What is Oxygen Concentrator

An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that delivers pure oxygen into the body of a patient by means of a nasal cannula or mask. It takes in air from the surroundings, compresses it, removes the nitrogen from it via a filter and sieve beds leaving 87-95% of oxygen in the air. This oxygen is then delivered to the patient.

Stationary oxygen concentrators are larger and heavier compared to portable oxygen concentrators. They also provide high flow rate and are recommended for patients who require substantial oxygen supply. Stationary oxygen concentrators deliver upto 5 or 10 liters of oxygen per minute while portable models supply 1 to 2 liters per minute. Portable oxygen concentrators can even be carried on-flight by air travelers. An FAA ruling allows FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrators to be carried on airlines.

A home oxygen concentrator is safer and more cost-effective when compared to a traditional oxygen cylinder. Now there is no need to carry around heavy and unwieldy oxygen cylinders. Plus, oxygen is readily available with a concentrator and, unlike an oxygen tank, an oxygen concentrator allows unlimited supply of oxygen and the patient can never run out of oxygen. Also, there is no risk of leakage. Another major benefit is the ease with which one can carry it around, even when flying.

OPI or Oxygen Purity Indicator is an internal sensing mechanism in Philips Respironics Oxygen Concentrators which notifies when the purity of Oxygen delivered by the device falls below the threshold limit. This ensures patient safety and timely maintenance of device if needed.

This depends on nature of requirement of patient. In most chronic cases, a flow rate of upto 5 Litre Per Minute is considered sufficient. Most often, a flow rate higher than 5 Litre Per Minute, or upto 10 Litre Per minute is needed in cases with high critical condition. It is not recommended to manage any patient with high flow requirement at home, and a hospital environment is more suited in this case. You must consider purity of device in combination with the litre per minute flow rate. Philips Respironics and DeVilbiss Oxygen Concentrators deliver oxygen concentrator at 90% - 96% which is a good purity index. Opting for a 10 Litre Oxygen Concentrator with purity less than 80-90% is not beneficial as it will not deliver high purity oxygen at higher flow rates.