Things You Should Know About Portable Oxygen Concentrators

by Calyn Ehid
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A portable oxygen concentrator is a mobile device that provides oxygen therapy to a patient at substantially higher concentration than the level of ambient air. It enables patients to be breath independently. The POC range covered by intermediacy is small and discreet, uses battery power, but a car can power it. POC are seniors since they have been there five decades. However, seniors were bulky, not reliable and not supposed to be used in airplanes. Nevertheless, over the years, some manufacturers have improved their reliability by producing around 1-6 liters in a minute per oxygen concentrator.

You can plug the POC directly into a regular house outlet for home charging. Also, you can connect a POC to a vehicle DC adapter when you want to use it. The technology of the domestic home concentrators is based on the same principle behind this discovery. Air at barometric pressure contains 21% oxygen combined with nitrogen and a mixture of other gases. Inside the device, there is a miniaturized compressor, which pressurizes the air through a system of chemical filters called molecular sieves.

Part of the air produced is delivered to the patient while the other is fed back to the sieves to clear the system from accumulating nitrogen, hence preparing it for the next cycle. Electricity powers the latest POC models, 12v DC and battery packs, therefore, easing the patient’s job of relying on cylinders.

Average Cost of Portable Oxygen

The cost of portable energy depends on some critical factors. Such factors determine the price: Is it new or used? How much of oxygen concentration is covered by medical insurance? And whether you will be buying or renting the oxygen concentrator. POC cost between $2000 and $6000 depending on concentrator weight, features offered and the brand. For example, Evergo Respironics Concentrator cost about $4000 and weighs about 10 pounds. They also have a touch screen display, longer battery life and have a carrying bag. On the other hand, SeQual Eclipse cost about $30000. They are heavier and can be used as a home concentrator, weigh about 18 pounds, but their battery life is lower than Evergo. Insurance covers the purchase of POC if the patient is in dire need of it even though copay rates and deductibles still apply. The average deductible starts at $1000 to over $2000 while average copay ranges from $15 to $25 depending on the state.

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Rent a Portable Oxygen Tank

If you are planning to rent a portable oxygen tank, then depends on someone’s needs. Do you need it for placing it on an airplane? Which airline would you put it? While doing this, keep in mind that there are some airlines, which prohibit the use of oxygen tanks since they pose a significant threat. Consider the battery life of the oxygen tank you want to rent. Think about the amount of time you will be away and the type of power-source you will need to charge it. Do not forget to consider the weight of the concentrator, and the nature of means you will use to transport it. The benefits of renting oxygen tank is that it allows you to have an experience of using one, and helps you decided on whether or not you would like to buy a specific concentrator.

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Who Needs a Portable Oxygen

People who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease require oxygen tanks to breathe through during a temporary disease. This type of condition frequents people who suffer from chronic bronchitis or emphysema. These types of illnesses make the airway of the lungs narrower leading to difficulties in breathing. In the pre-hospital environment, you give oxygen to those with significant trauma, anaphylaxis, major bleeding, shock, hypothermia, active convulsions, and resuscitation. You also give it to those with hypoxemia injuries or illness. Patients receiving oxygen therapy for hypoxemia should not have a prescription renewal for continued oxygen routinely without a physician re-assessment of their condition.

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Portable Oxygen Providers

Pure O2, is the most significant independent portable oxygen of all the providers. One of the advantages of this provider is that they provide the latest advancement in oxygen therapy. State Oxygen concentrator rentals are other portable oxygen providers for travelers and patients in the respective state. One of the benefits of shopping in the respective state, is that you will get so many different high-quality portable oxygen concentrators to choose from, all available from most trusted brands like seQual, Imogen, and Invacare. AirSep Freestyle 5 is best for making smallest portable concentrators, and those that provide the highest amount of pulse dose oxygen per minute. One of the advantages of this provider is that their concentrators can provide 750ml of pulse dose oxygen per minute, thus making it a more significant alternative for those who need a lighter dose.

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Getting a Portable Oxygen Machine

Before purchasing an oxygen concentrator, one of the things to consider is the amount of oxygen provided and the delivery process conducted by the provider. The two options you can choose from are oxygen in pulse or continuous flow. The decision lies solely on this matter, since one may find it easier to receive oxygen in puff rather than in constant stream and vice versa. Additionally, you should consider the size of the actual portability of concentrator. It means that even though all these machines are portable, you can find one that is convenient for you to carry and one that causes no discomfort. Remember to consider the warranty coverage of the machine since there has to be a backup plan. Therefore, when thinking about getting a portable oxygen device consider the following general factors: the price, personal needs, amount of oxygen, delivery process, traveling requirements, size, battery life, portability, and warranty.

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Discreet Portable Oxygen

The world’s smallest and discreet portable oxygen concentrator makes traveling the most comfortable thing for a patient who is in need of medical grade oxygen since it weighs less than 5lbs. There are so many ways of carrying the discreet portable oxygen; the first one is that you can choose to throw it over your shoulder with a handle strap or place it around your waist with a waist strap. The machine has an internal battery and an extra supplemental battery. Plugging the unit into a cigarette lighter or wall outlet will charge the battery at the same time as the patient is using the unit.

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