CPAP Hammocking

[garyg763]

What timing, I have been looking for a battery to power my wife's Phillips Respironics System One Auto Bi-Flex when we go camping. Where did you get the battery you are using, I need help. Thank you

[namnat]

An HME would not work with a cpap mask. The hme works by trapping the moisture from exhaled breaths. Since a cpap mask has an exhalation valve on the actual mask and no air is sent to through the cpap tubing. Moisture is important for extended uses, but if only for a few days I'd think you'll be ok with out it.

I'm an RT and I deal with vents, cpaps, bipaps, and anything dealing with the lungs everyday.

Just my two cents......

-namnat

[zukiguy]

If you're moderately handy you can get a lithium battery and charger combo off e-bay for around $20-$40. Get two if you need the extra capacity. You'll need to add a cord, carry bag, etc but that's still much better than the $400 or more the CPAP companies get for the packs. I worked on building one for a Dad in the cub scout pack but he still wussed out and wouldn't go camping.

[Basie]

An HME would not work with a cpap mask. The hme works by trapping the moisture from exhaled breaths. Since a cpap mask has an exhalation valve on the actual mask and no air is sent to through the cpap tubing.

Some masks do... other systems use an add-in valve further down the circuit (between the mask and the tubing).

[namnat]

Some masks do... other systems use an add-in valve further down the circuit (between the mask and the tubing).

Very interesting, I've never seen anything like this. Guess they don't use those in my neck of the woods. The only time I have ever seen a HME used is on a ventilator circuit. Learn something new everyday. Thanks for showing me.

[Z0rst]

I guess I see where you got your forum name now

There is some question as to whether I got the name before or after I got the CPAP device.

On the HME: I took an inline particle filter apart, removed the filter and stuck a HME "sponge" into it. This created a reservoir of dampness after the the air exited the machine. This piece and the hose was stuck under a blanket to warm via body heat. It worked pretty well, but the reservoir was used up pretty fast. The next step was going to be running a drip line from my water bottle/thermos just like an IV.
I was in search of a safe glue or a way to friction weld the pieces (anyone seen the latest issue of Make?), when the project got interrupted with other things. Then I discovered the nasal spray that works pretty well for me and was more simple.

BTW- I find sleeping in the hammock helps with my apnea even without the CPAP. I wonder how many people who discover hammocking and also report that they had their first night of great sleep in years in a hammock might actually have very mild apnea that is resolved by sleeping in a hammock.

[Basie]

I lost a massive amount of weight, I'm sure I would've been headed for respiratory problems eventually but managed to dodge that bullet thank goodness. I wonder if some people will struggle a little bit with their head lolling to one side in a hammock, if their upper airway is already a bit obstructive? Or maybe in some instances that will actually help?

I think namnat is right in that for the most part in-mask vents, ports or valves will be the rule rather than the exception these days. Time was, circuits were complicated with extra add-in bits everywhere but Fisher & Paykel et al have pared that down quite a bit. It seems like the Transcend has tried to add an HME back in but I've never seen that unit working in person. It's all added deadspace which isn't ideal.

Maybe it's just my paranoia but I worry about having an air intake under a quilt. If you could protect its surroundings somehow... maybe brace it with a piece of reflectix or something so the quilt doesn't drape close to it? I can just see the repair bill now... "For technical services rendered: removing duck feathers from internal filter, $150.00

[Z0rst]

Re weight & apnea. This comes from early research based on correlative studies. Subsequent research is showing a reversed causal order, that apnea leads to poor sleep that screws with a whole bunch of regulatory systems including insulin and cortisone which impacts the use and storage of calories and metabolic rates. As a result, mild cases of apnea can lead to harder struggles against weight gain which leads to more structural problems / more severe apnea which leads to more weight gain. On the reverse side of this, getting the apnea resolved helps make weight loss easier or even possible. Of course there are many pathways to and from obesity that are beyond the scope of this thread. Short of it is, apnea can be a sufficient but not necessary cause of weight gain, but sometimes resolving apnea is a necessary but not sufficient hurdle for weight loss.

Now back to CPAP and hammocking...

I wonder if some people will struggle a little bit with their head lolling to one side in a hammock, if their upper airway is already a bit obstructive? Or maybe in some instances that will actually help?

A down neck pillow really helps IMO. But a rolled up T-shirt or even a couple of socks behind the neck will work in a pinch. The position of the hammock for me is more similar to the raising the bed angle with cinderblock trick.

Maybe it's just my paranoia but I worry about having an air intake under a quilt. If you could protect its surroundings somehow... maybe brace it with a piece of reflectix or something so the quilt doesn't drape close to it? I can just see the repair bill now... "For technical services rendered: removing duck feathers from internal filter, $150.00

$150. Lol. you make me laugh. ;-)

I think you are onto something. Perhaps a reflectix lined ridge-line holder in the style that dream-hammocks sells except a little larger. On one side would be the machine and the battery and on the other side a warm water-bottle to serve as the heat engine, and a sponge to be the humidification reservoir.

Speaking of batteries. Keep em warm! I made the mistake of putting my battery on the WBBB shelf outside the warm zone on a cold night. I got much more consistent results keeping it above my head in a peak bag.

[Padovini]

I have the same machine, and didn't know there was a battery option. I have a mild apnea and had planed to go without my machine on my hike. Now I may research getting a battery and ease some concerns about not using it. Thanks for the great idea.

Brian P.

[Padovini]

If you're moderately handy you can get a lithium battery and charger combo off e-bay for around $20-$40. Get two if you need the extra capacity. You'll need to add a cord, carry bag, etc but that's still much better than the $400 or more the CPAP companies get for the packs. I worked on building one for a Dad in the cub scout pack but he still wussed out and wouldn't go camping.

I am an RC modeler and use LiPo batteries for my planes. Could you please share your design?

Thanks, Brian P.