Your on track with the larger slits, but membrane thickness would also play a role.
I have some Vertex fusers I bought from esshup. Tried to get one apart to measure the membrane. Not gonna work at the moment.
One thing I did not notice at esshup's is if the flow meter was hooked up with the fusers. That would account for a pressure drop to the fusers, also the attitude. I know they were holding it in their hand, but ya got to maintain proper attitude. That was a ball type with needle valve so it probably would have sucked some depth off.
Guess well have to investigate this at EsshupStock II
Now that we have more than a month to plan