AirCurve™ 11 ASV PaceWave

Adaptive servo-ventilation. Put simply, this is a more specialised type of PAP machine that measures your breathing patterns as you sleep, then customises the pressure it delivers to stabilise your breathing throughout the night.

An adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) machine is a specialised type of positive airway pressure (PAP) machine used to treat sleep-disordered breathing. ASV machines are particularly suited to people with central sleep apnoea (CSA), a type of sleep apnoea that occurs when the brain stops sending signals to muscles that control breathing during sleep. This is less common than obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which occurs when the airway is blocked during sleep, causing breathing problems. ASV machines work by measuring your breathing patterns during sleep and adjusting the air pressure accordingly to stabilise your breathing.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines primarily treat OSA by helping to keep the airway open during sleep via a set, steady stream of pressurised air, whereas BiPAP machines deliver air at two different pressures: one for when you breathe in and one for when you breathe out. ASV machines also deliver air at different pressures, but they can do more: they provide a backup respiratory rate, which helps maintain breathing during central apnoeic events. This backup respiratory rate is personalised based on ongoing monitoring of the person’s breathing patterns.

If you have a more complex sleep-disordered breathing condition, such as combined OSA/CSA, TE-CSA, mixed apnoea or periodic breathing, you may need more than conventional PAP devices can offer. In this case your healthcare provider might decide that an ASV device can deliver the right treatment for you. Please note that this type of therapy should only be started under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

ASV is contraindicated for some groups of people*, which means it is not suitable for everyone – these contraindications are detailed in the user guide. If you are interested in starting or switching to ASV therapy, always speak to your GP or healthcare provider first.

Both use ResMed’s ASV PaceWave algorithm to treat central sleep apnoea and/or mixed apnoea and periodic breathing. In ASV mode, the expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) is fixed and can be manually adjusted by a clinician to eliminate obstructive events (pauses in breathing). When the device is in ASVAuto mode, the pressure adjusts automatically to provide only the amount of EPAP required to maintain upper the patient’s airway patency (ie their ability to breathe) and/or prevent obstructive events.

It’s important to keep your AirCurve 11 ASV PaceWave machine clean and well maintained so that your therapy remains effective. Your user guide contains detailed instructions for cleaning and maintenance.