Sustainable CPAP - How Companies Are Lowering the Carbon Footprint of Sleep Apnea Treatment

Image: Portable Solar Panel by Medistrom

Sustainable CPAP - How Companies Are Lowering the Carbon Footprint of Sleep Apnea Treatment

By Admin

Along with more compact and efficient devices, CPAP manufacturing companies are developing new and greener ways to power their machines, introducing smaller and higher-capacity batteries, and incorporating sustainable business models that reduce the carbon footprint of their production lines. These advances are the result of long-held commitments to both the environment and the state of public health throughout the world, and while some of these developments may seem trivial in the face of such a large-scale threat, innovations like these can make a significant difference in a growing industry. The more we begin to adopt sustainable products, practices, and habits, the more we will reduce our impact on the environment, which affects the health of all of us. Whether it’s a travel-size device, a portable solar panel for CPAP batteries, or a production factory powered with renewable energy, each is a step in the direction of a greener economy and a healthier world.

More Energy-Efficient Machines

The most popular CPAP machines are often those with the highest level of efficiency and ease of use. Currently, this includes many of the mini or travel-size CPAP machines that require less raw materials to produce, yet still provide the optimal therapy conditions patients have come to expect from a modern CPAP machine. ResMed’s AirMini series, the Philips Respironics DreamStation Go, and the Transcend Mini CPAP are examples of popular travel-size CPAP machines that require less material to produce and less power to operate than standard-size devices. These machines are highly portable, efficient, and sleek in appearance, making it easy for patients to bring their sleep equipment anywhere they go, including cars and planes. And since they are new products, they come equipped with all the latest advanced features found in high-end CPAP devices. But more importantly, the smaller, more energy-efficient devices reduce the carbon footprint of both production and use. Along with other advances in CPAP technology, for example, using LED lighting, reduction in size puts less strain on the planet, as they require less space for producing, shipping, and storing. While these devices do not have built-in batteries, many external batteries now available are equally compact and easily stored alongside the devices as an accessory.

More Battery Options

More compact and efficient batteries allow for more use of devices without plugging into an AC power source. This not only helps with travel and mobility but also gives patients more freedom of choice. Devices can be used anywhere and for extended lengths of time, and with the right adapter, can be charged from any power source set to the right voltage level. And while CPAP batteries are lasting longer, they are also becoming both smaller and cheaper. Products like the Medistrom Pilot-24, the BPS Freedom V2 Battery Series, and the Portable Outlet provide more universal backup solutions. And for more high-capacity needs, products like the ResMed Power Station RPS II and the Suaoki High Capacity G500 Power Supply are larger but hold more power for extended use, especially ideal for power-outage situations or more remote traveling or camping.

While these batteries have their own power specifications and do not work with every device, they are ideal for the newer, more compact devices, as well as many standard-size models currently on the market. The Portable Outlet, for example, is about the size of a book (roughly 2 lbs.), and can power up just about any device, including CPAP and BiPAP machines, cell phones, and even laptop computers. These batteries have multiple charging ports, including USB, and are compatible with multiple brands and product lines. An older device, however, may need a more specific battery product. Companies like ResMed offer guides to help patients with battery options for their products, and some of the newer batteries, such as the Freedom V2, offer kits for popular CPAP models.

It should be noted that, while new battery options are becoming more universal, they are not going to work for every single device in the same way. Always check with your DME supplier or a healthcare provider to ensure that you are using the correct products and settings. In some cases, especially with older models or with batteries not designed specifically for CPAP, you may need to use additional devices such as adapters, converters, or inverters. A power inverter, or simply inverter, is a device that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), while a converter changes the voltage in the opposite direction, from AC to DC. Device settings will also affect the runtime after a charge. Things like pressure levels, humidification, and display options can use power in different ways, depending on the specific model and how it operates.

For more information on CPAP battery options, contact your equipment supplier, your primary physician, or the device manufacturers themselves.

Solar Powered CPAP

Using solar power to charge a CPAP battery has always been an option with the right conversion (or inversion) equipment, but recent developments have made it easier and more efficient, allowing patients to purchase solar panels designed specifically for CPAP batteries. For example, the BPS SunPower 40W Solar Panel, the Somnetics Solar Charger for Transcend Batteries,and the Medistrom 50W Solar Panel for the Pilot-12 and Pilot-24 batteries are all relatively small in size and easy to use. The panels are collapsible, folding up into a case the size of a standard handbag, making them as portable and convenient as the devices they charge. To use, you simply unfold the panels and plug your external battery into the adapter. Once charged, the battery is then connected to the device. If desired, multiple batteries can be kept as backups.

While you will still need a suitable inverter or converter to connect some machines to some batteries. As noted above, your DME supplier, an equipment specialist, or an authorised dealer can help with this selection process. The benefit of using an inverter is that you can still use other appliances when you are not using your machine. Converters can also be used when batteries are used only for CPAP therapy machines.

Solar panels take about six to twelve hours to charge a CPAP battery, depending on the weather and the battery type. In the case of cloudy weather, it may take a little longer, but not as long as you might expect. Solar panels are very efficient at gathering power from the sun’s output. In addition, the solar panels mentioned here are manufactured using sustainable practices, further reducing the product’s carbon footprint.

Sustainable Business Practices

Major CPAP manufacturing companies like ResMed, Philips Respironics, and Somnetics, are not only developing greener products, but are integrating sustainable practices into their entire production line, from source materials to shipping to product lifecycles and reduction of waste. By maintaining strict standards of sustainability, these companies hope to reduce their environmental impact while improving the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve.

Somnetics, the newer company on the block with the smallest and lightest CPAP devices available anywhere, won a Provider’s Choice Award at the Medtrade Awards in Spring, 2012 for their solar panel charger released the following year. Somnetics, like its larger competitors, not only aims for a carbon-neutral future in its products and manufacturing processes, but also looks at the bigger picture of public health and the environment as a single issue, the most important issue for all life on the planet.

In ResMed’s environmental impact statement, the company pledges to minimize its use of natural resources, minimize pollution, “in particular our non-biodegradable waste to landfill,” develop products with reduced impact on the environment, and collaborate with employees, suppliers, customers, and regulatory bodies to make continual improvement in each of these areas. Similarly, Philips Respironics states on their sustainability page that they plan to “live up to the highest standards of governance.” This includes an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Commitment that focuses specifically on the United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals to Transform the World,” a list of focal points for a greener world economy. As a large-scale company, Philips focuses primarily on the goals that emphasize sustainable production and consumption practices. And as a member of PACE, the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy, Philips is committed to sourcing “over 75 percent” of its total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2025. These companies, primarily known for medical equipment and electronics, are setting high goals for a sustainable future, a move that promotes better health from the ground up, through further, greener, and more progressive innovations in the marketplace.