Inline Hose Filter - Any Reduction of Air Flow?

Contemplating adding an inline hose filter to my DreamStation. A few I've looked at on Amazon a smattering of the reviews mention the air flow was reduced and the CPAP didn't work correctly to provide therapy, otherwise most reviews were good and the filter did what it was supposed to.
Other than a filter getting plugged up with crap is there any likelihood a fresh inline hose filter could alter air flow enough to change the therapy delivered?

Manometer

A manometer is an instrument for measuring low-range positive, negative, and differential air and gas pressure. It has no moving parts and takes measurements using a tube containing water or another liquid. Manometers are commonly used for gauging airflow through air filters and measuring small pressure differences in laboratory applications.

Amazon has them.

JPB

Or you can build your own.
Instructions on the internet.

Presuming I either get or build a manometer, with the measured results I would get, how do I translate that information to something that would determine if the functioning of my DreamStation would affected and thus affect the therapy. What would be the resulting pressure differential numbers that could affect delivered therapy.

My question was more of a polling of users that may have had issues of adding a hose filter that may have caused a problem with their CPAP therapy.

Grumpy48 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:55 am

My question was more of a polling of users that may have had issues of adding a hose filter that may have caused a problem with their CPAP therapy.

You are asking a question from a very limited pool of forum members. Not many use the additional in line bacterial filter ....at least here on the forum.
I personally know of one forum member that comes to mind. That's it. He uses it for additional allergy/pollen filtering. There are probably a handful more that I don't know about.
If someone uses that in line filter...they can't be using the heated hose.
So hence probably not many have even tried using that filter. They didn't want to give up the heated hose much less worry about maybe slightly less pressure coming out at the mask end.

Given that when one uses the inline filter on a ResMed 10, a change needs to be made in the settings. This suggests that there is some impact by an inline filter.

Adding an AB filter, requiring a ResMed settings change may be unique to ResMeds, and not impact Respironics.

Yup, I know the heated hose wouldn't be an option, but could likely forego with that at least for the warmer summer months when hose rainout should be less of a problem. The hose temp setting is at minimum presently and no problems, so should be able to go to a non-heated hose.

I've feeling users of Philips machines may likely consider a filter as an option to capture possible foam particulates, rather than just stop using their machine per Philips. Granted a filter may do nothing for whatever minimal offgassing there may be from the foam, but my own feeling is the degree of VOC's that could be inhaled is not likely to cause a health issue and per Philips own data from the recall would seem to be the case.

I do find it odd/amusing that the hose filter is referred to as a 'bacteria filter'. Makes me wonder if folks use swamp water in their humidifiers

Grumpy48 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:58 am

Yup, I know the heated hose wouldn't be an option

On masks where hose attachment is above your head, you likely could added it to the mask end and still use a heated hose.

GrumpyHere wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:29 am

Grumpy48 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:58 am

Yup, I know the heated hose wouldn't be an option

On masks where hose attachment is above your head, you likely could added it to the mask end and still use a heated hose.

Most of the filters I looked at have a flow direction arrow. Connecting the filter at the mask end would necessitate the flow direction to be reversed in the filter because of connection size on hose and mask. I have no idea if the flow direction makes really a difference. My F&P Vitera mask has a connection below the nose.

I tried one several years ago. It's been a while so I forget the details, but I didn't use it long because I did feel like it affected the therapy. I can't remember specifically if the machine felt sluggish or the pressure seemed affected but it was something like that. Maybe I could have messed around with increasing pressure or something but I just let it go. It might be worth it to try again now with the recall and try harder to make it work.

I used one a couple nights ago with my Dreamstation. Seemed to be a slight uptick with my AHI, but I'm still a newbie (1 month in - and had the bad luck to get the Dreamstation), and it seems like everything affects it. So I don't really know if the filter made any difference with my therapy. I didn't notice any changing with my breathing, the pressure didn't seem any different. I have the generic bacteria filters from CPAP.com.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:47 am

Given that when one uses the inline filter on a ResMed 10, a change needs to be made in the settings. This suggests that there is some impact by an inline filter.

Adding an AB filter, requiring a ResMed settings change may be unique to ResMeds, and not impact Respironics.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is a VERY important point - I'm glad someone mentioned it!

I'd like to know...from those who have used an AB (anti-bacterial ??) filter, AND have made the changes in their ResMed menu to include the fact that you have an AB filter...did it change anything that you noticed? I'm wondering what the AB Filter button on the ResMed's actually changes? Extra Pressure to compensate??

JLROhio wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:32 am

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:47 am

Adding an AB filter, requiring a ResMed settings change may be unique to ResMeds, and not impact Respironics.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is a VERY important point - I'm glad someone mentioned it!

I'd like to know...from those who have used an AB (anti-bacterial ??) filter,

Yes, AB stands for AntiBacterial, at least in the Air 10 documentation, and in the setup.

Surprisingly, in the Air 11 setup, it has been changed to B/V filter. I assume that is Bacteria/Virus.

I'm wondering what the AB Filter button on the ResMed's actually changes? Extra Pressure to compensate??

Could be anything, pressure compensation, flow limitation compensation, OA/CA/H detection or differentiation, leak rate calculation.

I've been using the AB filter with a heated hose for years. I use it on the end of the hose and then attach my mask hose to the other end of the filter. Just be sure to make the change in the machine.

Thank for the replies from those that have tried a filter.

The Dreamstation does not have a setting I could find like that of the Resmed for use of a AB or BV filter, but does have a setting to compensate for different mask types to 'fine tune the level of air pressure compensation'. Perhaps if a compensation would be needed for an AB filter, perhaps this setting might allow some trial and error tweaking to compensate for the air flow when a filter is used. I don't have a Philips mask, thus no recommended mask setting and just use the machine default. Have not tried playing with it to see how it would affect therapy.

'Adjusting mask and tube type on the DreamStation | Philips | Sleep therapy system'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rNT5y4Yi_c