A portable oxygen concentrator has become a "must" for the countless people with COPD and who have have to receive supplemental oxygen. At the same time this type of machine can be a godsend for individuals who assist or live with them.
For both patient and the caretaker, too little oxygen saturation is difficult - the patient must live with the shortness of breath and all that entails, or must receive extra oxygen. Those that assist, and this could be a relative or someone from the medical profession, must also provide help also to do so must know their way round the oxygen machine, in this instance a portable oxygen concentrator.
There are a few basic differences between an oxygen concentrator and an oxygen tank (either liquid or compressed oxygen) that produce for another approach.
A portable oxygen concentrator extracts oxygen from the surrounding air. It then delivers the oxygen in a concentrated form, to the patient. An oxygen tank delivers oxygen to the individual from its reservoir or stored oxygen. The essential difference is due to storage. A tank holds or stores oxygen while a concentrator does not - it delivers the oxygen as it extracts it.
The difference between a stored and non stored oxygen system has another implication. A tank will deliver the amount of oxygen it stores. The tanks capacity depends on its size basically and the oxygen can last a restricted time - how much exactly will depend on how full the tank is and the delivery rate. For Inogen , the delivery can last as long as the machine is turned on.
The next difference also follows on from the prior one. http://budtrader.com/arcade/members/inogen997/activity/5203346/ or cylinder that holds oxygen, both compressed or liquid, will deliver oxygen at a particular adjustable rate, in line with the pressure released from the tank. Put simply it does not require yet another power source to provide the oxygen. A portable oxygen concentrator however delivers the oxygen it really is extracting from the air around it which extraction is possible thanks to its power source which makes the extraction mechanism work. Electricity - be it from the battery or due to being plugged in. Portable oxygen concentrators use rechargeable batteries which increases dramatically its possibilities for oxygen delivery and by being plugged in, where many models can even be connected to the automobile lighter socket for example.
These three basic differences may appear small in nature but in reality are the reason portable oxygen concentrators haven't only become so popular but also have increased the amount and type of activities COPD patients are enjoying. From the point of view of caretakers - especially members of the family - they are experiencing less demands and also have therefore less stress.
In short:
Longer oxygen supply. Even though not plugged in, the battery option which can go from 2 hours onwards with regards to the flow rate and the battery capacity. But with a change of battery the complete cycle begins again.
The relationship between weight and quantity of oxygen that is stored is no longer an issue.
There is no need for a refill - this being one of the logistic problems and limitations which used eventually everyone on supplemental oxygen before the arrival of portable oxygen concentrators.
Decoration make these machines more portable.
Travel, short distances, long distances or the equivalent in time intervals is much easier. This ease of travel is because of the durability of the oxygen supply and in addition because public carriers (airplanes, trains and buses) have less restraints than they do for oxygen containers.