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How important is an Oximeter?
#11
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
Most people use their oximeter once and then it sits in a drawer. I think your actually need for a monitor depends on what your testing indicated. If your lowest O2 lows were above 88%, I think it's probably a waste of money unless cpap doesn't seem like it's helping you at all. However, different people have different medical problems.

My heart rate drops to 42 when I'm sleeping and the resulting oxygen dip would get pretty bad. So every couple of months, I use the Contec CMS-50F for 3 nights in a row and examine the data. If I start falling below 40, then I will be seeing a heart doctor about a pacemaker. I can't always get it to exactly match the Sleepyhead Data, but honestly, I just want to know that my heart is not slowing down even further.
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#12
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
(01-10-2019, 02:54 PM)Fats Drywaller Wrote: I'm sure this is in other discussion threads here about oximeters, but just in case it's any help to anyone at the moment, the situation with the Air10 (I looked it up briefly, just from curiosity) is almost exactly the same as with the Dreamstation except possibly for one proprietary component, and I don't know whether that differs between the two manufacturers.  (Anybody know?)  That's the adapter cable to plug in to the machine, sold by Philips and Resmed, costing somewhere around $100 (that order of magnitude, anyway).  Then you take your Nonin Xpod, which you have bought for $600 or whatever, and connect it to the adapter.  From  that point on, oximetry numbers are written to the SD card along with the other sleep data, and presumably they are read by Sleepyhead or Resscan or Encore, all synched up time-wise and everything.

It'd be nice if that were possible with an $80 Contec unit, but I guess we can't have everything.

If it's any consolation, of course the more expensive instrument gets you much better accuracy & features & stuff.  And bragging rights.

The XPod is still a pulse oximeter, hence subject to similar inaccuracies as the Contec.  Basically you'd be paying $600 or more for a convenience with no added information. And as mentioned above in this thread, it's not going to matter for most sleep apnea patients. But I have personally found it informative to see that these apneas do cause low saturation and symptoms like very muddy thinking, depression, etc.  And I love to look at graphs, charts, data etc. In that sense, it provided me much more motivation to use my machine well.  But you don't need it to set your CPAP well.
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#13
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
I paid $199 for the BodiMetrics “O2 Vibe Sleep and Fitness Monitor” at Amazon. It is light, small, and uses Bluetooth to transmit the sleep data (SpO2, heartrate, and motion) to my iPhone. It helped me determine which sleep position was best so I could hopefully dump the CPAP machine. I found out my stomach position was not OK. And, while on my side, a cheap, large, firm pillow worked best. Expensive but was a good tool for me.
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#14
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
(01-10-2019, 08:50 AM)Walla Walla Wrote: The main reason there isn't a O2 monitor is there's no reason for it. The CPAP machines are designed to remove obstructive apneas. The O2 level doesn't have a direct bearing on how the machine operates. In most cases it would be an added cost for something not required. There is add on O2 monitors offered by Resmed but it'll cost you a lot. Most people who what to monitor their O2 on their own end up buying something like the Contec CMS-50F that run around $80.

Thanks for the info.  I too am wondering about adding oxygen saturation data to CPAP machine date - perhaps not every night, but perhaps periodically (e.g. after making a change in settings).  Do you know whether the Contec CMS-50F (or similar devices) have data that is: a) extractable (or is it encased by DRM, like CPAP machine data) and b) synchronizable within SleepyHead?

Besides having sleep apnea, I'm a doc - I'm board certified in Clinical Informatics, which is the newest subspecialty that addresses use of data in medicine.  There are, you might well imagine, similar data silo problems with respect to medical devices in hospitals and clinics.  Based on my clinical experience, I'm respectful that the idea of using oximetry data to sync with CPAP machine data is not necessarily feasible, much as I would like it to be.  For starters, I bet that consumer oximeters do not have a knight in shining armor a la Mark Watkins for CPAP machines.  Thank you, Mark!!!

Nonetheless, if anyone knows the answer to my 2 questions above, I'd be very interested.

Michael Miller, M.D.
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#15
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
Yes they have data and yes they can sync with OSCAR. Ok SleepyHead too.

How would you like to influence the development of OSCAR?

What is OSCAR?
Mark declared the SleepyHead project dead with no more development. OSCAR was formed after that and is a fork of SleepyHead v1.1.0.
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#16
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
(04-06-2019, 09:18 PM)MichaelLMiller Wrote: Thanks for the info.  I too am wondering about adding oxygen saturation data to CPAP machine date - perhaps not every night, but perhaps periodically (e.g. after making a change in settings).  Do you know whether the Contec CMS-50F (or similar devices) have data that is: a) extractable (or is it encased by DRM, like CPAP machine data) and b) synchronizable within SleepyHead?

Besides having sleep apnea, I'm a doc - I'm board certified in Clinical Informatics, which is the newest subspecialty that addresses use of data in medicine.  There are, you might well imagine, similar data silo problems with respect to medical devices in hospitals and clinics.  Based on my clinical experience, I'm respectful that the idea of using oximetry data to sync with CPAP machine data is not necessarily feasible, much as I would like it to be.  For starters, I bet that consumer oximeters do not have a knight in shining armor a la Mark Watkins for CPAP machines.  Thank you, Mark!!!

Nonetheless, if anyone knows the answer to my 2 questions above, I'd be very interested.

Michael Miller, M.D.

So yes and yes.

Not exactly a walk in the park, but it can be done. There have been several threads, especially in the Software subforum, for example this one:  
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Can-t-Figure-Out-How-to-Upload-Oximetry-Data?highlight=oximetry

Not saying it takes an advanced degree in informatics, I mean even a dolt like me figured it out, but it's not as easy as it should be. 
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#17
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
Hi Michael, Guys,

I purchased the 50F. My impression is that it is not accurate enough. The main problem is that the result is not stable on the screen but keeps changing. I tried to compare it to a clinical grade GE Oximeter and failed because of this instability. My advice is that if someone wants to monitor his O2 levels while sleeping (which in my opinion is very useful) he should buy a clinical grade Oximeter (which costs probably hundreds of dollars). 

Arik
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#18
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
My CMS50 is rock solid. Yours sounds defective.
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#19
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
(04-07-2019, 12:02 AM)Arik Wrote: My advice is that if someone wants to monitor his O2 levels while sleeping (which in my opinion is very useful) he should buy a clinical grade Oximeter (which costs probably hundreds of dollars). 

Arik

I am wondering why it is useful.

Maybe occasionally.  Very occasionally if having non-recurring problems.

Seems like it would be a lot like having a blood draw to check cholesterol every day.  

Same for downloading data off of the CPAP too, as far as I am concerned.

Forest and trees......

It has its time, place and purpose, but daily?!?

Chrikes.
There.  I said it.

OMMOHY
Contrarian in Residence  
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#20
RE: How important is an Oximeter?
I would say daily IF you are having desats or if you have other breathing issues, but definitely not for everyone.
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