All you wanted to know about the ResMed Airsense 10

[tanwt]

hi bro,

i am interested to import this model to malaysia

anyone else here have experience and is still active in the board?

Thank you to Apneaboard for the excellent information on sleep apnea and the various materials and software available for download at this website.

Not long ago, I was diagnosed by my ENT doctor as having severe sleep apnea with an AHI of 60 and was loaned a APAP machine for about a week. From the trial therapy, I learned that my sleep apnea could benefit from using an APAP machine. So I set out to purchase an APAP machine.

After searching from the internet and from this board, I found the Airsense 10 is the newest in the market produced by ResMed, a reputable company in the field of sleep therapy.

I went ahead and buy the Airsense 10 from a US online supplier. As I have benefitted from Apneaboard, it is only proper that I share my experience and information with people who might benefit from my information on this relatively new device in the market.

The Airsense 10

When you switch on the Airsense 10, on the home screen you will see only 2 large simple icons of My Options and Sleep Report. Underneath the icons, lies a wealth of information. When you push the dial knob at the icons, you will see the following sub-menus:

HOME

MY OPTIONS

Ramp Time (Auto, 0-45 mins)
Climate Control (Auto, Manual)
Pressure Relief (On, Off)
Smart Start (On, Off)
Mask (Pillows, FullFace, Nasal)
Run Mask Fit (To test your face mask fit)
Run Warm Up (To test your humidifier warm up)
Airplane Mode (On, Off)
About (Device info, CX NUMBER, Humidifier info, Internal Modem info)

SLEEP REPORT

By default, the Sleep Report has only these 3 basic information on the device’s screen:

Usage hours
Mask seal (A smiley face or a frown face)
Humidifier (A smiley face or a frown face)

If you had activated Options/Essential in the Clinical setup (see below on how you can enter into the clinical setup), you will get more information on the device’s screen:

Usage Hours
Events per Hour
Mask seal (A smiley face or a frown face)
Humidifier (A smiley face or a frown face)

More Info:
Period (From 1 day to 6 months)
Days Used
Days 4Hours+
Average Usage (Hours)
Used Hours
Pressure (cmH2O)
Leak (L/min)
AHI (Apnea/Hyponea Index)
Total AI (Apnea Index)
Central AI (Apnea Index)

To enter into the Clinical Setup, you need to be on the Home page and press the turn knob and the Home Button simultaneously for 5 seconds. Then it will show you the Clinical Menu. Press settings and you will be able to enter into the following sub-menus to adjust the settings:

THERAPY
Mode (CPAP or Auto set)
Max Pressure (4-20)
Min Pressure (4-20)
Mask (Pillow, FullFace or Nasal)

COMFORT
Ramp Time (Auto – 45 mins)
Start Pressure (From 4.0)
EPR (On or Off)
EPR Type (Ramp Only or Full Time)
EPR Level ( 1 – 3)
Climate Control (Auto or Manual)

ACCESSORIES
AB Filter (No or Yes)

OPTIONS
Essential (Plus or on)
Smart Start (On or Off)
Reminders (Mask, Water Tub, Tube and Filter)

CONFIGURATION
Language (English, French, Spanish or Portuguese)
Date (Day/Month/Year)
Time (Hours/Mins)
Pressure Unit (cmH2O or hPa)
Temperature Unit (Farenheight or Centigrade)
Restore Default (No or Yes)
Erase Data (No or Yes)
About (Device no and run hours, CX No, Humidifier No and Internal Modem Details such as Serial No, Provider, Type, Service and signal)

Sleep Report Software

The ResScan 5.1 software works well with the Airsense 10 data. If you had installed the ResScan 5.1 software correctly (with the 3 drivers unchecked) onto your PC, the software will automatically recognize the SD Card as soon as you plug in the SD Card reader and ask you whether you would like to download the data in the SD Card.

After you have downloaded the data from your Airsense SD Card, the software will compile a detailed medical record viz:

1. Device settings of your Airsense 10 such as your minimum pressure, maximum pressure, EPR settings, the Ramp time and whether the essentials (detailed information) are set on.
2. Statistics of your sleep report from 1 day to 6 months showing your total usage of your device, your respiratory Indices (Apnea/Hypopnea index differentiating between Obstructive and central apnea), Leakage (L/min) and your Pressure (Median, 95th percentile and Maximum in cmH2O)
3. A Summary Graph of your Usage, AHI and AI, Total Usage & Cheyne-Stokes Hours, Leakage (L/min) and Pressure (cmH2O).
4. A detailed graph of (3) above.
5. Oximetry Statistics if you have installed an optional oximetry device to your Airsense.

I understand at this moment the SleepyHead software has not yet been updated to Airsense 10. Maybe in the near future, the maker of the software will update it to include Airsense 10 which will enable the layman to understand the complicated sleep analysis better.

Costs

The price quoted by ResMed in my country is exorbitant – almost like 130% more than what I would have purchased from the US with air-courier charges included. It took 5 days for the device to be air-couriered from USA to my country in Malaysia.

I made a search on the internet from several online suppliers. Do note that the majority of the US suppliers have restrictions like requiring a medical prescription and restriction on selling to countries outside the USA. So if you are staying outside US, do ask from them whether the restrictions apply to you. They all have excellent Online Chat where they answer to your enquiries in real-time.

The prices of the Airsense 10 (and the masks) from all these online suppliers are about the same (Around US$923 with heated climate-line tube without the CPAP mask). Price wise on the device itself, you will be alright if you choose any good and reputable online suppliers who would likely be around in the long term. However, there can be some significant savings on the courier charges between these suppliers if you are staying outside USA. So, do take note and enquire on the air courier charges.

In the end, I chose 1800CPAP because not only are their air-courier charges the cheapest (About US$64 using FedEx from Ohio, USA to my house in Malaysia), they are the most convenient among the lot for me. They do not require doctor’s prescription for oversea customers and they don’t have restriction in selling to countries outside USA.

Information and Software Download


There are much information and wealth of materials including software available on this website. Like me, if you are inflicted with this sleep disorder, do read this forum and equip yourself with the necessary information to overcome it.

You can download the ResScan 5.1 software from this forum (thank you, Apneaboard, I certainly benefited from it). However, you may need to register yourself as member first

[At first I posted the links to the various thread in this forum for easy reference/retrieval but could not because I have less than 8 posts...sorry guys]

Conclusion

I hope you will find the above information useful to you. I am quite new in this forum and in using this device. If you have any technical questions, I am sure the rest of the more knowledgeable and experienced forumers could help you out.

For starters, suggestions on the most beneficial way to set up the settings in the Clinical Setup Menu above would be a tremendous help to all newbies.

Happy exploring your Airsense 10!

[zonk]

Hi tanwt
I'm AirSense 10 AutoSet user and still active on the board for over 5 years and many other members are active too
I've no idea about prices in Malaysia but in Australia can be quite pricey, I get my supplies shipped from US
Suppliers #2 and #10 ship internationally http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...plier-List

[tanwt]

Hi tanwt
I'm AirSense 10 AutoSet user and still active on the board for over 5 years and many other members are active too
I've no idea about prices in Malaysia but in Australia can be quite pricey, I get my supplies shipped from US
Suppliers #2 and #10 ship internationally

thanks for the feedback zonk

it is expensive as well in malaysia. i would like to get someone who already have experience bringing in to malaysia, especially with regards to taxes

btw, is airsense 10 autoset the best value there is?

[tanwt]

is nasal pillows mask the most comfortable among the available options?

[tanwt]

at secondwindcpap website, i noticed they sell used unit as below. quite tempting. what's your opinion? about $ 200 savings

Gently Used ResMed S10 AirSense AutoSet with EPR and Integrated Heated Humidifier - ClimatelineAir Tubing Included - $599

[tanwt]

since i want to combine shipment + i don't have experience in CPAP, what do you all suggest i buy extra as spare for wear and tear items?

[sharp56]

Hi tanwt
I'm AirSense 10 AutoSet user and still active on the board for over 5 years and many other members are active too
I've no idea about prices in Malaysia but in Australia can be quite pricey, I get my supplies shipped from US
Suppliers #2 and #10 ship internationally

thanks for the feedback zonk

it is expensive as well in malaysia. i would like to get someone who already have experience bringing in to malaysia, especially with regards to taxes

btw, is airsense 10 autoset the best value there is?

I bought the Airsense 10 before the 6% GST came into force so there was no tax. I believe even when the GST is currently in force there is still no import duties or GST as medical equipment such as CPAP are essential medical support and are tax exempted.

In Malaysia, CPAP machines are very expensive (more than 100% more expensive than if you bring them in yourself by air courier) because the agent companies that brought these machines into the country give local warranty and usage support.

I don't know whether Resmed Airsense 10 is the best value there is. But if you term best value as long lasting and durable, comfort in usage (ease of breathing, quietness of the machine, heated humidifier) and its ability to go into the internal system to change the parameters to better fine tune the benefits to your own medical condition and read/analyse the various detailed reports and graphs (mentioned in my first post), then I would say that it is very good value. I use my machine almost every day for almost one and a half years already and it is still as silent and functioning well as the first day I bought it (touch wood).

There are many brands available locally in Malaysia such as the Resmed, Philips, Apex (Taiwan), Weinmann (German), etc and many of them are brought into Malaysia and supported by Singapore companies or local representatives of foreign companies. They work hand in hand with recommendations by doctors. So they tend to be expensive.

Also I understand, even though these companies support the products, they do not provide the information to enter into the clinical set up of the machines to fine tune the parameters nor do they provide the essential Sleep Report Software to generate the various reports and graphs. These, you have to turn to ApneaBoard. Some machines are supported in Apneaboard but some machines like the Weinman (equally good CPAP) aren't much discussed and supported in ApneaBoard. Without the ability to enter into the clinical set up and Sleep Software Reports, the machines loses much of their effectiveness and value even though the machines are capable and good. That's my opinion.

I hope these information help you in your endeavor.

[tanwt]

Hi bro,

thanks for the reply. i am aware you didn't drop in for quite a while. so i really appreciate u coming in to give ur opinion

i have been researching around regarding shipment method and found that using ezipoz is the best solution for malaysia. estimate cost is only about usd 40 which is reasonable

btw, what spare accessories you think i should buy extra ? for those that are more prone to wear and tear?

also planned to get a used unit from secondwindcpap . I have research this company. mostly positive feedback and the used unit seems to be almost brand new. so i think it is worth it

is nasal pillows mask the most comfortable among the available options? i see most forumer here use this

Hi tanwt
I'm AirSense 10 AutoSet user and still active on the board for over 5 years and many other members are active too
I've no idea about prices in Malaysia but in Australia can be quite pricey, I get my supplies shipped from US
Suppliers #2 and #10 ship internationally

thanks for the feedback zonk

it is expensive as well in malaysia. i would like to get someone who already have experience bringing in to malaysia, especially with regards to taxes

btw, is airsense 10 autoset the best value there is?

I bought the Airsense 10 before the 6% GST came into force so there was no tax. I believe even when the GST is currently in force there is still no import duties or GST as medical equipment such as CPAP are essential medical support and are tax exempted.

In Malaysia, CPAP machines are very expensive (more than 100% more expensive than if you bring them in yourself by air courier) because the agent companies that brought these machines into the country give local warranty and usage support.

I don't know whether Resmed Airsense 10 is the best value there is. But if you term best value as long lasting and durable, comfort in usage (ease of breathing, quietness of the machine, heated humidifier) and its ability to go into the internal system to change the parameters to better fine tune the benefits to your own medical condition and read/analyse the various detailed reports and graphs (mentioned in my first post), then I would say that it is very good value. I use my machine almost every day for almost one and a half years already and it is still as silent and functioning well as the first day I bought it (touch wood).

There are many brands available locally in Malaysia such as the Resmed, Philips, Apex (Taiwan), Weinmann (German), etc and many of them are brought into Malaysia and supported by Singapore companies or local representatives of foreign companies. They work hand in hand with recommendations by doctors. So they tend to be expensive.

Also I understand, even though these companies support the products, they do not provide the information to enter into the clinical set up of the machines to fine tune the parameters nor do they provide the essential Sleep Report Software to generate the various reports and graphs. These, you have to turn to ApneaBoard. Some machines are supported in Apneaboard but some machines like the Weinman (equally good CPAP) aren't much discussed and supported in ApneaBoard. Without the ability to enter into the clinical set up and Sleep Software Reports, the machines loses much of their effectiveness and value even though the machines are capable and good. That's my opinion.

I hope these information help you in your endeavor.

[sharp56]

Hi Tanwt,

Glad that I'm of help.

I have used both nasal mask (two various brands) and nasal pillow masks (Philips Nuance with gel and Resmed Airfit P10) but I personally found that the nasal pillow mask (Resmed Airfit P10) is better for me. It has the least surface area footprint and I can read in bed while wearing the nasal pillow mask. Since this Airfit P10 has a lightweight, facial curvature strap, I find that it fits better, tends to have less air leaks and I can sleep more comfortably in various sleep position without hindrance. Bear in mind that this is my personal experience and each individual has different preference.

I don't know about Secondwindcpap and Ezipoz. Perhaps other people in the forum can help you on this.

You should purchase at least 6-12 extra air filters and optionally, a spare mask (whether nasal or nasal pillow). They are not very expensive but in the course of your usage of CPAP, you will certainly need them. It will cost a bomb if you would buy them separately and having them sent to you by air-courier, especially the little cost air filters. So it is better to plan ahead.

[tanwt]

thanks for the advice

the air filter make senses

but the mask itself is not cheap (~ $100)

does the mask need replacement over time?

Hi Tanwt,

Glad that I'm of help.

I have used both nasal mask (two various brands) and nasal pillow masks (Philips Nuance with gel and Resmed Airfit P10) but I personally found that the nasal pillow mask (Resmed Airfit P10) is better for me. It has the least surface area footprint and I can read in bed while wearing the nasal pillow mask. Since this Airfit P10 has a lightweight, facial curvature strap, I find that it fits better, tends to have less air leaks and I can sleep more comfortably in various sleep position without hindrance. Bear in mind that this is my personal experience and each individual has different preference.

I don't know about Secondwindcpap and Ezipoz. Perhaps other people in the forum can help you on this.

You should purchase at least 6-12 extra air filters and optionally, a spare mask (whether nasal or nasal pillow). They are not very expensive but in the course of your usage of CPAP, you will certainly need them. It will cost a bomb if you would buy them separately and having them sent to you by air-courier, especially the little cost air filters. So it is better to plan ahead.