Portable Oxygen Concentrators - A Simple Guide
Portable oxygen machines and specially portable oxygen concentrators have changed just how many people, who must have continuous or semi continuous oxygen therapy, are now living.
It was previously that mobility for COPD patients was severely restricted. This meant being house bound or overly dependent on a hospital or clinic.
With the advent of much more practical and better quality portable machines, patients mobility has increased dramatically and you may now find people on supplemental oxygen doing a lot of things they wouldn't have imagined a few years ago.
This has happened as a result of new portable tanks, due to more complex conserving devices (that regulate the delivery rates) and, possibly the most important reason of all - the introduction of portable oxygen concentrators.
An oxygen concentrator is a machine that extracts oxygen from the surrounding air, it concentrates it and delivers it - right to the patient (in a house concentrator machine it can also be used to refill an oxygen cylinder). At sea level and if air pollution is not a concern, ambient air comprises approximately 21% oxygen, 88% nitrogen and a reduced amount of various gases. The oxygen concentrator extracts oxygen, concentrates it and delivers it to the individual.
Things You Need To Know:
You need a power source to operate, which can be both with rechargeable batteries and a plug in option (including for vehicle).
You will find a continuous rumble from the concentrators motor.
You can find out more is possible to adjust the flow level in accordance with your prescription.
There are different models with different weights the give allow for your mobility.
Always check your battery durability so when a safety precaution you should have an extra and charged battery.
Portable oxygen concentrators arrived on the scene around 2002 and since then have had a great impact in the portable oxygen delivery area.
The major difference between an oxygen concentrator and an oxygen cylinder or tank, is that the concentrator isn't a storage device but a supplier of oxygen. This means that so long as the energy source is uninterrupted, oxygen will continue to be delivered for as long as needed. In a tank there will be the limitation in line with the amount of oxygen that is stored, whether liquid or gas.
The new designs have both a direct plug in option (in order to plug them in cars, for example) together with being battery operated. oxygen tank vs oxygen concentrator , lighter and for that reason easier to carry and also have a primary and positive effect on peoples mobility.
It seems as though each new model is smaller and has more durable rechargeable batteries.
A significant benefit is they have increased the chance of travel for patients on extra oxygen, and actually one of the more important aspects of this is that as of May, 2009, the FAA authorized the application of some portable oxygen concentrators on board airlines that cross US airspace (this means all arriving and departing flights). This change is of great consequence as air travel was a major problem. It really is still, however, a good idea to consult with your airline before a flight.
Although living and needing to depend on supplemental oxygen isn't something anyone would willingly elect to do, POC's (portable oxygen concentrators) have really changed people's lives. The much greater selection of activities that can now be practiced, as well as increased mobility in general, have had an extremely positive impact on long term oxygen therapy patients.