Gags about snoring have been a staple of sitcoms and cartoons since their inception. In real life, for people who live with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which causes breathing difficulties when a person is at rest, it’s not funny at all. When respiration is interrupted, the brain sends a signal to wake up just enough for the person to start breathing again. Once in a while is harmless, but when it happens on a regular basis or too many times in one night, it causes a person to be tired and oxygen deprived. If snoring is involved, it can impact everyone who lives with the patient.

Help in the form of CPAP machines is available for individuals who suffer with sleep apnea. They send a steady or pulsed air flow through a mask to keep airways open and ensure a steady flow of oxygen, preventing or reducing snoring or waking up and gasping for breath. The new generation of CPAPs includes the Philips System One Sleep Therapy Platform, which features the best of smart technology to provide customized care for sleep apnea patients. 

The System One detects not just the classic symptoms of OSA, but uses advanced parameters including RERAs, AHI, flow limitation, and leak as well as other forms of apneas to alert clinicians to the need for additional intervention. Its onboard memory cards and a wireless modem allow the data to be uploaded automatically on a daily basis to the clinician’s computer for monitoring purposes. The wireless connectivity allows for adjustments to be made without techs having to make house calls or the need to take it in to a service center.

Its resistance control system enables the machine and the patient’s choice of mask to work together to deliver optimal air flow. Easily adjusted settings let the machine compensate for the variables in different masks that cause resistance, allowing for synchronicity in air flow while allowing the patient to reap the maximum benefits of the new technology. There’s a choice of a 15 or 22 millimeter tube to provide further customization.

Features that make the System One easy to use, and therefore help to increase patient comfort and compliance include humidity controls to prevent “rainout” in the tube; several patented technologies that enhance the pressure therapy’s efficacy and comfort; an algorithm that tracks every inhalation and exhalation to provide just the right amount of pressure for each breath; a filter to ensure a clean air flow; and an onboard demo mode to let the patients feel what each setting is like. The System One has also been proven in independent lab tests to function more quietly when patients are breathing with it than many other devices on the market today. Its backlit monitor makes for easy reading in the dark, and displays in English or Spanish for models sold in the US. 

The System One is suitable for use in private homes, long term care facilities and nursing centers to allow users of any age living with sleep apnea to enjoy a peaceful night’s rest. 

Fran Jablway,
Medical Consumer Writer
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO