CPAP Newsletter: CPAP News Letter - Issue: 14

Introducing cpaptalk.com

We at cpap.com are proud to sponsor a great new CPAP resource, cpaptalk.com. cpaptalk is designed to get you all the CPAP information your heart desires and your treatment requires. With more than 100 registered users and 500 posts in its first month, cpaptalk is a lively and vibrant CPAP community. Here are some things cpaptalk offers:

While many of the tools featured on our websites do provide users with good information, sometimes the best information source is a community of people who are dealing with the same sorts of thing that you are.

If you have already visited cpaptalk.com, thank you for your support! If not, please check it out, make some friends, and have some fun!

cpaptalk.com

Product Comparison Charts

Do you ever wonder how your CPAP stacks up to other units? Do you know which machine is the best for you? Perhaps you have just wanted to see all the machines on the market that support a feature you really want?

Here are the tools that will show you at a glace:

CPAP Comparison Chart

BiPAP Comparison Chart

Self Adjusting CPAP Chart

Puritan Bennett Goodknight 425

Anyone considering a bilevel machine should consider the new Puritan Bennett Goodknight 425. Barely a quarter of the size and weight of the machines in its class, our tests found it to be very quiet and well built. Early on, Puritan Bennett recognized that sleep apnea sufferers need to transport machines when sleeping away from home. This machine, like the Goodknight 420 CPAP, is setting a higher standard in cpap machine design.

Puritan Bennett Goodknight 425 Product Page

Release of Puritan Bennett's Heated Humidifier Delayed

Puritan Bennett was expected to release a heated humidifier for the Goodknight 420 and 425 machines this month. A last minute denial by the FDA has pushed back the US release until January at best. When it does come out, the heater will be modular and small. It will require a separate power plug and the controls will be on the heater, not within the positive airway machine.

Pending 510(k) clearance; not currently available for purchase.

Latest News on the Resmed S8 CPAP Machine

Resmed is expected to preview their coming S8 CPAP line at the Medtrade show in Orlando. We do know that the future machines are much smaller and lighter than any previous Resmed model. With integrated modular heated humidification and a range of machines from basic to auto CPAP, Resmed will have a machine for every need. We hear rumblings about a December release.

Resmed Mirage Swift Nasal Pillow System Production Delays

Anyone who recently tried to buy a Resmed Mirage Swift Nasal Pillow System recently knows that the mask is in short supply. Resmed underestimated the demand and has had production problems. Current backorders extend up to 2 months. They are adding production capacity for this mask and expect to be able to fill all orders by December. A battle for nasal pillow supremacy among the Resmed Mirage Swift, the Puritan Bennett Breeze, and the Tiara Snapp is shaping up.

Resmed Mirage Swift Nasal Pillow System

Fisher and Paykel HC230 CPAP Machine

Fisher and Paykel is also expected to release a new CPAP, the HC230 at the Medtrade show. The speculation is that this machine is the existing HC221 with automatic altitude adjustment. There is also a HC600 machine awaiting FDA approval.

Fisher and Paykel HC230 Release Article

New Fisher and Paykel Oracle 452 Oral CPAP Mask

Fisher & Paykel is the only company to market an oral CPAP mask. The Oracle was a well designed first effort but did not gain the market acceptance expected. Two years after the release of the original, the company has engineered all they have learned into the new design, the Oracle 452. Recently released, the new mouth mask is expected to expand the customer base that prefers to receive positive airway pressure orally. The new design completely eliminates the tongue guard. This development greatly reduces the amount of material inside the mouth which improves user comfort and freedom. The mask is equipped with a non-re-breathing valve which limits waste gas buildup in the case of a machine failure and boasts a quieter exhaust port than the original Oracle. While few users will need it, the mask includes an optional headgear. Each Oracle comes with three sizes of nasal plugs and two sizes of mouth seals, to cover a range of needs.

Fisher and Paykel Oracle Oral CPAP Mask

FDA Approves New Sleep Apnea Implant

We took some friendly ribbing from industry insiders as a result of our March newsletter reporting the Pillar Procedure, a sleep apnea treatment alternative to CPAP. The kidding is over. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a minimally invasive office procedure in which three small, woven-polyester inserts are implanted into the roof of the mouth or the soft palate.

FDA Approves New Sleep Apnea Implant

Orlando Medtrade Show, Oct. 26-28

We will be attending the 25th Medtrade show and will write you soon after with all the latest sleep apnea treatment news.