I feel that I needed to post this info for this nasel cannula setup, because I dont see it discussed much and I wonder if anyone knows that it exists??  It has been almost one year since entering into the world of corrected sleep with my Resmed machine.  I have had almost every mask that Resmed put out, trying to find that perfect one that would give me that perfect nights sleep....and the one I felt most comfortable with has been the Mirage Swift II nasel pillows.
   That is until I found the Bravo.  

Here is the comparison between these two products from my experience.

Noise from mask:
Swift II - Pretty quite, although there is a noticable hiss from the vent holes in the main body of the mask.
Bravo - Almost completly silent, I was amazed at the different in noise from this mask.

Head piece:
Swift II - Nice fit, easy to adjust with a simple pull.  after several months it started to loosen up and I was adjusting it everynight.
Bravo - Nice fit, more sturdy than Swift's.  It uses strong velcro to secure adjustments, still easy to adjust while on.

Tube system:
Swift II - Single tube that could be changed to either side depending on what side you sleep on.
Bravo - Duel tube system.  The tubes are smaller and can either both run on either side of your head or swivel down along your chest.  When they are up over my head they run along the sides close enough that there is nothing in the way of my vision, it seems a little less restrictive this way, I have not tried it on my chest.  Each tube has a piece of double sided velcro that wraps around the tube, this velcro sticks anywhere on the side of the headpiece around the cheek area and can be placed anywhere, I have found that moving it to different positions makes the nasel prongs fit better thus a better seal. I can change from side to side with out any problem of the tubes getting in the way.

Nasel Pillows:
Swift II - Excellent seal, easy to disassemble and clean.
Bravo - Setup comes with 3 different sizes and each Pillow inserts easily into body of cannula and can be turned to different positions.  when new the pillows come hooked together, but I think I read that that piece could be cut to make them more adjustable.  These pillows seem to seal just as well as the Swift II, I have very little leaks and any time I do, a small adjustment corrects it.

Cleaning:
Swift II - Easy disassembly, easy cleaning
Bravo - Same

Cost:
Swift II - I cant remember exactly, but I want to say it was around $160 or so.  but my insurance covered 90% so I was not too concerned.
Bravo - If you purchase it directly from the company the price quote was around $80, but my sleep center purchase it for me and they charged them $140.  Again my insurance paid for most of it so I dont know why there was such a difference.

The Bravo comes with a case similar to the Swifts and also with the different sizes of pillows as well as the instructional DVD which I still need to watch...

I am glad I found this mask, I still think the Swift II is a great mask, but I think I will stick with this one for now.  If you want to check out the website for the Bravo here is the link (http://www.respcare.com/bravo/index2.htm).  Please..if you have any more questions about my experience with this setup by all means send me any email or respond to the topic, I will keep an eye on it for a while.

Hope to Hear from you
Greg
Lincoln NE

1.  You didn't mention it so I am going to assume there isn't any leaking from where the elbows of the "Y" circuit attaches to each end of the reservoir, as is a well-known problem of the Swift II...where the elbow of the hose attaches to the pillow.  Am I correct in my assumption?

2.  The pillows on the Hybrid are very rigid and not as comfortable as compared to the OptiLife.  The pillows on the Bravo remind me a lot of the Hybrid, are the Bravo's pillows very pliable and soft (like the OptiLife) or is there some rigidity?


_________________
OSA Sleep Test 8/29/07, AHI 64, Sat. 74%
Titrated 10/1/07, Pressure 13
BiPAP Auto M Series w/Humidifier, set at 13/8
OptiLife Nasal Pillow Mask

lking wrote:

1.  You didn't mention it so I am going to assume there isn't any leaking from where the elbows of the "Y" circuit attaches to each end of the reservoir, as is a well-known problem of the Swift II...where the elbow of the hose attaches to the pillow.  Am I correct in my assumption?

2.  The pillows on the Hybrid are very rigid and not as comfortable as compared to the OptiLife.  The pillows on the Bravo remind me a lot of the Hybrid, are the Bravo's pillows very pliable and soft (like the OptiLife) or is there some rigidity?

Hey lking,
No there does not seem to be any leaks from the elbows or anywhere else, from the looks of it I thought it was going to be more noisy, but it was just the opposite.  The pillows are a little more rigid than the Swift II's, I'm not familiar with the Hydrid or Optilife masks.  I felt that I had a small problem with the Swift II's pillows, they seemed to have small leaks when I moved around, but nothing that caused me to want to give up on it.  I dont feel that way with the bravo so far, it seems to hold its position better.  One thing that I did not mention in my post...and I might go back and edit it in, was that when I was wearing the Swift II, the barrell of the mask, the part the nasel pillows were wraped around, would rest on my upper lip and bottom part of my nose, that was a little annoying but I got used to it after a while.  The Bravo has an arch in that area and no part of that area touches any more, I did not realize how annoying it was getting for me and now it is a great relief to put on the mask and be free of that rubbing.  With the combo of less noise and a more comfortable fit, I am very glad I made the switch.

Greg

Thanks for the review. I have used the swift since begining xpap 6months ago and have recently started looking for a change. The constant & subtle pressure on my upper lip/nose area does get annoying at times, so this sounds like a perfect set up.
Curious if I can use my insurance if ordering straight from Bravo?
Thanks again

kolchak wrote:

Thanks for the review. I have used the swift since begining xpap 6months ago and have recently started looking for a change. The constant & subtle pressure on my upper lip/nose area does get annoying at times, so this sounds like a perfect set up.
Curious if I can use my insurance if ordering straight from Bravo?
Thanks again

Kolchak,
I was told from my sleep center that if I were to purchase it directly from Bravo I would just have to submit the paperwork to the insurance company myself.  When I went to purchase the new mask, I had not met my deductable for insurance for the year, so I had to wait until that happened a few months later and then they took care of it for me,  but I guess it all depends on the rules of your insurance co.  my guess is that it would not be a problem, just give them a call.  If you have been using your first mask for 6 months, then they should cover another one, I was told that as a general rule you should be able to get a new mask every 6 months, new parts every 3 months and a new machine every 5 years.  Hope this info helps, shoot me any email if you have any more questions.

Greg