The importance of buying an original mask

The advent of various online product sales sites brings with it its share of advantages and disadvantages. In particular, it allows us to compare offers from different companies to find the one that best suits our budget. Buying medical equipment is no exception.

It's been over a year since Resmed, the manufacturer of sleep apnea devices and masks, withdrew its products from sites such as Amazon and EBay. Their products are highly specialized, so the company prefers to sell through trained and qualified suppliers. Resmed has invested a great deal of time and money in the design and manufacture of its products, and is keen to ensure that purchasers receive good advice and support. 

At Clinique TCO, we are receiving more and more customers who come to us with problems such as nasal congestion, dry mouth, too much air or too much air pressure from the device.

We've found that these problems are often due to generic masks purchased from Amazon. Numerous copies of the AirFit N20 and AirFit F20 masks are available online. Despite their apparent similarity, one thing differentiates them from the original masks: the air outlet of the exhalation valve of the masks in question are much higher than the masks manufactured by Resmed.

Here's an actual case study and its impact on treatment (see diagram below):

The mask seal is good until the end of June, after which leaks are abruptly higher. The customer confirmed that he had purchased a mask similar to the AirFit F20 from Amazon in June. Since then, the customer has observed higher air pressure and an increase in respiratory events, including the apnea hypopnea index.

With this example, we would like to make you aware of the need to purchase genuine Resmed, Fisher & Paykel and Philips products, and to avoid copying inferior products on resale sites. We want your treatment to be effective and to avoid any problems with your sleep apnea treatment.

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