Video AMIA pd machine

[sahern]

I will have my training for the new AMIA PD machine at the end of the month.  I have been trying to learn what I can before the class.  Does anyone know of a video of setting the machine up.  All I have been able to find is videos for the Home Choice machine.  Any help would be great.

[kickingandscreaming]

I hear it's a pain in the butt to set up.  But I have no direct experience.  I'm wondering what the point of it is.  It doesn't seem to be an improvement over the Home Choice.

[Marilee]

I don't know of a video for the AMIA, but it's the machine that my hubby has been using for about a year now, so I have a few comments.

The actual setup steps are the same as the Home Choice, so watching the Youtube videos on that unit are valid and helpful. It differs in that the screen is larger, colorful and there's voice output in case you have a vision issue (we turned that feature off).

The only real 'pain' about setting it up is that the designers decided that they wanted to really hold the user's hand, so it is loaded with screens of instructions with colorful illustrations but each screen only lets you do one thing (like one screen to enter weight, another one for blood pressure). Many of the screens are full of "Please Wait" moments that require that when it is done with whatever it was doing, you must then press "Continue" (no other button choice, no new data to read, really lame). It doesn't seem to be doing any background tasks, either, so when it checks the Internet (for example), you can't be inserting the cartridge or typing in your weight/BP info. As a result, it's just a lengthy process, mostly filled with waiting. It does have an 'expert' mode where they consolidate some of the screens, but it doesn't go far enough toward making the process efficient. Oh, and sometimes it gets an error - maybe it can't make the Internet connection - and it just says that the user must power the system down. Ugh! All that time lost, it takes literally minutes to shut down and restart, and you have to go through every step all over again.

My hubby sets it up as soon as he removes the bags from the night before and he walks away as soon as it starts Priming (which takes about 20 minutes all by itself). That way, he doesn't have to wait through the priming time when he wants to hook up: It's sitting ready to go for the next session. So, not counting the 20 minutes for priming, the set-up time is about 15 minutes on a good day (something that in our opinion should take about 5 minutes).

From what I've heard, it physically takes this machine longer to Prime the system than the Home Choice does and it tends to be fussier about 'slow draining' which triggers annoying alarms.

Everything about this software feels like it was made for a trade show or a proof of concept: It runs slowly, the error handling is clunky, it doesn't appear that they spent much time with actual users during the development to understand that sitting in front of this machine is not why the user does dialysis: There's a lot of other things they'd rather do with their limited time.

It's not complicated: It's just a little aggravating.

[Geiser100]

I'm on the Amia. It's really easy to set up and use in my opinion. It does show and tell you to do EVERYTHING so that can get old after a while. I like most of it except you can't bypass the initial drain so I always leave some fluid in my belly at the end so it has something to drain to begin with. I have not used any other cycler so I can't compare it to anything else.

[sahern]

Thanks for the responses.  That what I have heard that it takes a long time to set up.  For the current home choice It takes me about 5 min to put the bags and start the prime.  They are letting us keep the home choice for a while to make sure we don't have any trouble with the AMIA.  I will see what happens when I get the new machine.  It seems that a lot the set up delay could be fixed with software up dates and make it just like the home choice.
   

[sahern]

I received my new AMIA machine today and had training this morning.  I asked the rep if there was a video for the machine and she said there were not any.  My first impressions of the AMIA is that I do not like it.  It takes way to long to set up.  During the training my cassette failed the first time setting up the machine.  I was told there is a sensor that is for the patient line that can give a false reading causing a failure alarm.  They are looking into the problem.  Then you have to start all over again.  The only thing that I can see that is better is that you do not have to keep a log.  The smaller machine is nice but I do not think it is worth the change.  We will see if I change my mind in the long run.

[Marilee]

I hope they find a solution for the patient line sensor. We had one fail and had to get a replacement machine, meaning no automated dialysis for about a day or so.

I think it is a good thing that your cassette failed during training: It really helps to learn about what to do when things go wrong. After a few days with it, you might want to go to Settings and choose the expert mode (I forget what it's called, but it's in the manual). That does speed things up a bit.

Good luck with your new machine and thanks for the update.

[sahern]

Well I have had two nights on the AMIA.  It is very loud.  You can hear it on the other side of the wall.  They are sending me a new one.  My take after two days on the machine I am not impressed.  The actual dialysis part is fine but the set up and take down is a pain.  I do not know who designed it but it does not seem that they kept the patient in mind.  One thing I do not like is it can only be set up 5 hours in advance.  On occasion I would set up the machine before I go out so as not have to deal with it late at night.  I am also getting lower UF than on the home choice.  I was told by the Clinic that in a week when I am used to the new machine they will let me skip all of the extra steps that do not seam necessary for the actual use of the machine.

[Marilee]

Oh, man, a new machine already!

I don't understand about the 5-hour limit, though. My hubby can set his up - right up to the Priming stage - in the morning after unhooking. The machine kinda primes and re-primes through the day until he gets himself hooked up in the evening - way past 5 hours. Where can I look in the manual to learn more about the 5-hour limit?

One Amia 'feature' that you might be interested in, is at the end of treatment, there's a button called "Treatment Options" that will go to another screen and it has a button called "Reduce Fill Volume". As I understand it, this is there for folks who do an all-day dwell and want to adjust that fill 'for comfort', but it works great for just doing your own last drain, too. See Section 9, page 182 of your manual. This isn't something we were trained on, we just stumbled on it and my hubby is so glad to be able to finish up when the machine leaves too much behind.

I hope your replacement comes soon - in our experience, loud often means poor fluid movement.

[sahern]

The five hour time was told to me when they did a home visit.  I will now have to look at the book and make a phone call as we are going out tonight and it would be great to set up the machine before hand thanks for the info.

[sahern]

Well I received my second machine and it is just as loud as the first one.  Has anyone noticed if their machine is louder than the home choice.  They are giving me the choice of the AMIA or to keep the home choice.  One other thing I noticed with the AMIA is it does not pull fluid off of me like the home choice. the UF can be 300-400 lower.  I have talked to the clinic but they say everything is working as it should.  I will try it again but not pulling the full amount of UF I will need to go back to the home choice. 

[Whamo]

I'm on my second Amia machine this year.  They wear out quicker than the old ones.  I go through setup a lot faster than the machine with experience. 

[Marilee]

We have had our Amia replaced 4 times in 2 years. They start to have trouble with "Cassette Failures" during the priming (so they're already wet and we have to throw out all the bags and cassette and then start over). They're not so much 'worn out' as they seem to get faulty sensors that then need to be serviced - just a guess. But they are quick to get a replacement out to the house and remove the faulty one.