ResMed Airsense 10 SmartStart Question

[clenchingtobreathe]

Does anyone use a Resmed CPAP with SmartStart? Is there a trick to getting it to turn off when you remove the mask? I got the AirSense 10 For Her and was tickled with the notion of SmartStart to keep me from having to reach across the bed to start/stop the machine. It starts up with no problem at all but most of the time will not turn off by itself. Any ideas?

[Grace~~~]

It's been suggested to me to just use the on/off button to turn it off and use the smart start to turn it on, but I started using the smart start because my button is not well. It isn't broken totally and I want to keep it that way.

Usually, I just hold the mask in the air for about 7 seconds until it shuts off, but you can just pull the hose from the machine or even undo one side of the nasal cushion ( you're using Dreamwear, right?).

I wash my nasal cushion every day so I'm going to be removing it anyway.

Even with this turning off issue, I personally really like smart start.
I'm Looking forward to hearing other suggestions. Thanks for this thread.

[clenchingtobreathe]

It's been suggested to me to just use the on/off button to turn it off and use the smart start to turn it on, but I started using the smart start because my button is not well. It isn't broken totally and I want to keep it that way.

Usually, I just hold the mask in the air for about 7 seconds until it shuts off, but you can just pull the hose from the machine or even undo one side of the nasal cushion ( you're using Dreamwear, right?).

I wash my nasal cushion every day so I'm going to be removing it anyway.

Even with this turning off issue, I personally really like smart start.
I'm Looking forward to hearing other suggestions. Thanks for this thread.

Now that I HAVE SmartStart, I don't WANT to turn it off manually. I like to jerk my mask off when I open my eyes in the morning and lie there for awhile with a FREE FACE! Reaching all the way across the bed ruins the moment. Petty complaint, I know....but I gotta get SOME bennies from using this thing ! I'll try your suggestion of pulling the hose off the headgear tonight!

[Grace~~~]

I would be ashamed to admit how many times I jerked my mask off, got out of bed and came back HOURS AND HOURS later and it was still going.

Other times I swore I had held it until it was off and it just started breathing again on it's own.

This really messes with your sleepyhead reports.

I have pretty much conquered that issue now but it still occasionally happen ~~~

I'm not sure if it's more of an issue with the DreamWear or if it happens on lots of different masks?

[Pugsy]

SmartStart has a little problem with some masks at lower pressures in that it simply doesn't want to turn off like it is supposed to.
Not enough change in the resistance at lower pressures for the machine to realize that the human isn't attached any more.
I have that same thing with my P10 mask at my 7 cm pressure. The Auto On part works great but the Auto Off part simply won't work.

Your choices are...use more pressure (which I don't think most people want to do)...manually turn it off....or just remove the mask from the long hose or in my situation just removing the nasal pillow by itself is enough. Turning the machine off manually isn't a big deal for me because the machine is right next to the bed on the side where I get up...but if it was a problem I would probably either unhook the mask short hose from the long heated hose or just pop the nasal pillow off.

This common issue used to be mentioned in the manual as a warning so people wouldn't freak out. I haven't seen a manual lately to know if it is still noted in there.

[palerider]

Does anyone use a Resmed CPAP with SmartStart? Is there a trick to getting it to turn off when you remove the mask? I got the AirSense 10 For Her and was tickled with the notion of SmartStart to keep me from having to reach across the bed to start/stop the machine. It starts up with no problem at all but most of the time will not turn off by itself. Any ideas?

Do you have the mask type selection set to 'pillow'?

And, yes, LOTS of people use smartstart.

[clenchingtobreathe]

Do you have the mask type selection set to 'pillow'?

And, yes, LOTS of people use smartstart.

I actually have the mask set to "nasal" since the DreamWear is referred to as a nasal cushion. Should I be using the "Pillow" setting?

[clenchingtobreathe]

This common issue used to be mentioned in the manual as a warning so people wouldn't freak out. I haven't seen a manual lately to know if it is still noted in there.

I hunted through the manual and saw no mention of the issue....and you are right....I absolutely DON'T want to increase my pressure.

[clenchingtobreathe]

Other times I swore I had held it until it was off and it just started breathing again on it's own.

Now THAT would creep me out! I'll keep my eye on my mask and kill it if it starts to breathe on its own!

[palerider]

Do you have the mask type selection set to 'pillow'?

I actually have the mask set to "nasal" since the DreamWear is referred to as a nasal cushion. Should I be using the "Pillow" setting?

Well, as far as I'm concerned, the DW is a pillow mask, since it doesn't enclose the nose.

Why don't you try it and see if it makes a difference?

When I first switched to the P10, I was disappointed that the machine didn't turn off when I removed the mask... then I remembered I'd forgotten to change the mask setting... since then, it's worked fine.

[Pugsy]

Changing (or actually confirming) the mask selection to "pillows"....did nothing to fix my problem with the Auto Off part of the SmartStart problem.
You can try changing it if you wish to pillows but my guess is that there isn't enough real difference between the resistance of the pillows to the nasal in this situation for it to matter. Technically I think the DreamWear cushion is a "nasal" selection but from my past experience when I did try the first DreamWear cushion nasal mask and then with the subsequent gel pillows...nothing made the machine work as it should in terms of Auto Off except higher pressure. I have been through all those experiments.

At higher pressures my machine will shut itself off just like it is supposed to but since I really don't need or want higher pressure minimum.....I opt to just manually shut it off with my finger. It's not an issue for me but if it was I would then do something else.

FWIW I had same problem with my S9 machine. I sort of got used to it from years of using my finger.

[clenchingtobreathe]

Do you have the mask type selection set to 'pillow'?

I actually have the mask set to "nasal" since the DreamWear is referred to as a nasal cushion. Should I be using the "Pillow" setting?

Why don't you try it and see if it makes a difference?

I'll try that! Thanks! Early this morning I just unsnapped the hose off from the headgear as I took it off and BOOM, it turned right off! Yippeee!

[clenchingtobreathe]

Changing (or actually confirming) the mask selection to "pillows"....did nothing to fix my problem with the Auto Off part of the SmartStart problem.
You can try changing it if you wish to pillows but my guess is that there isn't enough real difference between the resistance of the pillows to the nasal in this situation for it to matter. Technically I think the DreamWear cushion is a "nasal" selection but from my past experience when I did try the first DreamWear cushion nasal mask and then with the subsequent gel pillows...nothing made the machine work as it should in terms of Auto Off except higher pressure. I have been through all those experiments.

At higher pressures my machine will shut itself off just like it is supposed to but since I really don't need or want higher pressure minimum.....I opt to just manually shut it off with my finger. It's not an issue for me but if it was I would then do something else.

FWIW I had same problem with my S9 machine. I sort of got used to it from years of using my finger.

I don't Waaaaaana (whine) use my finger! So I just snatched the hose loose at the top of my head, took the mask off and, voila, she turned herself off this morning!! It must take a good amount of pressure for her to know to stop. I am typically running about 8.5 -9 all night.

[Pugsy]

I don't Waaaaaana (whine) use my finger! So I just snatched the hose loose at the top of my head, took the mask off and, voila, she turned herself off this morning!! It must take a good amount of pressure for her to know to stop. I am typically running about 8.5 -9 all night.

The pressure needed has to do with the inherent resistance in the mask (at least this is my theory) and some masks simply have more resistance than others. So there needs to be a whatever amount of change in resistance from the pressure being used for the smart sense off sensors to wake up and say "oh, my human is no longer attached so I can turn off the big pressure".
It used to be (back in the S9 days before the DreamWear masks) that the only mask that this seemed to be a problem with was some nasal pillow masks (I had it happen with the Swift FX nasal pillows and my S9) but I guess with the new masks coming out the resistance must be even lower. So we may find this issue crop up with more and more new masks and what is probably considered relatively low pressures by some. We just deal with it in whatever manner suits our fancy.

If you are good with just unhooking the mask from the long hose...that's a good way to deal with it. Whatever makes you happy.
If you saw where my machine is in relation to where I sleep and get out of the bed I think you will understand why it's no big deal for me to just push the button plus I have been doing it for years since it first started with the S9 and my starting pressures.

Whatever works for you and makes you happy is okay to do.
When I have some extra time I will dig out my DreamWear and just see how high the pressure needs to be for the Auto Off sensors to work properly but that will be a while. I have a bunch of other stuff on my plate right now.