[CPAP] My Supplier Says There's No Difference Between a "for Her" Airsense10 and others

[Gideon]

If you do not use the for Her mode, there is no difference other than the case.. your sleep doctor is wrong.

[OpalRose]

This short description borrowed from Mr. Google...

WHY THE RESMED AIRSENSE 10 AUTOSET FOR HER IS IDEAL FOR WOMEN

"The For Her model of ResMed’s popular CPAP machine has a more sensitive flow algorithm that picks up Hypopneas/flow limitation better than the standard model. Often females have more Hypopneas and flow limitation than Males due to menopause or any hormonal imbalances."

"ResMed’s pioneering women-specific algorithm used in the AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her works by increasing sensitivity to flow limitation and optimizing the response to these events. By responding to each flow-limited breath, the algorithm helps to provide comfortable therapy for women and does not let the pressure increase dramatically during the detection of these hypopneas/flow-limitation events."

"This device is not just for women, however; any patients with sensitive airways or suffering from Asthma, COPD, or Emphysema would also benefit from using the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her algorithm."


Now with that said, there seems to be a lot of men that use the "for her" mode too.  

Also of note:  The new AirSense 11 AutoSet will incorporate the "for her" mode.  So this new machine will have three modes:
Cpap, Auto and Auto For Her.

[S. Manz]

---

This short description borrowed from Mr. Google...

WHY THE RESMED AIRSENSE 10 AUTOSET FOR HER IS IDEAL FOR WOMEN

"The For Her model of ResMed’s popular CPAP machine has a more sensitive flow algorithm that picks up Hypopneas/flow limitation better than the standard model. Often females have more Hypopneas and flow limitation than Males due to menopause or any hormonal imbalances."

"ResMed’s pioneering women-specific algorithm used in the AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her works by increasing sensitivity to flow limitation and optimizing the response to these events. By responding to each flow-limited breath, the algorithm helps to provide comfortable therapy for women and does not let the pressure increase dramatically during the detection of these hypopneas/flow-limitation events."

"This device is not just for women, however; any patients with sensitive airways or suffering from Asthma, COPD, or Emphysema would also benefit from using the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her algorithm."


Now with that said, there seems to be a lot of men that use the "for her" mode too.  

Also of note:  The new AirSense 11 AutoSet will incorporate the "for her" mode.  So this new machine will have three modes:
Cpap, Auto and Auto For Her.

That explains it.Thanks

[S. Manz]

If you do not use the for Her mode, there is no difference other than the case..  your sleep doctor is wrong.

Actually she is just the supplier, not a doctor, but I see what you mean.

---

The Autoset for Her mode changes the default AutoSet Mode in the following four ways:

• Reduces the rate of pressure increases
  
• Slower pressure decays
  Note: the above two can also be achieved in regular AutoSet mode by setting Response to Soft
  

• Will not increase pressure in response to OAs if pressure is 12cm or higher, but will still respond to FLs and Snores
  
• Will establish the current pressure as the new minimum pressure, if two OAs occur within a minute
  

So the "for her" models only have an extra quick set for women.
That makes more sense.

[Gideon]

NOT just for women, many men use it also. It was unquestionably developed and targeted for women.

[clownbell]

Any Airborne soldier DESERVES to be well taken care of. Not lucky, appropriate.

[cathyf]

My DME's RT has insisted more than once that the "for her" model is just a different case  

The Autoset for Her mode changes the default AutoSet Mode in the following four ways:

• Reduces the rate of pressure increases
  
• Slower pressure decays
  Note: the above two can also be achieved in regular AutoSet mode by setting Response to Soft
  
  

• Will not increase pressure in response to OAs if pressure is 12cm or higher, but will still respond to FLs and Snores
  
• Will establish the current pressure as the new minimum pressure, if two OAs occur within a minute
  

Having observed the vauto in action, the "for her" sounds like the reverse of the vauto, which is interesting in that they claim that the "for her" is specifically targetted towards flow-limit queens like me.

What I see with the vauto is that it somehow almost completely eliminates flow limits, but when there are occasional FLs the machine just zooms up very quickly and stops them cold.

   
https://www.dropbox.com/s/noc3zc7ubt07qj...M.png?dl=0

I'm not sure how an algorithm that moves more slowly would be helpful. Here's the autoset messing around...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qsydfieabkayc3...M.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bymx8pgstdq2mf...M.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u28akxtvgksv9r...M.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gs6n1vx6hmcf96...M.png?dl=0

And that's the regular autoset algo -- slower doesn't seem like it would be better!

[Albigensian]

Your sleep doc is wrong.  I have been in correspondence with the researcher who headed up the "for her" project.   It's based on some rigorous (by industry standards) research that is publicly available.  So, your doc could have looked it up if he'd been interested.

I'm not able to attach PDF's, but here's one instance of the available research.     

Early research on apnea was done on one body type --- male bodies, especially thick-necked and very heavy bodies.    Machines for treating apnea have been created on the basis of that early research.

However, it turns out that different kinds of bodies respond differently to treatment algorithms engineered for that "typical apnea" body.   In particular, female bodies generally do better on an algorithm developed on the basis of research on how female bodies' apnea works.

And, because all male bodies are not identical, some men -- even thick-necked and heavyset men -- do better with the "for her" algorithm.   

So, to my mind, everyone should insist on the "for her" version.  It has the same algorithm as in the ordinary Airsense 10, but it has an additional algorithm to try out.    You've got nothing to lose!

[SleepyHenry]

Here is the original article on the "for her" algorithm

https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/3...75/2662286

It actually fits those of us with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome........regardless of gender.

[S. Manz]

Thanks for the response.
Just to clarify, I never said it was "my doc" who made the statement....Just my "supplier".