The Mirage FX

A New Round of Nasal Masks from both ResMed and Respironics have recently hit the market. It is likely not a bad idea to have some knowledge about these new masks, since both organizations are marketing them heavily to sleep labs. The Mirage FX is the newest nasal mask from ResMed, an organization which was co-founded by Colin Sullivan (the man who published the first paper on Obstructive Sleep Apnea).

 
From a patient's perspective:

The Mirage FX is a compact mask that is designed to be simple, comfortable and lightweight. I have only fit one patient with the mask so far but when I did he stated that the mask was much more comfortable than his previous one. ResMed boasts that the Mirage FX is simple to assemble, as it is composed of only three different components (not including headgear). As the mask is indeed simple to assemble, this makes it optimal for patients who have issues with dexterity. It also has a quick release snap above where the tubing connects to the mask for patient convenience, as some patients can have trouble disconnecting the tubing.

 

 

From a clinician's perspective:

The Mirage FX's standard pricing is around $100 dollars although HME's can likely get better pricing if they order it with ResMed machines. While this is a little on the expensive side, it does appear to be a high quality mask that will likely result in patient satisfaction. ResMed also boasts that the Mirage FX makes reciprocal supply distribution easy for providers. Instead of having to stock a variety of different sizes in bulk (shallow wide, small shallow, etc) the Mirage FX is backed by studies that show that 90% of people will fit its medium (or standard) size cushion. This would make both fitting and stocking the mask and its cushions less complicated for clinicians.

 

I only have one patient on the mask and have not yet had enough clinical experience with it to speak to its quality with any certainty. But the mask does appear promising.....I will post again when I know more.

 

-Mr. Sleep