I'm struggling  & need advice from some IntelliPAP users:
First, I should say this IntelliPAP has a *small* footprint - just 6x7 inches! Nice. The humidifier is in a transparent blue drawer underneath. It looks OK: clean lines, but the device appears medicinal/white in my dark wood bedroom. The buttons and display light up. It looks well-made, with large simple button controls on top, but this is my first experience with CPAP and I can't compare. Oh, a design feature suggestion: why not put the display, at least, on the front instead of the top? My nightstand is about an inch higher than my mattress top, so to see the display from, I have to tilt the device toward me, even when partially sitting up. (I didn't fill the humidifier).

I set everything up and used it while working on my laptop in bed. Figured I'd try to get used to it for an hour or so before sleep. All went OK, but I noticed the pressure never reached the set pressure, but stayed, fluctuating, around 4-6. The set pressure is 13 (per one of the menu screens) with a delay of 30 min. I could have sworn the DME person had the 13 pressure showing upon startup.  I thought maybe it had to work up to that number, but after 45 minutes it was still at 4-6. Checked the Instructional DVD which says the set pressure should show after 10 seconds from start up..... Then I hit the ramp button and the pressure dropped down to in the 3-4s, and the machine made a strange, distinct rhythm of pressure and intermittently showed a countdown.  During one cycle of my breathing in & out, the machine pressure was fluctuating many times in that odd rhythm. Is that normal?

Then, while I was staring at the display, trying to figure out what to do, I suddenly got a 'Mask Off' message. But the mask seemed fine. The error message stayed on, so I turned the machine off. I restarted it, but after about 5 seconds the Mask Off message came on again. I have tried taking off the mask, replacing it and restarting the machine several times, but no matter what I do, after a short while the Mask Off message reappears.  I can't feel any leaks at the mask (RESMED Swift LT for Her) and it had worked fine, initially, for about 45 minutes.

What am I doing wrong? The machine didn't do this at the DME demo this afternoon.... and nothing happened to it on the way home...I feel like an idiot.

Ideally, your CPAP should be setting slightly lower than the level of the top of the mattress. This helps to avoid or reduce "rain out" (condensation from building up in the hose and even reaching your mask and face).

Other than that, I'm not familiar w/the DeVilBiss IntelliPAP. It is new on the market tho I am hearing good things about them.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity mask, ResScan 3.7, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

I don't have any experience with the Intellipap either.

But I do have a contact with DeVilbiss. I am going to foward this to her and see what she says.


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Just a truck driver with sleep apnea

also check.. the DeVilbiss Health Care web site. they had both e-mail and phone numbers for customer support.

I have had good luck with CPAP issues through the manufacturer.


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Just a truck driver with sleep apnea

Bonsleep,

I have an IntelliPAP and know the Woosh, whoosh, whoosh, sound you are talking about.   I have no idea why it does that.  When mine does it, I turn it off and back on.  Call DeVilbissis and ask them your questions and then post the answers because I would like to know too.

Vicki


_________________
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Ohhhh... I feel like SUCH a dunce! I shouldn't have tried setting it up when I was so tired..... but then.... am ALWAYS tired (severe OSA). My daughter comes in, hears my tale of woe and almost immediately figures it out. I had attached the humidifier but not moved the hose down to the output off the humidifier. How DUMB is that? As soon as I moved the hose to the correct air output the screen registered my correct pressure setting. I should have more luck tonight.
How **embarrassing**!

Hi, I purchased an Intellipap Auto and used it for the first time last night. I did a  lot of research and would have been thrilled if my DME gave me the intellipap.  DME gave me a RemStar Plus M series. I was too uninformed at the time to ask for a data capable machine. I just don't have the energy to fight with the DME about returning the RemStar after having it 2 months. With the Intellipap smart code you can enter the code and get a report without any additional software. I entered mine at [Commercial link deleted.  Please review posting guidelines] where I got the machine. I like that the Intellipap auto starts very quickly and on Auto mode you don't have to hit the ramp button. It's done automatically. It is quieter than my RemStar M. That RemStar also has very bright blue lights on its display. Many people like the Intellipap. I will try my machine on cpap mode tonight and see if I do better.

bonsleep wrote:

Oh, a design feature suggestion: why not put the display, at least, on the front instead of the top?

That is probably because you are generally supposed to keep your machines lower than your mattress or you could get water running back down the hoses into your nose/face from condensation  "rainout".  I know it's a pain to fit these into our decor but I had to give up with having mine on my bedside table and put it on a box down below my mattress.  My husband will be making me a proper wooden box for it when he has a chance (soon I hope).

QUIET!!!:
The little IntelliPAP Standard worked fine last night. It is extremely quiet. I usually have the radio on (not loud) before sleep and thought surely I'd have to raise the volume when using the device. But no! That was a big surprise...

Exhale pressure:
Ohhhh.....First night on the device and I found full pressure (13) distressing. Brought back childhood nightmares of suffocating. It was a fierce mental battle  to fight my impulse to rip it off. I managed to keep it on for 6 hours... but only with massive mental effort. ("If I don't keep this on, brain cells could die!!")

ODOR of new plastics:
Ugh...I hope this is temporary as it reminded me of the smell that hits you when you enter a ToysRUs store... an assault of plastic! I found this almost as objectionable as the pressure on the exhale.

Standard vs Auto:
I will definitely be asking my DME to change mine out for the IntelliPAP *Auto*! I did hear from two sources that the auto model has that wonderful data reporting option that 'mray300' mentioned in this thread. I think I would be happy with the IntelliPap Auto! Now to just convince the DME ....

Humidifier:
I like the humidier position beneath the device, keeping the footprint nice and small. The device with humidifier attached is just 6 1/2 x 8 x 6 inches high. Humidifier slides out like a drawer. Seems as if filling it could be easier? You have to hit this narrow slot.  Not a big deal though. I wonder why all the little compartments, but there must be a reason. It seemed a little difficult to open up the humidifier tray (as one would do when cleaning), but maybe that's because I'm not used to it yet.

Position of device:
Thank you 'dragon06' for the reminder that the machine is supposed to be located lower than the mattress. When I sleep I raise the head of the mattress (via one of those electric bases under the mattress), so it is even harder for me to crane backwards and look at the machine, but my head will be above the machine.

Non-functional aspects - Color/design:
Unless someone has a bedroom largely decorated in white or blue, the machine (like most others on the market) just doesn't fit in. I thought the REMStar M-series was ahead of the game in exterior design.  Function is more important, of course, but I was surprised to see only one company try to make a non-intrusive *design* for residential use. Yet who is going to put away their machine and only bring it out at night? And why, with a blue and white machine does DeVilbiss send out grey hoses? A small thing, but look at companies like Apple -- packaging and presentation of even complex things, if kept simple and clean and artistic, really helps sell products.

Overall design & travel case:
The basic design is GOOD -- simple and compact -- a blue and white rounded rectangle. The button lay-out is good, the different shapes identifiable and usable even by touch only. With my one-night-only experience, the IntelliPAP seems to work well and so *quietly.* Comes with a quite nice compartmentalized traveling case. The bag looks like a camera bag -- pewter and black nylon with an adjustable shoulder strap. Machine and humidifier are stored in separate padded compartments. I was relieved to see there was no big DeVilbiss logo on exterior of bag; the name only on the (unobtrusive) zipper-pulls.

Manuals:
My other non-function-related beef is the manuals. The photos in the manual are very poor quality. They are downright *tiny*! The three images of the device itself are 1.25 inch square! and they don't illustrate where the hose goes. The photos are in blue ink with little contrast; detail is impossible to ascertain. In my view the entire set-up should be so clear from photos that text is unnecessary. That would cut out 80-some pages of multiple language instruction.  My eyesight is still good, but even I found the photos almost useless, and the information poorly laid-out. The humidifier comes with a separate manual, with 12 tiny photos - again the images of the equipment itself is hardly postage stamp size!!  The barely acceptable manuals are augmented by a pretty good instructional DVD, but this reaches fewer people than the printed manuals.

OK, that's my opinion after one-night's use!

~Bonsleep

Very good critique, BonSleep. Thank you. One of the online DME suppliers in conjunction w/DeVilBiss ran a product "challenge" between the DeVilBiss IntelliPAP AutoAdjust and the Respironics REMstar M Series Auto w/A-Flex and the AutoAdjust won by a fairly good margin.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity mask, ResScan 3.7, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

--- Exhale pressure:

You will get used to it; someday you will start wondering if the machine is working because you will no longer feel the pressure.

 --- ODOR of new plastics:

Always a problem with new CPAPs -- it goes away in a day or two.

 --- Standard vs Auto:

I used a straight CPAP for over 14 years, I started using an autoPAP a few weeks ago.

 --- Humidifier:

I don't use a humidifier, so I can't comment.

 --- Position of device:

I never look at the display (for the first 10 years I didn't have a display on my CPAP): I use auto-on and auto-off on my IntelliPAP so I don't even to even press the on/off button.

 --- Non-functional aspects - Color/design:

I have never paid any attention to the color of my IntelliPAP.  Respironics CPAPs have traditionally been a charcoal color.

CrohnieToo:
Is it allowable to post the side-by-side comparison your referred to  between the DeVilBiss IntelliPAP AutoAdjust and the Respironics REMstar M Series Auto with A-Flex? I should think it would help some people make decisions? And they may be attracted to this thread....

Bearded One: So glad to hear the odor of plastics quickly fades and that the pressure on exhale will become more acceptable.
Tell me, now that you are on an 'auto' after a regular CPAP, do you notice a big difference?

Color issues (Bearded One):
I'm just a visual person. I don't expect all CPAP owners would notice or think they care about color and such. However, I do think that if one has aesthetic surroundings that the effect is both restful and inspirational --- without the person necessarily being consciously aware of the individual components. I have a BR where natural materials and dark woods predominate, so the DeVilBiss screams dischord. A charcoal-black device with a clear humidifier reservoir would blend better for those of us with darker/natural decor.

Humidifier:
I haven't actually turned it on yet. I filled it with water -- does it still work a bit that way? or does it have to be turned on/ heated to give benefit? I wasn't bothered with a sore throat, but then, I've only used my device for 6 hours.

~Bonsleep

No, BonSleep. It is against policy here to post the URL. A websearch should find it for you tho.

My bedroom is a lovely colonial blue w/various browns, greys and bronze so the Resmed beige and navy fit right in w/our decor. Tho that is the last reason why I prefer my Resmeds.

I don't know about the Respironics M Series or DeVilBiss humidifier but the Resmed humidifier acts as a passover humidifier when turned off unless the humidifier is removed.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity mask, ResScan 3.7, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

The DeVilbiss humidfier works in passover mode as well.  Bonsleep, that means the air "passes over" the water and becomes somewhat humidified.

The reason I like my IntellePAP verses M-series:
1.  A single power cord without some weird power something on it like the M-series.
2.  Lighter weight for lugging through airports.
3.  Battery ready.
4.  No whirling noise like the M-series (granted my M-series was one of those defective ones).

Vicki


_________________
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Bonsleep;

I don't notice a difference with autoPAP.  I also have an auto M that I used to use from time to time to check my numbers and I didn't notice any difference with it either.  BTW, I find that the auto M is much noisier than the IntelliPAP and I really dislike the auto M wierd shaped power brick.

You could put your CPAP in a bed stand drawer and hide everything away during the day.

Many people don't find it necessary to use a humidifier.  I didn't have a humidifier for over ten years and when I got a new CPAP it had an integrated humidifier.   I tried for a couple of months to like using the humidifier.