RE: DIY CPAP
I joined this forum because of this post. Fast forward two years and we not only have a recall on the most popular cpap machines due to foam degradation but also mandatory masking when visiting our Healthcare providers in the United States due to the mandates by insurance companies. As a result, it's becoming more difficult for those of us with breathing issues who can't mask to get routine Healthcare and alternatives like this are becoming more crucial every day.
I'll be taking my cpap machine apart tomorrow to remove the foam and I'll be looking into building an Arduino or Pi alternative from an older cpap I have with a bad mother board. It strikes me as not being too difficult to use a pressure sensor with an Arduino to provide C-Flex-like functions as well.
Thanks for getting this conversation started. It is becoming more relevant to some of us who are being denied Healthcare because of the insurance companies.
RE: DIY CPAP
I too joined for this thread alone. I am so sick of the total BS that surrounds such a simple machine and therapy. I have apnea so bad that every doctor takes one look at my API of 130 and goes bug eyed. I'm pretty much told that I'll die without it. When I switched doctors and started having issues with my machine, I asked if I could get my info and prescription transferred, they said I'd have to get tested again, and it was a 6mo wait for testing!!! I explained my situation and that I needed it to live, but was met with, "oh well, sorry." W!T!F!?
A friend who was having issues sleeping took my advice and sought treatment. Even after waiting months to get tested while having severe symptoms, his provider didn't seem to gaf either, making him further wait several weeks for blood tests, insurance approval, etc. He had similar severe apnea that could have killed him.
And even when you get a machine - which is nothing but a simple blower fan with fancy controls for an exorbitant amount of money that often isn't covered even with good insurance - they're all PIECES OF POISONOUS PLASTIC CRAP! My first unit (a Remstar M iirc?) would often smell strongly of plastic fumes if the water ran out because the tank is plastic and the thermocouple sensor obviously cannot control it well enough to know when it's empty! My newer dreamstation does the same thing. But one day, I awoke to burning plastic fumes to find my machine smoking due to a bad connection to the heater. I work in electronic repair, so it was simple to not only repair by soldering it directly, but I also know this connector to be faulty since I replace these exact ones all the time.
And I've been to forums like this one before to ask, and promptly got shot down by the "community". Later, I realized what really happened. Why would any patient using CPAP get angry about reports of issues with certain models? They wouldn't. Manufacturers closely watch these places and actively work to discredit such reports to avoid large, class action lawsuits.
I recently received a replacement for my dreamstation from Philips. It's the biggest POS I've seen yet, and I haven't even used it yet. I will be returning it and continuing with my original.
Anyway, here's my proposition; GLASS. My primary concern is getting rid of all of the plastic crap. I'm thinking that I can build a glass mold that matches the form of the humidifier tank, then have a local glass shop make it in glass. There's absolutely no reason that glass isn't a far superior material that will work in place of the plastic crap. With glass, there's no need for a metal plate. It might take a little longer to heat up, but it should operate the same.
But the rest of the machine is just as suspect to issues from plastic or foam off gassing and deterioration being pumped into our airways. So why not redesign the internal airways with glass too?
- In the same manner that the tank can be made from glass, so too can the fan casing.
- The fan blades might be a problem to remake, but I'm thinking a CNC stainless blade can be made.
- This might require a new motor, but that's probably a better idea anyway so that you can get the motor out of the airflow properly.
- With proper sound isolation with butyl rubber, there's no reason this cannot be built to be reasonably quiet.
- After 15years of CPAP use, I have found zero need for fancy features that are mostly to help compliance with new users. I turn them all off on my machines. All I need is 8psi. So I think a very simple control is all that is needed (like the blower linked in an earlier post comes with). However, if you already have an old machine you don't care about tearing apart, it's not like it would be difficult to adapt the controls, especially if you were to simply remake certain pieces out of glass to fit in the same shell.
- I really hate the tiny filters on these machines. My first one was all but useless since I could see dust getting pulled into every crevice that wasn't filtered. Even if reusing an old shell, I think better filters could be applied directly to the intake of the fan (especially if you designed it to accept such filters with the glass mold or stainless housing). That way, there's no foam or plastic to deteriorate, and there's probably some filter readily available to adapt easily.
- The tubing and masks that are available are top notch and getting better these days, so I see no need to reinvent that wheel. They also don't require a prescription to attain.
Well anyway, those are my thoughts on the topic that have been rolling around in my head for years. When I get around to talking to a glass maker and seeing if I can make these components, I'll work on maybe starting with just making and sharing some humidifier tanks... But you should NEVER install one into your CPAP. You should continue trusting a for profit medical system to supply you with plenty of plastic fumes to inhale.
RE: DIY CPAP
I would be happy to just be able to buy parts for the machine I have. ( like the motor )
