Biguglygremlin

Hi JoeyC.

I doubt that I can be much help Im sorry.

Almost everything to do with CPAP can be stressful and confusing.

If you have severe apnea then an AHI of 7 may not be ideal, but it would seem like it is still a significant improvement.

I wonder if the main question might be how are you managing with the treatment?

What steps or alterations or consultations would make you feel better and enable you to gain more benefit from the treatment?

Is there anybody involved in your current treatment that you can confide in and trust?

Are there other medical or lifestyle issues that you could address to improve your overall health?

Sometimes the anxiety can be as dangerous as the illness.

One of my machines is almost 7 years old and has done over 16,000 hours. It has some issues but no more than it had all through the years.

The newer machines don't seem to be as durable but time will tell.

The CPAP store that issued the machine should supply a loan machine if they need to send your CPAP off for repairs.

Ive never had much success with those nasal style masks.

The adaptions I made to that bottom vent made the Airfit P30 mask safe but it was too breezy so I put the original QuietAir vent back in and made some adaptations to the air tubes instead, to prevent them from being sucked flat when there is no pressure.

I still believe that these masks are dangerous, especially for dysfunctional patients.

I tried two new vents and the airways sucked closed with them too.

The mask needs to be redesigned so that the airways cannot collapse and close off the airflow.

I havent read up on any of the technical stuff but it would seem, to my limited understanding, that these machines dont have a separate flow meter although they probably extrapolate flow from the energy used to maintain pressure.

Most of the machine's functions are keyed to the pressure monitor.

They have some general calculations and automatic adaptations such as an assumed pressure loss of so much between the machine and delivery through varying mask types and those parameters should be largely unaffected by venting systems because the machine would just have to work harder to overcome the continuing pressure loss.

I would guess that if the machine has autostart capabilities the process of putting a mask on would cause pressure fluctuations at the pressure sensor signaling the machine to start and the absence of any fluctuations over some seconds would signal the machine to shut down.

Trying to figure out how the machine functions would be essential to understanding the possible impacts of changing the designed parameters of masks and venting systems.

If any of the above is correct slightly increasing the venting capacity of a mask might register as a perpetual leak and cause the machine to work harder but it should not significantly affect the pressure that is being delivered or any of the autostart functions.

All of which is irrelevant because it would be unwise to tamper with any of this equipment.

I have adapted this mask so that it functions within parameters that I consider essential for survival but the changes I have made are drastic and cannot be discussed or recommended in this forum.

I firmly believe that the AirFit P30 Nasal Pillows mask, in its present configuration, is dangerous and should be recalled.

Been there, done that.

It has a filter inside it, perhaps a humidity recycling product of some kind.

The local CPAP clinics all tell me that it can't be disassembled but they also insist that you can't expect to be able to breathe if the machine is turned off,

That bottom vent doesnt seem to be designed to be disassembled. Can you find anything that indicates that its cover can be removed and reassembled

The vent is as clean as I can get it and the mask works fine while it is under pressure but when the machine is turned off I still cant suck in any air.

If that vent let in even a small amount of air it would negate the vacuum enough to prevent the side tubes from closing completely and that would allow air from above.

I could make adaptations to the mask but why would that be necessary

I bought the mask from a local CPAP clinic already assembled and ready to use.

I didn't realize that the cushion contained a covered vent. There is no noticeable air flow in or out of it. It is removable for cleaning but do they mean removable beyond that? I'm hesitant to try to remove the vent cover because it's not clear if it can be replaced although it should be because is has some kind of filter inside it.

The instructions don't mention any function beyond basic assembly although they do state clearly that the mask should not be used unless the device is turned on.

Hi jamesnumpana

While I appreciate your sympathy I really am not having a terrible experience, just another puzzle that needs solving, another issue to wrestle with in the frail hope that raising the subject might somehow make a difference.

Some get lost in detailed discussions about ramps and relative pressures and the ideal cleaning routines but I prefer to question the underlying assumptions and the wider parameters.

I like writing and I enjoy a challenge even though it achieves very little in the way of apparent results.