ResMed Mirage Repair?

CPAP Talk Pals,

I have been using the ResMed Mirage Liberty Full Face CPAP Mask system for many years. The elbow that attaches to the mask keeps failing. (Breaking away.) I'd like to repair the mask instead of the very costly route of replacing the mask over and over again. Can anyone recommend ways to repair it? :?

Thanks in advance, Matt

Hi Matt,

Let me check out what's in the shed .............. bale twine, fencing wire, safety pins, spackle, bent nails, old stockings, wd40, hair pins, permoseal, bandaids, prepsol, blu tack, super glue, duct tape, kragle (shake shake shake) nope, it's set already. This place is such a mess! :(

Without having the mask in my hands it's hard to know what might work but obviously none of the above.

I suspect that most 'fixes' would compromise the swivel function which could make it cumbersome, especially as the mask seems to have such a thick hose.

I hope somebody here has more experience with this particular mask than I have.

On the opposite tack, is there something you can do to prevent it from breaking?

A different pillow perhaps or a hose stand to take pressure off the connection?

Is it possible that hot water or sunshine are deteriorating the mask?

These products are decaying from the moment they are manufactured so what chemicals are likely to accelerate their decomposition?

On a more constructive note, are there chemicals that would preserve these compounds? (like ArmorAll)

Would this issue be covered by warranty when is seems like an obvious design flaw?

Lots of questions but, unfortunately, no answers, unless Sierra has some fresh kragle?

Hard to comment without seeing what is broken. I have not had a lot of luck trying to repair my wife's Mirage FX nasal mask, and ended up buying new parts for it. My go to tools are epoxy, silicone seal, and when desperate duct tape!

I see that cpap.com has some parts for the Mirage Liberty.

As you say, without really seeing it ......

I suspect that the only real fix would be to find a metal band, perhaps a keyring, that the hose would lock into, and use a little Grinder to remove enough material around the mask insert to enable it to be glued into place instead of the broken rim.

So my imaginary list above might yet apply because if there is no band of the right size to be found then a simple piece of wire, carefully cut and shaped, would probably do the trick.

Which brings me back to my usual rant: Why are these expensive medical devices so badly designed?

Is this the result of over engineering the design beyond the tolerances and capabilities of where they are being manufactured or is it a design flaw or quality control omission that, just coincidentally, increases future sales?