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Auto bipap? - Haroldsdrifting - 08-21-2019

I haven’t posted in a while because my situation is  kind of as good as it can get for the moment. 

Just to recap I was able to find an airsense 10 auto really cheap and with my current settings as long as I get 8 1/2 to 9 hours sleep a few times a week my life is sorta livable. 

I don’t have insurance but the clinic I go to did manage to get a pulmonologist. I saw him and brought a laptop with Oscar and my data. He seemed impressed by the software and took note of it. 

He said I was doing pretty good but that I should up my max pressure to 22. My airsense only goes to 20 and I told him so. He was pretty sure they went to 25. 

After checking I saw that bipap machines go to 25. Just now I saw someone in a Facebook group say they were being put on an auto bipap machine. And now I see that both ResMed and Phillips have auto bipap machines that go to 25. 

But what the heck is an auto bipap machine? 

The way I understand it bipap machines have two fixed pressures. One for inhaling and one for exhaling. So what is the auto doing? 

I looked at the descriptions of the ResMed and Phillips auto bipap machines and still don’t get it. 

Ooooh wait, does it just detect when you’re exhaling so it can lower the pressure?


RE: Auto bipap? - alexp - 08-21-2019

(08-21-2019, 01:17 PM)Haroldsdrifting Wrote: I haven’t posted in a while because my situation is  kind of as good as it can get for the moment. 

Just to recap I was able to find an airsense 10 auto really cheap and with my current settings as long as I get 8 1/2 to 9 hours sleep a few times a week my life is sorta livable. 

I don’t have insurance but the clinic I go to did manage to get a pulmonologist. I saw him and brought a laptop with Oscar and my data. He seemed impressed by the software and took note of it. 

He said I was doing pretty good but that I should up my max pressure to 22. My airsense only goes to 20 and I told him so. He was pretty sure they went to 25. 

After checking I saw that bipap machines go to 25. Just now I saw someone in a Facebook group say they were being put on an auto bipap machine. And now I see that both ResMed and Phillips have auto bipap machines that go to 25. 

But what the heck is an auto bipap machine? 

The way I understand it bipap machines have two fixed pressures. One for inhaling and one for exhaling. So what is the auto doing? 

I looked at the descriptions of the ResMed and Phillips auto bipap machines and still don’t get it. 

Ooooh wait, does it just detect when you’re exhaling so it can lower the pressure?

From what I understand, the machine increases the pressure support if it detects flow limitations and decrease it when you get central events.


RE: Auto bipap? - Crimson Nape - 08-21-2019

Bi-level machines can have an exhale to inhale pressure difference that is greater than 3cmH2O separation.   An auto bi-level machine allows for setting a minimum and a maximum pressure range, so only the required pressured is used to overcome the apnea event without "over-pressuring" the patient.  On a Bi-level machine you set the exhale pressure range (EPAP) and define a PS (Pressure Support) for the inhale pressure (EPAP+PS = IPAP).  You can set the Inhale pressure (IPAP) maximum as well.  This will prevent too much inhale pressure.  

Finally based on all the information that I've seen, A regular CPAP has a maximum pressure of 20cm H2O, a Bi-level has a maximum of 25cm H2O and an ASV has a maximum of 30cm H2O.

I hope this answered your questions.


RE: Auto bipap? - sheepless - 08-21-2019

a minor clarification. IDK about other mfgrs but for the resmed asv: while I've had my asv epap and ps settings adding to max 34cmw, the machine will not go over 25cmw.


RE: Auto bipap? - Gideon - 08-21-2019

A CPAP has a single Pressure, a BiLevel has two pressures, Inhale and Exhale called IPAP and EPAP, they are normally kept a fixed pressure apart.  This is called "Pressure Support". On a BiLevel the EPAP pressure (the lower pressure) is what manages obstructive Apnea.

Now add an auto function which controls the Pressure on a CPAP and the EPAP on a BiLevel  This is an Auto CPAP (Autoset) or an Auto BiLevel.


RE: Auto bipap? - Haroldsdrifting - 08-21-2019

OK, most of that makes sense. But i’ve never heard of an ASV.

I googled it and it sounds very much what I thought an apap is.

What is the ResMed airsense 10 auto considered?


RE: Auto bipap? - Gideon - 08-21-2019

ASV is a very specialized Auto BiLevel in that it does the Auto BiLevel functions on the current breath and on Central events adds a pressure support spike to maintain a constant minute volume even during a Central event.

It's niche is that it is the only device designed to treat Central apnea


RE: Auto bipap? - jaswilliams - 08-22-2019

(08-21-2019, 04:24 PM)Haroldsdrifting Wrote: OK, most of that makes sense. But i’ve never heard of an ASV.

I googled it and it sounds very much what I thought an apap is.

What is the ResMed airsense 10 auto considered?

The Resmed Autoset 10 is considered an auto cpap device
The Resmed Aircurve VAuto is an automatic BiLevel device 


the term BIPap is a Philips trade name for a BiLevel machine