s/o SH and the ResMed Oximeter (it works!)

[VisitorX]

Thanks, Bill. I'm considering it, though as everyone agrees, it would be nice if the price was different.

[Spy Car]

Thanks, Bill. I'm considering it, though as everyone agrees, it would be nice if the price was different.

I'm told my member srlevine1 that Vendor #19 (Kevin Copper) is the place to go to get good deals (and potentially a gently used unit).

He also recommends getting an extension cable at the same time.

Bill

[donmeek]

VisitorX,

              Do you really want to pay $1500 or so for all that when you could just pick a cheap recording oximeter for $140 and accomplish the same thing?

If so send some of that extra cash this way. 

Word is that these can be had for about $500 gently used. Pretty expensive, but....

That the ResMed syncs precisely in time and imports directly is pretty sweet. I wish the price was consumer friendly.

Bill

There are three parts to the ResMed Oximeter kit (well four if you count the optional $8 Nonin oximeter clip) - the first is the $199 (new) S9 or S10 oximeter module widely available online, the second is a Nonin 3012 / 3012LP XPOD sensor adaptor connector (make sure that the purchased version has all 9 pins active, some only have 8 and a dummy spacing where the second pin would normally go which will not work), and the third is a Nonin 8000SL Sensor (this is the adult size - they also sell an infant 8000SS and child 8000SM size as well).   

As I mentioned the oximetry module part that plugs into the ResMed xPap retails for $199 (the S9 and S10 versions are not interchangeable), the next two parts are also widely available on auction sites with a combined price somewhere between $150 and $200.

Total cost of a readily available 'DYI oximeter kit' is somewhere between $350 and $400 - which is a far cry from the almost $1,000 charged by vendors for their 'complete kits'.  Any auction listing for "Nonin XPOD" which includes both the PurSAT SpO2 adapter and 8000SL sensor should work fine (you can also buy them separately but both sold together is pretty much assured to include the right '9 pin active' versions of the 3012/3012LP adaptors) and provide continual oximetry data which automatically imports into sleepyhead (or the standalone resmed software) without the need for a separate oximeter.

I think I paid $350 or so (all in) for a complete OEM oximetry solution which was a far cry from the $1,000 or so the various vendors wanted for exactly the same thing (and I did spring the extra $8 for the plastic clip, so maybe a little more than $350 total...)

[VisitorX]

Don,

Your post is extremely helpful. Thank you very much. I suspect that a lot of people who currently have Resmed and use SleepHead would benefit from the information you provide. Almost everyone seems to think they have to pay the almost $1,000 price and therefore many seem to struggle with integrating their oximetry data (and Mac users, like me, apparently have to run a Windows emulator program--so they can run Windows programs on their computer--or buy a PC just for this purpose). I wonder how to get this information out more widely on the website?

I have a bunch of questions. I hope you don't mind writing a few word for each:

1) I see that the XPOD 3012 comes in a regular (3012) and a low power (3012LP) version. Which do you have and do you know what the upside / downside is of one vs. the other? Also, do you know if both are fully compatible with the ?

2) What does the oximeter clip do? It looks like the sensor stays on the finger by itself.

3) What length cable did you get? I assume one wants a good length. I saw something about 3 meters. Is that a special feature of the Nonin 8000 sensor or the 3012/LP connector?

4) It looks like you have the large size for the sensor (they come in SL, SM, and SS -- Large, Med, and Small, respectively). How did you decide which size to get?

5) How are you reading your data? Are you using SleepyHead (and if so, did you require any special set up, and how is it going)?--or are you using special Resmed software (on your computer, or do you transmit it and have them send you a report)?

Many thanks!

VisitorX

[donmeek]

Don,

Your post is extremely helpful. Thank you very much. I suspect that a lot of people who currently have Resmed and use SleepHead would benefit from the information you provide. Almost everyone seems to think they have to pay the almost $1,000 price and therefore many seem to struggle with integrating their oximetry data (and Mac users, like me, apparently have to run a Windows emulator program--so they can run Windows programs on their computer--or buy a PC just for this purpose). I wonder how to get this information out more widely on the website?

I have a bunch of questions. I hope you don't mind writing a few word for each:

1) I see that the XPOD 3012 comes in a regular (3012) and a low power (3012LP) version. Which do you have and do you know what the upside / downside is of one vs. the other? Also, do you know if both are fully compatible with the ?

2) What does the oximeter clip do? It looks like the sensor stays on the finger by itself.

3) What length cable did you get? I assume one wants a good length. I saw something about 3 meters. Is that a special feature of the Nonin 8000 sensor or the 3012/LP connector?

4) It looks like you have the large size for the sensor (they come in SL, SM, and SS -- Large, Med, and Small, respectively). How did you decide which size to get?

5) How are you reading your data? Are you using SleepyHead (and if so, did you require any special set up, and how is it going)?--or are you using special Resmed software (on your computer, or do you transmit it and have them send you a report)?  

Many thanks!

VisitorX

To answer your questions - remember that the only part of the ResMed oximetry kit which is proprietary is the module which connects to the AirSense 9 or AirSense 10 - the Nonin components are generic and used in many oximetry solutions.

1) The XPOD 3012LP (LP stands for 'low power') is a newer version of the XPOD 3012 and in addition to using less energy (not really applicable for a unit powered by AC) there are additional data communication protocols which are not utilized by ResMed (and the 3012LP is a little more water resistant according to the specifications).  The important thing to note is that the 3012LP will not work with the AirSense 9 module and only the AirSense 10 oximetry module.  If you have an AirSense 9, don't purchase a 3012LP adapter, for an AirSense 10 you can either use the original XPOD 3012 or an XPOD 3012LP and for a CPAP user there is really no other benefit to having the 3012LP versus a 3012 unless you like the blue color of the 3012LP more than the brownish color of the 3012...

2. The Oximeter Clip doesn't attach to you it attaches between the XPOD 3012/3012LP and the finger probe unit so that the two components don't easily separate.  There is a different version of this clip if you use the XPOD 3012 or the differently shaped XPOD 3012LP and you need the correct one - but they are both equally inexpensive (and completely made of plastic).  There is really nothing that keeps the two components from easily separating without the clip.  Think about the cable that connects a monitor to a graphics card without using the two screws to anchor it in place, a very slight tug and the monitor cable separates from the computer and as you toss and turn at night it is really easy to separate the finger sensor and thus stop the oximetry readings - the clip holds both parts in place from any easy tugging and looks better than using duct tape to hold the parts together!

3.  For me 3 meters (roughly 9 feet) was plenty, some may like the shorter 1 meter version (roughly 3 feet) - I guess it depends how much 'play' you need and how far away your machine is from your finger at night.  I actually run the 8000SL cable along the outside the ResMed climateline tubing and both inside a snuggle hose with a few feet at the end so that the hose connects to my mask and the sensor connects to my finger while keeping both parts easily manageable.  All XPOD 3012/3012LP adapters are the same (short) length, it's the finger sensor which comes in variable lengths.

4. The sensor sizes (small, medium, and large) are not designed for CPAP users, they are designed for oximetry users in a clinical setting (think hospitals and doctors offices).  the small size is designed for infants (younger than roughly 2 years of age) and usually placed on the toe, the medium size is designed for children from roughly 2 years of age to around 10 to 12, the large size is designed for teenagers/adults.  An adult might be able to use a medium sensor on their little finger, for example, but it is much more versatile to use an 8000SL (adult size) and then select any finger (or toe - the sensors can be used on both with similar results, there are also a series of other compatible Nonin PurSAT sensors which are disposable, connect to an ear or even the forehead if a finger or toe are uncomfortable - the reusable ones such as the 8000SL are much more economic of course and can be reused for years with a little light cleaning from time to time).

5.  If you use the ResMed module (with required XPOD 3012/3012LP and 8000SL or other PurSAT sensor), all pulse and oxygen data is stored on the AirSense 9 / AirSense 10 SD card throughout the night.  The data is automatically included in any sleepyhead or ResScan data import - you don't even need to toggle a switch or click a box.  The timing is exactly the same as your CPAP data (same source after all) and there is no need to try and synchronize anything.   Automatic import routines such as FlashPAP (for use with a Toshiba FlashAir SD card) also automatically work without any type of configuration - the oximetry data is included in all sleepyhead (and ResScan) datasets and populate their own graphs and can be zoomed down to roughly the four second interval level so that you can easily review what your SO2 and pulse were doing at the time of an apnea or other event which can be interesting to see - my pulse races during an event and often I can observe a low steady pulse rise as I leave REM sleep and move around and the oxygen levels can be interesting to observe in the different phases of sleep as well as tidal flows increase and decrease...

Personally I find the pulse and oxygen level data useful in monitoring that the CPAP treatment is working (oxygen levels don't drop too low and when they do drop the length of the drop is measured in seconds not minutes) as well as an interesting indication of how restful my sleep was the night before - lots of steady pulse levels was restful, pulse changes throughout the night indicate an unrestful sleep which for me was worth the $350 dollars or so spent on an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) integrated solution as opposed to a standalone oximetry unit which requires time synchronization, battery changes, and additional data importation instead of 'just working'...

[Spy Car]

Thank you for the excellent, informative, and detailed posts donmeek.

Bill

[VisitorX]

Don - your posts are among the most informative I've ever read at this site, maybe the most informative. I hope a lot of people come to read them. It's possible that I'll have further questions eventually, but for now I'm sated. Thanks for taking the time to write so clearly and in such informative detail.

[VladimirTrotzskyi]

I am techno-geeking out on this thread and very likely must have one. Don, can you please post a sample SleepyHead chart with oxy and pulse graphs?

[sonicboom]

Don, as others have stated - very helpful and informative. I, and perhaps others, am a visual person. If its not too much trouble would you mind posting a photo of how this looks when the puzzle is put together? Thanks.

[donmeek]

Alright - I'll add some images to help the visualization of what the ResMed oximetry kit looks like:

   

   

   

There are four parts to the kit - the part with the ResMed logo is the ResMed oximetry module (black for the AirSense 10 and Grey for the AirSense 9) which plugs directly into the port on the AirSense machine directly under the SD card slot on the lower left side.

The blue adapter is the XPOD 3012LP (the 3012 is a brown color with a slightly different shape) and the black end of the XPOD (3 prong) plugs into the ResMed oximetry module on the side without the connector which plugs into the AirSense.  So to visualize - the oximetry module plugs into the AirSense machine using the connector which looks like a circuit board on the right side of the module and the 3012/3012LP plugs into the module on the left side where there is a port for a three prong connector.

The finger sensor (in this case an Adult sized 8000SL - there are various other choices) plugs into the blue (for an 3012LP, it's brown for a 3012) side of the XPOD adapter.  This connector has nine pins and looks very much like a serial port on an older computer.  The non-connector side of the finger sensor fits on a finger (or toe) of your choice and lights up with a red color when powered (which you really can't see when its on your finger/toe).

The fourth part is the oximetry clip which goes over both the blue part of the XPOD 3012LP and the connector part of the finger sensor to hold them in place.  The finger sensor connector and the XPOD connector don't hold together that well on their own and can easily be separated by moving around so the clip holds both in place.  There is a different clip for the 3012LP and 3012 (the two XPOD versions have a different shape!) so make sure you purchase the appropriate clip if interested - some good old fashion duct tape (or glue?) could also hold the parts together but it's easier to just slip them in the clips designed for the purpose...

Hopefully that helps - the Resmed module plugs into the AirSense / AirCurve (the S9 and S10's have different modules - purchase the correct one!).  The XPOD 3012 (for the S9 or S10) or XPOD 3012LP (S10 only!) plugs into the Resmed module.  The 8000SL (or other PurSAT sensor - lots of varieties disposable and reusable, finger, ear lobe, or forehead available) then plugs into the XPOD 3012/3012LP.  The oximeter clip then holds the 8000SL connector and the 3012/3012LP connectors together so they don't separate as you may move about during the night.  The fingerprint sensor then goes on a finger or toe of your choice which is comfortable to keep on throughout the night and then easily removed either to get up in the morning or otherwise during the night if you leave bed.