BIG UPDATE: NEW RESPIRONICS PR Series Auto CPAP Released!

[wabmorgan]

Looks interesting... but without software.... NO DEAL.

[DreamDiver]

I would like to see the back of the machine.
None of the media photos show the SD card or exactly where it goes.

Previous Respironics products have used a fixed-size round-robin database (RRD)
on a proprietary smart-card that would only format to 32K. That's not a lot
of data-space to record in. Knowing that they are still using the Encore Pro
software and the legacy of crummy data management Respironics is famous for,
I'm not sure we can expect a 16GB SD card to offer 16GB of recording from a system
that still likely only creates a 32K RRD file.

It implies that either Encore Pro 2 is smart enough to create a larger
RRD file on a roomier SD card, or that they took the cheapest way out and
still format the RRD to 32K. << audible raspberry sound >>. I'm not holding
my breath here, but it would be nice if the RRD were quite a bit roomier than 32K.
I'd like it to hold a month or three of full data along with a year of compliance data.

Does an SD card come with the machine? I don't see one pictured.
Does the SD card have to be specially formatted by Encore Pro 2 or can the System One handle that?
Does the SD card have to be a specific size, or can it be any size?
When the RRD file is installed, does the SD card itself need a proprietary format,
or can I actually back up the record file when I place the card in my SD card reader
without a special "Respironics Format SD card reader driver"?

I had to buy the Encore Pro software from Australia at a ridiculous price when they
didn't have Encore Viewer available, and would no longer sell Pro in the US. (You cannot
buy it in Australia anymore now either.) Even as crummy as Encore Pro is, it's
still at least a 3.201 feet ahead of what you can do with Viewer. I can review all my data since
I started using the machine in one place. I would want Encore Pro 2.
If that makes me "data anal", so be it.

While I'm inclined to agree with James that they will likely offer a version of
Encore Viewer for System One series, I wonder if they will limit the types of
data Encore Viewer will present to patients. With Encore Viewer, will I see the
same data presentation that someone with Encore Pro would see or will
RERA's, etc., be unavailable?

I'd like to know these particulars before I even blink at Respironics' future offerings.

Can anyone shed some light on these?

[CpapRRT]

[quote="DreamDiver"]I would like to see the back of the machine.
None of the media photos show the SD card or exactly where it goes.

It has a SD insert above the filter.

Previous Respironics products have used a fixed-size round-robin database (RRD)
on a proprietary smart-card that would only format to 32K. That's not a lot
of data-space to record in. Knowing that they are still using the Encore Pro
software and the legacy of crummy data management Respironics is famous for,
I'm not sure we can expect a 16GB SD card to offer 16GB of recording from a system
that still likely only creates a 32K RRD file.

Can't help you there



Does an SD card come with the machine? I don't see one pictured.
Yes

Does the SD card have to be specially formatted by Encore Pro 2 or can the System One handle that?
Does the SD card have to be a specific size, or can it be any size?
When the RRD file is installed, does the SD card itself need a proprietary format,
or can I actually back up the record file when I place the card in my SD card reader
without a special "Respironics Format SD card reader driver"?

I'm going to test/play around with this stuff, this weekend hopefully and see what I can do with it. We have switched over to only using Encore Anywhere (modems and smart card reading) per recomendations from our respironics rep, so we no longer use Pro, so unfortunately can't help you there.
Maybe i'll get some pics up this weekend, although I'm new here and not sure how to get them on the site...?

[Paul B]

I would be interested in seeing when a Bipap version of this product is released.

[CpapRRT]

From the manual:

Th REMstar Auto A-flex system comes with an SD card instered in the SD card slot on the back of the device to record information for the HOME CARE PROVIDER. Your HOME CARE PROVIDER may ask you to periodically remove the SD card and send it to them for evaluation.

Note: the SD card does not need to be installed for the device to work properly. The SD card records device usuage information for your home care provider. You can refer to the Device Alerts section in the manual for more information on the SD card. Contact your provider if you have any questions about the SD card.


******************************
Enjoy.

[billbolton]

The bottom label shows a power rating as 12V at 5 amps... presumably that is running at maximum pressure with a humidifier at maximum?!? At up to ~56 Watts that's that going to a challenge for battery operation!

Does anyone have any idea how much power the flow generator itself consumes, without the humidifier?

Cheers,

Bill

[CpapRRT]

The bottom label shows a power rating as 12V at 5 amps... presumably that is running at maximum pressure with a humidifier at maximum?!? At up to ~56 Watts that's that going to a challenge for battery operation!

Does anyone have any idea how much power the flow generator itself consumes, without the humidifier?

Cheers,

Bill

Not sure if this helps....

From the manual:
AC Power consumption: 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 2.1A
DC Power Consumption: 12VCD, 5.0A

[Guest]

wow - you guys are either power-users, or you need to get a life! lol

Not sure which.

[billbolton]

From the manual:
AC Power consumption: 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 2.1A

Assuming that the 2.1A current figure applies to the lowest voltage (100V), that's ~210W.

DC Power Consumption: 12VCD, 5.0A

Since that is ~56W....... something is not right about these power figures, unless the power brick is HUGELY inefficent

Or perhaps the Humidifier is not DC powered and is running off the mains AC!

Cheers,

Bill

[DreamDiver]

wow - you guys are either power-users, or you need to get a life! lol

Not sure which.

Guest - you have obviously never been without power for several days without CPAP. Among other things, Bill is suggesting that the backup battery needed to supply power to this unit might have to be pretty hefty.

[socalmonkey]

Big sales day for the new PR machine today!

Our host has sold 11 machines in one day! (one of them to yours truly).

10 of them were machine/humidifier combinations and apparently 1 machine only (without humidifier).

So just in case anybody cares... that's today's score!

[rested gal]

CpapRRT, can the machine be set up manually (via buttons somewhere on the machine) for a new patient?

If there are extra buttons for setup purposes not shown in the pictures, where are they located?

Or, is the card and Encore Pro 2 (or Encore Anywhere...whatever) the only way to access the machine setup and parameter adjustments?

Also, is there a therapy results menu to show AHI and leak info in the LCD window on the machine?

If therapy results are viewable in the window on the machine, has an option to see "last session" data (last night) been added to the 7 day and 30 day figures? Or does it still just show 7 day/30 day stuff, the same way the M series machines do?

[jdm2857]

I think that the big button on the top is actually a knob that is used to scroll up and down menus. Pressing the button chooses a menu selection.

But how to get to the menus is another question. You probably have to plug the machine in while crossing your eyes and whistling the Philips company song.

[socalmonkey]

My thoughts on being an early adopter. Since I had just got my M Series Auto CPAP with A-Flex, exactly 30 days ago... and now knowing it's being discontinued and replaced with the System One. My biggest motivation, was timing. I had a hard time thinking I would be living with a discontinued machine for 3 more years... thus my timing was the helped me make a fast decision.

So I wonder who the 11 other early adopters were? Anybody else want to confess?

[CpapRRT]

CpapRRT, can the machine be set up manually (via buttons somewhere on the machine) for a new patient?

If there are extra buttons for setup purposes not shown in the pictures, where are they located?

Or, is the card and Encore Pro 2 (or Encore Anywhere...whatever) the only way to access the machine setup and parameter adjustments?

Also, is there a therapy results menu to show AHI and leak info in the LCD window on the machine?

If therapy results are viewable in the window on the machine, has an option to see "last session" data (last night) been added to the 7 day and 30 day figures? Or does it still just show 7 day/30 day stuff, the same way the M series machines do?

Alrighty:
To access the provider mode screens:
Supply power to the device, first, plug the socket end of the AC power cord into the pwer supply. Then plug the pronged end of the AC power cord into an electrical outlet that is not controlled by a wall switch. Finally, plug the pwer supply cord's connector into the power inlet on the back of the device.
Once the device is powered, the home screen appears (it is a large box on the screen with four little boxes you choose from by turning the control wheel). Turn the whell to toggle between teh four options and highigh "setup".
Once setup is hilghight pres and hold both the control whell and ramp button on the device for at least 5 seconds (pretty simple, considering there are only 2 buttons).
You will hear a quick double beep and the provider mode screen will appear, you are now in provider mode!!

There is a show AHI/Leak/PB option, but it has to be toggled to yes to view it.