to utilize one of their PCs ("my own"). They conducted me how to install and use prismaTS. Actually, they were with me all the time, explaining me the various screens of it, and its operation. They accepted to take some screenshots of it, the ones I've uploaded in my review for prismaTS, in order to demonstrate to you all members of this forum the "abilities" of this great (IMO) software.

After finishing this test, as you can all understand, of course I asked them for a copy of it, for my personal use. THEY REJECTED THIS STRAIGHT FOREWARD and informed me that they will ask Weinmann for their approval on issuing me - if my claim is granted - a legal copy of prismaTS.

By the time I was having this "hands on" experience of prismaTS, I was having for 7-8 days a Prisma 20A Auto CPAP, for an "at home" testing, as this had already happened with another CPAP I tried - for an equal period: Philips Respironics System One Auto CPAP - 60 series.

So, at this point, I was given the chance to "get to know" prismaTS, evaluate (using a set of my own data) the quality of its data grabbing (Prisma 20A) and data processing (prismaTS), and I was able to place my order, knowing for sure that I was buying a very good set of equipment.

I'm still waitting for Weinmann to make their decision on issuing a prismaTS software - for my personal use.


Costas "

So, as you can see, I've just had a "hands on" test on Weinmann prismaTS software, and I'm waitting for Weinmann to agree upon allowing me to have on legal copy of it.Really, it's an excellent software and it's a pitty, they don't give this along with the Weinmann Prisma 20A Auto CPAP - the one that I've bought and currently using. Although it's an easy to use software, it's not so easy to understand its full depth analysis it provides. Definatelly it's a great tool in the hands of doctors dealing with apnea, but I'm sure there are a lot of highly knowledgable users - at least in this forum - who could help us all, by using it, to give us some expert advise, based on prismaTS analysis.

I believe if Weinmann decided to make this decision and start issuing it to any customer who would ask for it - end users like us - then they would make the differense in the CPAP market.

It would be a great combination of excellent hardware (CPAPs) "bonded" with an excellent software (prismaTS). An excellent tool for helping us deal with our apnea issues.

I'm sure we have already drawn Weinmann's attention, through our posts in this great forum and I hope that they will reconsider their "position" in this case. Let's see...



Costas

[Costas P]

My friends,

As I've already promised, I wrote a full review for the Weinmann / Löwenstein Prisma 20A Auto CPAP in the corresponding section of this great forum!...

In case you're interested, you can read it using the following link:

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...-Auto-CPAP




Costas