Oxygen Concentrator - Oxygen Concentrators Vs Compressed Oxygen

By Scott C Ridl

The oxygen concentrator is a unique device that is used in many different applications, although one of the most common is in oxygen therapy for patients with both acute and chronic pulmonary, respiratory, and other disorders. If you are suffering from such a disorder and are currently undergoing or will soon be undergoing oxygen therapy, concentrators can provide an alternative to compressed oxygen. Here, we will compare the two devices, as well as why you may want to choose one over the other.

The primary difference between an oxygen concentrator and a tank of compressed O2 is in how they function. O2 concentrators scrub nitrogen out of the air, thus delivering air with a higher percentage of oxygen to the patient. Compressed O2 tanks already contain a specific mixture of oxygen and air, and use pressurization to deliver it to the patient. This means that oxygen concentrators are superior in several ways to compressed oxygen tanks. Firstly, they are more convenient, as compressed oxygen tanks can be quite heavy and cumbersome. O2 concentrators tend to be fairly small and easier to move about.

An POC is also a more affordable solution than compressed oxygen, as compressed oxygen needs to be refilled periodically, while the filters used in an concentrator last a long time. Oxygen concentrators can also be adjusted to increase or decrease the level of oxygen a patient receives, to anywhere between twenty-one and forty-five percent, whereas oxygen tanks are difficult to adjust. An oxygen concentrator can deliver continuous or pulsed flow, and can even detect when a patient is inhaling in order to increase efficiency.

Lastly, concentrators are much safer than compressed oxygen, as a ruptured oxygen tank can pose a number of different safety hazards. If you are looking for a more convenient, more affordable, and safer alternative to compressed oxygen tanks, then an oxygen concentrator can be the perfect solution. There are even POC models available, which can be plugged into car DC adaptors and used on the go, to increase convenience. These portable versions tend to be short- term solutions, as they deliver lower flow capabilities than standard full size models. If you are undergoing oxygen therapy and don't want to wheel around a heavy tank of oxygen with you wherever you go, then using an O2 concentrator is the perfect solution to your needs.

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