Oxygen concentrators are an apparatus meant for providing oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy is provided to patients to provide significantly more concentration of oxygen level that is available in the air. They are extremely safe to use and are relatively inexpensive and more convenient compared to filling oxygen bottles. One can get it from medical supply companies, registered distributors and marketers of the product or selected refurbished sources. Oxygen concentrators can also be employed in industrial process as efficient and inexpensive source of oxygen.
How oxygen concentrators work?
Though there are numerous models and brands available in the market but the simplest of them consist of two cylinders which are basically filled with zeolite meant for absorption of nitrogen from the air. In every cycle as the air is made to flow into the cylinder, the nitrogen molecules are arrested by zeolite. The other cylinder is vented off and the nitrogen captured is dispersed. Each cycle lasts for 20 secs; it ensures continuous oxygen supply at a high concentration. This procedure is called as PSA or Pressure Swing Absorption.
Portable oxygen concentrators
There has been a significant boom in the oxygen concentrators market in the past decade. There are numerous portable models which are capable of producing less than 1LPM of oxygen, they work on the pulse or demand flow and provide oxygen only when the person is inhaling. There are other models which generates 3LPM of oxygen. These oxygen concentrators can be plug into any wall electrical outlet. One can also plug them into DC adapter and they have the capacity from running from both battery and power. They are highly flexible as they can be carried in ambulance or in airplane. Only the FAA approved concentrators could be used on commercial planes. Oxygen concentrators are also used in military for surgical requirements.
Industrial oxygen concentrators
When it comes to industrial oxygen concentrators the usage is of massive scale. They are needed for producing higher pressures generate more pressure than small individual units. They work on the principle of Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA). They are developed by air products and it makes use of single pressure blower which low in nature. It comes with a valve which turns around the flow via the blower and here is where the regeneration occurs. Such concentrators are used in aquaculture industry. The capacity and the range of Industrial oxygen concentrators is wide than the portable oxygen concentrators.
These large industrial oxygen units are referred as oxygen generators so as to distinguish them from the medical terminally used oxygen concentrators. These heavy scale oxygen generators are not medically FDA approved and hence cannot be used as medical oxygen concentrators.
Safety of oxygen concentrators
It should be noted that in clinical and emergency situations they are safe to use. They are not dangerous like the conventional oxygen cylinders, which have the chances of getting split or leaky. Thus the chances of fire enhancement can be averted to a great extent. They are best recommended in disaster situations where the usage of oxygen tanks is risky.
Oxygen concentrators can be used for patients in their homes and could be used addition to CPAP or BIPAP. Apart from this they can be used for sleep apnea, emphysema, COPD and other respiratory aliments as well as Oxygen Enhanced Exercise O2E2 also called EWOT, Exercise with Oxygen Training or Exercise with Oxygen Therapy.
The bottled oxygen cylinders can be expensive and have limited supply, they can be dangerous. Special care has to be taken so as to avoid leakage and accidents. Oxygen concentrators are usually most cost effective for non-stop oxygen supply where stationary or home/office use is required.