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OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

 OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

An oxygen concentrator is a medical device which provides supplemental or additional oxygen to patients who has breathing problems. The device consists of a compressor, a sieve bed filter, an oxygen tank, a pressure valve, and a nasal cannula (or oxygen mask). Like an oxygen cylinder or oxygen tank, a concentrator provides oxygen to the patient through a mask or nasal tube. However, unlike the oxygen cylinder, the concentrator does not need to be refilled and can provide oxygen 24 hours a day. A typical oxygen concentrator can provide 5-10 litters (LPM) of pure oxygen per minute.




How does the Oxygen concentrator work?

The working principle of the oxygen generator is to filter and concentrate the oxygen molecules in the ambient air to provide patients with 90% to 95% pure oxygen. The oxygen concentrator’s compressor draws in ambient air and regulates the pressure of the supplied air. A sieve bed made of a crystalline material called zeolite separates the nitrogen from the air. The concentrator has two sieve beds, which can release oxygen into the cylinder and discharge the separated nitrogen into the air. This forms a continuous cycle that continuously produces pure oxygen. The pressure valve helps to adjust the oxygen supply from 5 litters to 10 litters per minute. The compressed oxygen is then delivered to the patient through a nasal cannula (or oxygen mask).

Who should use an oxygen concentrator and when?

According to the pulmonologists, only mild to moderate patients with oxygen saturation between 90% and 94% should use oxygen concentrators under the  medical guidance. Patients with oxygen saturations as low as 85 n also use oxygen concentrators in emergency situations or before admission. However, it was recommended that these patients switch to cylinders with higher oxygen flow and be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible. This device is not recommended for the ICU patients.


Different types of oxygen concentrators

oxygen concentrators are classified into two types:

Continuous flow:


This type of concentrator provides the same oxygen flow rate every minute, unless it is not turned off regardless of whether the patient is breathing oxygen or not.

 Pulse dose:

These concentrators are relatively smart because they can detect the patient’s breathing pattern and release oxygen when inhalation is detected. The oxygen released by the pulsed dose concentrator changes every minute.

 How are oxygen concentrators different from oxygen cylinders?

 Oxygen concentrators are the best alternative to steel cylinders and liquid medical oxygen that are relatively difficult to store and transport. Although concentrators are more expensive than steel cylinders, they are largely a one-time investment with low operating costs. Unlike steel cylinders, the concentrator does not need to be recharged, and can use only ambient air and electricity to produce oxygen 24 hours a day. However, the main disadvantage of the concentrators is that they can only supply 5-10 liters of oxygen per minute. This makes them unsuitable for critically ill patients who  requires 40 to 45 liters of pure oxygen per minute.


Advantages of Oxygen Concentrators

 For patients who need oxygen therapy, portable and home oxygen generators have many advantages. They are much less dangerous than traditional oxygen cylinders. If a traditional oxygen cylinder breaks or leaks, it will cause or increase the combustion rate of a fire. On the other hand, oxygen concentrators do not present this danger. Home and portable oxygen concentrators that can “produce” their own oxygen are more popular and more widely used than outdated oxygen tanks. Another important benefit is the easy and improved mobility of oxygen. Portable oxygen concentrators can provide users with needed oxygen anytime, anywhere, even on airplanes. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) stipulates that all passengers in need of oxygen must be able to carry FAA-approved portable oxygen generators on all US aircraft with more than 19 seats. Foreign airlines must also allow the use of portable oxygen concentrators on all flights to and from the continental United States.

 

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