For Respironics M-Series Auto users

[t-bone]

There has been some talk about days of data missing when Smart Card downloads are done. In some cases, the data for (as an example) Saturday and Sunday are missing. The compliance data will be there, but aside from the date, there is no information on apnea occurrences or snores or flow limitations or pressures. Sometimes even the name of the day (i.e. Saturday) or the date (i.e. October 24) is missing.

My intent here is to quantify this problem, mostly as a point of curiosity. If the poll gives me interesting results, I may point it out to the folks at Respironics. As always, no flame wars please.

The "not the machine's fault" is in there because I know that one of my gaps was my own fault--I neglected to download on schedule, and lost two days that way.

For those of us who download data from our Respironics M-series machines using the Smart Card:

[Catnapper]

Hi t-bone

I have tried to vote, but must not be a registered voter or something because my vote won't count. Maybe one of those chad things!

I have lost 8 days, both 2 at a time, out of the 63 days I have used the machine. The intervals are either after 7 days, or after 14 days.

I have asked Respironics and they said that the info is written to the card when you turn the power off using the big blue button. They told me the problem could be something happening in the power down, or that the card was not inserted properly. When I told them I always check the card after forgetting to replace it one time, they said to have the machine checked. I doubt that something is happening on a 7 day cycle. Would other people who vote please mention if there is a pattern to the missing data event?

Thanks for polling, t-bone. I think there is a glitch in the software, not the machine. Respironics should help us out here.

Catnapper

[Snoredog]

you left off one important aspect with your poll...

Is the problem with:

the machine?
or is it with the reporting software?

[t-bone]

Snoredog, you have a good question. How does one tell where the problem is?

[Bregory]

I've had my m-series auto since novermber 10th, I've had the encore pro software since the beginning of december. Since I"ve had the software I have lost the daily details data only for two day stretches about every 16 days. It still records hours of use (compliance issues) and reports the averages (AHI, leaks, etc) just the daily details are missing.

When asked on here I was told this was quite common to miss for two days at a time, but recently I had a missing day where it didn't record anythingat all. I am always very careful when putting the card in and out to make sure it is in properly but I have lost a whole day where according to the software I didn't use the machine at all. Oh well I have my first followup appointment with my RT next week, so we'll see if he has anything to say about the topic.

[greyhound]

Couldn't get my vote to register, despite being signed in.

[Alisha]

Catnapper, I had the same problem. I voted, but the vote wasn't added to the vote total. I went back and voted again; this time the vote was added to the total. Hope this helps.

Alica

[greyhound]

Alisha, you've had better luck than me. My vote still won't register.

[Catnapper]

I would like to know if the person who voted "Never" is someone who has the M series, for sure. I have read that the other Respironics machine does not have this problem. If there is an M series out there that does not have this problem, then that means ... well, what does it mean?

Is this like the humidifier leak that only some machines had, and which turned out not to be the machine but the reservoir? Is it a Smart Card problem?

I wish more people would vote. I am curious now to know how widespread the problem is.

Snoredog, I am still thinking about your post. Would we have voted that it is the machine, and if so, how would we know? Same for the software. I think that might be another poll. Some people apparently distrust or dislike the M series. I must be unaware of issues it had before I joined cpaptalk. Could someone update me on that? I don't have experience with another Respironics machine, so it is hard to form a bias. I just know I like it better than the 2 machines I had previously from the other R company.

Maybe we could add to the poll another place to vote that says I have the good Respironics machine and I never have had any problems of any sort with it. Makes me wish I had one of those, too. Oh well.

[blarg]

I wonder if this has anything to do with how often you download your data from the card, and also if you delete the data from the card when you do so...

I've been downloading quite a bit because I've been tweaking settings, and I haven't yet missed a nightly detail. I don't delete the data from the card after download so my DME can verify compliance....

[Alisha]

I am still tweaking and download every day and don't delete the data after download. I've had one night where detailed data didn't show up within the 27 days recorded after software was installed.

For the voting procedure, my first vote never registers on a forum, but if I immediately vote again it does register and the screen to vote does not show up anymore. That might be the key....keep voting till it registers and the voting screen no longer shows up.

Alisha

[Alisha]

I forgot to say that on the one night Encore Pro did not give details, Encore Pro Analyzer did give a few details: total seconds/minutes in apnea, 90% APAP, Avg APAP, Max Leak, 90% Leak, avg Leak, and total large leak minutes.

If you have already downloaded the Analyzer or download now, you can pick up these details.

Alisha

[blarg]

I would like to know if the person who voted "Never" is someone who has the M series, for sure.

I was one of the "never" voters.

[Catnapper]

I download my data every day and have only deleted once, and that was by accident. I think that was the time it went for 14 days before missing 2 days. Maybe my card is suffering from overload!!!

Lots of people have read this thread but very few have voted. Are there so few people who use the M series who also use the software?

I am glad to hear what those who wrote had to say. I would really like to solve this odd problem. Seems like it happens on a day that I would very much like to know what the results were.

Thanks.

Catnapper

[jskinner]

I forgot to say that on the one night Encore Pro did not give details, Encore Pro Analyzer did give a few details

Yes when the data goes missing it seems to be often the detailed data (Histogram table) that gets lost but not always the statistical data (SleepTrendEventLog table).