What is an Oxygen Concentrator?

An oxygen concentrator is a medical apparatus that supplies additional oxygen to a patient who is having trouble breathing. A compressor, sieve bed filter, oxygen tank, pressure valve, and nasal cannula (or oxygen mask) make up the equipment. A concentrator, like an oxygen cylinder or tank, delivers oxygen to a patient through a mask or nasal tubes. A concentrator, unlike oxygen cylinders, does not need to be refilled and may give oxygen 24 hours a day. A common oxygen concentrator can deliver pure oxygen at a rate of 5 to 10 liters per minute (LPM).

How does it work?

An oxygen concentrator provides patients with 90 percent to 95 percent pure oxygen by filtering and concentrating oxygen molecules in the ambient air. The oxygen concentrator’s compressor draws in ambient air and regulates the pressure at which it is delivered. The nitrogen is separated from the air using a filter bed formed of a crystalline substance called Zeolite. A concentrator contains two sieve beds that release oxygen into a cylinder while also releasing separated nitrogen back into the air. This creates a continuous cycle that continues to produce pure oxygen. The pressure valve controls the oxygen flow rate, which ranges from 5 to 10 liters per minute. The patient is subsequently given compressed oxygen using a nasal cannula (or oxygen mask).

Home and portable oxygen concentrators are the two types of oxygen concentrators that are available. Size, weight, flow, power, and capacity all varied amongst these machines.

Home Oxygen Concentrators

Home oxygen concentrators are designed for stationary therapy and are powered by a wall outlet. All of these devices are set to continuous flow mode, which means they supply a consistent amount of oxygen regardless of whether you inhale or exhale. Depending on your prescription, home oxygen concentrators can supply anywhere from 1 to 10 liters per minute of oxygen.

They usually weigh between 40 and 60 pounds and are usually on wheels so they can be easily moved from one area to another. When making a purchase, consider numerous elements such as liter flow, weight, noise, power consumption, and altitude.

Portable Oxygen Concentrators

Portable oxygen concentrators are used to supplement oxygen in a variety of contexts, including at home and on the go. Continuous flow and pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators are the two types available.

Continuous Flow- Unless it is switched off, this sort of concentrator gives the same flow of oxygen every minute, regardless of whether the patient is breathing the oxygen or not.

Pulse dosage- These concentrators are more advanced since they can detect the patient’s breathing pattern and release oxygen when inhalation is detected. Pulse dosage concentrators discharge varying amounts of oxygen every minute.