ResMed’s New Easy-Breathe® Products Offer a Quieter and More Comfortable Solution

Drew Terry, Director of Product Management for ResMed demonstrates the advantages of their Easy-Breathe Comfort Technology.

ResMed Corporation has developed a new line of flow generators for positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy that offers a quieter sleeping environment. This new line of PAP devices lends a hand in increasing patient compliance and improving the sleep quality of the bed partner. The new Easy-Breathe devices are up to 90% quieter than any other PAP flow generators on the market. ResMed relates the quietness of the machines to a proprietary technology which has been added to their full line of PAP devices, including auto-setting machines and their bi-level products. The technology is also available in their non-invasive ventilators for ST therapy.

The Easy-Breathe Motor

Improving patient compliance has always been a challenge when servicing PAP users. Patients tend to complain about such things as mask fit, mask leaks and the air pressure, but noise from the CPAP machine also presents a major challenge that therapists have been unable to address. This new product line from ResMed may be the answer to this challenge.

During a demonstration on the product, I was able to see the technology used to design this quieter device. The company has developed a system in which the air is pressurized twice. When the air passes from the top of the motor, it proceeds through a silicon sleeve to the other end of the motor where it is further pressurized. By having a dual impeller design, the motor spins 75% of normal speed while at the same time producing the same pressurization. It is notable that this “silicon sleeve” also inflates and is part of the air path assisting in isolating the motor from the chassis of the machine. Isolation of the motor with the air cushion contributes to the quietness of the device.

The Easy-Breathe Waveform

Another element of the Easy-Breathe product line is the way its waveform imitates a natural breath. During normal respiration, the flow at inhalation is much larger than the flow at breath’s end. Most PAP devices on the current market are able to increase flow at inspiration and decrease flow at expiration, and some manufacturers have been able to adjust the rise time of the breath. The ResMed Easy-Breathe waveform technology maps the patient’s natural breathing pattern more closely and creates a smooth waveform that continually adjusts to the patient’s pressure requirements on a breath-by-breath basis. The expiratory pressure relief also times out automatically after it determines the patient’s average baseline breathing and will stop the EPR if the breathing drops below 75% of baseline for 10 seconds. The technology also allows the EPR to resume when the event is over. Providing three levels of EPR definitely contributes to patient comfort and improves the success rate for long-term compliance. 

Maintaining Patient Compliance

ResMed’s decision to place the Easy-Breathe technology into all of their flow generators reflects the company’s commitment to designing products that contribute to successful therapy for PAP users. The new product line from ResMed provides another tool for physicians and therapists to keep their patients on therapy by offering technologies that assist in making it easier for them to use their PAP devices. This also helps us fight all the negative ramifications of untreated sleep apnea. The Easy- Breathe technology’s quiet pressure delivery and comfort all contribute to a more positive life style for PAP users and provides a product that both the patient and the bed partner can “sleep with”!

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