ResMed AirCurve 11 ASV for Central and Complex Sleep Apnoea

The ResMed AirCurve 11 ASV is prescribed when sleep apnoea is not just a blockage in the airway. Some people stop breathing because the signal from the brain to take a breath falters — and no amount of air pressure holding the airway open can fix that. This machine works differently: it watches your breathing and steps in to support it when it fades.

Why CPAP Is Not Always the Answer

Most sleep apnoea is obstructive. The airway narrows or closes while you sleep, and CPAP holds it open with steady air pressure. That works because the problem is mechanical.

Central sleep apnoea is different. The airway is clear, but the breath does not come. In some people this produces a distinctive pattern — breathing that builds up, fades away and stops altogether before starting again. This is known as Cheyne-Stokes breathing, and it is often linked to heart conditions or stroke.

ASV stands for adaptive servo-ventilation. Rather than holding one pressure, the machine learns your normal breathing and adjusts breath by breath — giving more support when your breathing weakens, easing off as it recovers, and delivering a breath itself if you pause for too long.

Key Features

• Responds to your own breathing pattern — the machine tracks how you normally breathe and works to keep you steady, rather than applying a fixed setting.
• Delivers a breath if you stop — if a pause goes on too long, it provides one for you, timed to match your natural rhythm rather than cutting across it.
• Keeps your airway open as well — it treats obstructive events at the same time, so you are covered if you have both types.
• Built-in humidifier — a 380 mL water tub warms and moistens the air to help prevent a dry nose, mouth and throat. Adding ClimateLineAir 11 heated tubing stops condensation collecting in the hose.
• Ramp for settling in — starts at a gentler pressure and builds up over 5 to 45 minutes while you fall asleep.
• Your data reaches us automatically — a built-in mobile connection sends your therapy data through to your clinician, so we can see how you are going and adjust your settings remotely if they need changing.

Who Is This For?

ASV is prescribed by a sleep specialist for people whose breathing is not fully settled by CPAP or standard bilevel therapy. That usually means one of the following:

• Central sleep apnoea, including Cheyne-Stokes breathing
• Central events that appeared or persisted after starting CPAP
• Complex or mixed sleep apnoea — a combination of obstructive and central events
• Periodic breathing patterns

This is not a device to choose for yourself, and it is not an upgrade from CPAP. It treats a different problem, and your specialist will tell you if it applies to you. If you are still working through your diagnosis, our guide to sleep apnea treatment options explains how the different therapies compare, and understanding your sleep study results covers what the numbers in your report mean.

If your diagnosis is obstructive sleep apnoea and you simply need more support than CPAP gives you, the AirCurve 11 VAuto is the device for that.

What's in the Box

• AirCurve 11 ASV device
• HumidAir 11 humidifier tub
• Air tubing
• Air11 90 W power supply unit
• Air11 air filter
• Travel bag

A note if you are upgrading: the AirCurve 11 uses its own tubing and water tub. Parts from an AirSense 10 or AirCurve 10 will not fit.

A well-sealed mask matters on ASV, because the machine relies on reading your breathing accurately and a large leak makes that harder. Our clinicians offer mask fitting in person at all five mySleep clinics, and it is worth booking in when you start on this device rather than working it out at home. Full face masks are the most common pairing.