BiPAP

**billygoat** · 12-14-2012, 08:11 PM

I picked up one of these today along with some other stuff:

And there was a card inside that looked like this:

Having never seen one before, I had no idea whether to offer a price for it or not. But my curiosity got the best of me. So I weighed it (4 lbs) and pulled a number or two out of my [expletive deleted] and figured I'd give him a buck for it. Sometimes I have to fly by the seat of my pants, so to speak. I have not broken it down yet, so I don't know what's in it.

I looked it up to see what I could find, but being a non-geek I didn't see anything I could sink my teeth into. The unit looks too grungy to try to resell, and there is no way for me to test it. So I'll tear it apart once I get around to it.

So... I'm wondering about the card. It looks like there's a gold square, but not quite the gold color I've seen on other things. I don't think it looks like brass or copper either. Has anyone ever seen one of these cards and know what it is?

**oldtoothlessbassmaster** · 12-14-2012, 08:53 PM

from a craigslist ad:

a barely used, grey model, Respironics brand REMstar BiPAP ST for sale. This is a special type of BiPAP which has certain features that a regular BiPAP does not have. The "ST" designation stands for "Spontaneous Timed", which means that if the user does not breath on their own, then the machine will initiate a breath for them. This feature is very useful in treating central sleep apnea and a host of pulmonary disorders. The BiPAP ST uses an advanced algorithm to track and match a patients breathing pattern and has an adjustable RiseTime. It also has certain integrated alarms and improved leak compensation. The BiPAP ST has the ability to work with a backup rate, which will operate in case the patient stops breathing. The unit will operate as a small ventilator forcing air in and out.

Asking $400

and the smart card: CPAP.com - REMstar BiPAP ST Gray Model with Smart Card

**Mechanic688** · 12-14-2012, 09:59 PM

Looks to me like someone has scraped the gold plating off, thanks for the description tho as I'd never seen one before.

**billygoat** · 12-14-2012, 10:07 PM

The plating is still there, all of it. Just a bad picture I guess. I used my smart phone to snap the photo. Smart phone, smart card, dumb photographer.

Holy cow! I don't know what this machine cost brand new but the model that replaced it cost $1899.00.

Thanks for that link, bassmaster. The one I was looking at didn't have that info.

**Mechanic688** · 12-14-2012, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by billygoat

The plating is still there, all of it. Just a bad picture I guess. I used my smart phone to snap the photo. Smart phone, smart card, dumb photographer.

Holy cow! I don't know what this machine cost brand new but the model that replaced it cost $1899.00.

Thanks for that link, bassmaster. The one I was looking at didn't have that info.

Stuff that is medical is usually overpriced kind of like what the Gov't buys.

**oldtoothlessbassmaster** · 12-15-2012, 09:58 AM

Durable medical equipment : medical equipment used in the home to aid in a better quality of living. It is a benefit included in most insurances. In some cases certain Medicare benefits

Durable medical equipment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

one reason why you will find hospital looking stuff at estate sales and cleanouts.
its cheaper for the ins co to buy something like that and get you out of the hospital or skilled nursing facility and back home with a case manager monitoring your status

**tedanderson** · 12-15-2012, 04:45 PM

I have one of those machines (for my snoring/apnea issue) and I can tell you that they are not cheap. You could probably sell it in its current condition for $200-$300 if you sold it "for parts" or a similar description. It's relatively easy to clean up. Just spray it down with some Windex and wipe it off really good. There are people who use this equipment and they know how to reprogram it and sanitize it for their personal use so I doubt that you would have a problem with finding a buyer for it.

But being that it's a medical device that's only available with a prescription, you might encounter some issues with posting a listing.

**Bear** · 12-15-2012, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by tedanderson

But being that it's a medical device that's only available with a prescription, you might encounter some issues with posting a listing.

That's true, but unless it's changed drastically in the last few years, it shouldn't be too difficult
I believe what I had to do several years ago was either agree to, or maybe post some kind of a disclaimer