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Mask Seal and L/Min
#1
Mask Seal and L/Min
Hi, if the threshold for normal leakage is 24L/Min, then why do I keep getting a smiley face, for mask seal, when I go over it.

I'm using a chinstrap but it seems to get loose with my tossing and turning during the night. I am a mouth breather but never liked the idea of a full mask.

I was just wandering whether the leakage over 24L/min is a big issue, and at what level should I really start to worry, considering my machine is giving me a smiley face for mask seal everyday.

Thanks
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#2
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
Ignore the smiley face. It's too forgiving.
The machine can maintain pressure up to 24 LPM.
Not included in that figure is the vent rate of the mask.

There may be some design margin built into the 24 LPM number; but, all bets are off as far as delivering proper therapy above the 24 LPM leak rate.

Most of us have short periods where we exceed 24. If ResScan is showing more than an occasional leak spike, you should troubleshoot the source of the leak. With your P10, the most common source of leak is from the mouth.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

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#3
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
Your machine is very forgiving like all of our Resmed machines. You will have to go over 24 l/min for over 30% of the time to get a frowny face. Many of us on this board ar fairly hard line about the 24 l/min limit but I have seen Resmed articles that seemed to say that 30 l/min is OK.

I personally like to shoot for 0 l/min and achieved that fairly consistently for an extended period of time but something changed ( still using the same FFM and hoses and machine with no setting changes). Still have not figured out what changed but I am not beating myself up over it. Figured it must be aliens and let it go at that.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#4
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
You will only get the red frowny face when you exceed the 24 L/min redline for about one third of your session time. The leakage number shown on the screen sleep report is the 95 percentile value - if your report period is set to 1 day. For example, today my leakage was reported as 28 L/min, and SleepyHead reported 16% of the session time was over redline - so: Happy Face.

The problem with excessive leakage is that the machine may fail to maintain pressure accurately, and/or the the total flow may exceed the range of the flow rate sensor. In either case your therapy and event recording are compromised.

Grin For extra credit, the interested student is invited to take their machine apart, identify the sensors, and find their spec sheets. Please report back, so I don't take mine apart...Grin
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#5
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
(10-08-2016, 05:23 PM)pholynyk Wrote: The problem with excessive leakage is that the machine may fail to maintain pressure accurately, and/or the the total flow may exceed the range of the flow rate sensor. In either case your therapy and event recording are compromised.

I think the question is-at what leakage rate does that happen? If my memory is correct, the ability to consistently identify apneas is the first thing that becomes questionable and then if the leakage is way too high and you are using a high pressure the machine loses its ability to maintain the pressure when the total leak gets close to the capacity of the pump. You can see that when it can not maintain the set pressure.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#6
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
This is from last night.


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#7
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
Looks like you are opening your mouth. Have you tried a chin strap?
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#8
RE: Mask Seal and L/Min
(10-09-2016, 05:30 AM)justMongo Wrote: Looks like you are opening your mouth. Have you tried a chin strap?

I have a chin strap but I think it gets itchy during the night and I may be scratching and it loosens up lol.

Last night was pretty good, it was only 8L/min so I'm going to try and get used to it and then buy a FFM if I need to.

Thanks to all that replied. Much appreciated.


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