I bet you thought you finished with all your lessons on evolution back in high school or university level biology, huh? I don’t blame you; I would probably be in the same boat as you. Then again, when I think about how much I enjoy learning about new things, I find that my brain is always evolving and becoming better. So, maybe I didn’t leave evolution back in university after all.
We’re going to take it back to early Spring of 2010, ResMed released their S9 model. The S9 is the simplest machine to describe. By itself, it is a square. With the humidifier attached, it is a rectangle. Easy peasy, right? Like the S8 series, the S9 also comes in two different versions: the Escape and the Elite, and they preform the same tasks as the S8. The water chamber for the S9, known as the H5i water chamber, fits into the second square, which attaches to the initial square, the machine, providing a natural look to the machine. The sleek design is eye-catching, and the machine is easy to navigate through with few buttons and a bright LCD screen. With each advancement of the ResMed machine, additional features are added to make use of them easier. Take for example, adjusting the humidity level when needed. You can save yourself a trip to your doctor’s office or to your clinician’s office for something to simple.
Speaking of advancements, we’ll fast-forward another four years. In Fall 2014, ResMed released it’s latest machine – the AirSense 10. This machine is, again, difficult to describe as I am not sure about the shape. I’d say rectangular-ish…? Even then, I think this might be my favorite machine ResMed has manufactured. My mother suffers from sleep apnea, and she was set up on this device. Let me tell you, homegirl could wake the dead with her snoring; now, we don’t have to worry about her causing a zombie apocalypse. The AirSense 10 allowed everyone else in the house to get a decent night’s sleep (which is why it’s my favorite.) This machine is easy to use – there is a large screen which allows the user to easily see whatever is displayed, and there are only three buttons – an on/off button, a home button, and knob that acts as your navigation through the menu. Something that I really like about this machine is that it displays a happy face of a sad face depending on how well you did throughout the night while using the machine. For example, if there were little to no mask leaks, you get a happy face. However, if there were quite a bit of leaks, then you will receive a sad face. This tells you that there is an issue that needs to be addressed.
ResMed has also released the AirStart machine, which is very similar to the AirSense 10 machine. However, the AirStart is stripped down to the very basic of CPAP machines. It provides therapy to you while asleep, but it is only offered as a CPAP machine (auto, Bi-Pap, etc. is not an option), and can only be used with regular tubing, not heated. Along with the AirStart, the AirMini was also introduced recently. The AirMini is ResMed’s first travel unit, and has been making quite an impression on patients. The AirMini is the smallest travel unit to date. While the size is appealing to most patients, the price point is what can make or break the decision to purchase. The unit itself is 999 dollars. The unit only works with one of three masks (the AirFit F20, AirFit N20, and the P10 for the AirMini), if you do not use one those masks, then you’ll have to drop another 100 dollars.
And with that, friends, we have come full circle. Have you used one of the older machines, or has your CPAP journey recently started? To my seasoned CPAP users, what are some of your favorite things about the older machines? Have those things evolved or are they stuck in the past? Let me know what you think in the comment section!
For more information on the machines mentioned, please see:
AirSense 10: https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents/products/machine/airsense-series/user-guide/airsense-10-device-with-humidifier_user-guide_amer_eng.pdf
https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents/articles/resmed-origins.pdf
For more information on CPAP machines and supplies, please see:
www.cpapoffice.com