A portable oxygen concentrator has become a "must" for the many people who have COPD and who've need to receive supplemental oxygen. Concurrently this type of machine can be a godsend for individuals who assist or live using them.
For both patient and the caretaker, too little oxygen saturation is difficult - the individual has to live with either a shortness of breath and all that this entails, or must receive extra oxygen. Those that assist, and this could be a family member or someone from the medical profession, must provide help also to do so must know their way around the oxygen machine, in this instance a portable oxygen concentrator.
There are some basic differences between an oxygen concentrator and an oxygen tank (either liquid or compressed oxygen) that make for a different approach.
A portable oxygen concentrator extracts oxygen from the encompassing air. After that it delivers the oxygen in a concentrated form, to the individual. An oxygen tank delivers oxygen to the patient from its reservoir or stored oxygen. The essential difference has to do with 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 will depend on its size basically and the oxygen will last a restricted time - how much exactly will depend on how full the tank is and the delivery rate. For a portable oxygen concentrator , the delivery can last as long as the machine is turned on.
Another difference also follows on from the previous one. A tank or cylinder that holds oxygen, both compressed or liquid, will deliver oxygen at a particular adjustable rate, using the pressure released from the tank. In Learn more here does not require an additional power source to deliver the oxygen. A portable oxygen concentrator however delivers the oxygen it is extracting from the air around it which extraction is possible because of its power source that makes the extraction mechanism work. Electricity - be it from the battery or because of being plugged in. Portable oxygen concentrators use rechargeable batteries which increases dramatically its possibilities for oxygen delivery and when you are plugged in, where many models may also be connected to the car lighter socket for example.
These three basic differences can happen small in nature but in reality are the reason portable oxygen concentrators haven't only become so popular but also have increased the total amount and kind of activities COPD patients are enjoying. From the idea of view of caretakers - especially family - they're experiencing less demands and have therefore less stress.
In short:
Longer oxygen supply. Even though not plugged in, the battery option which can go from 2 hours onwards according to the flow rate and the battery capacity. But with a change of battery the complete cycle begins again.
The partnership between weight and quantity of oxygen that is stored is not any longer an issue.
There is no need for a refill - this being one of the logistic problems and limitations that used eventually everyone on supplemental oxygen prior to the arrival of portable oxygen concentrators.
Size and shape make these machines more portable.
Travel, short distances, long distances or the same in time intervals is a lot 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.