What does an Oxygen Concentrator Do?
An oxygen concentrator takes the normal air that you breathe and makes it so that it is made into 90-95% oxygen that is then delivered to the patient. While it does not deliver pure oxygen like an oxygen gas cylinder would, it is still sufficient for most medical purposes
Wow! How does it do that?
The air we breathe is made up of various gases mainly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). A concentrator uses various chemical processes and removes as much nitrogen as possible from the air it takes in and produces only oxygen. So normal atmospheric air goes in and ~95% oxygen comes out!
What Do I Need To Know Before
Buying?
There are three main things to be aware of when buying an oxygen concentrator:
- The Flow Rate
- Oxygen Purity
- The Relationship Between 1 & 2
What is the Flow Rate?
1L? 5L? LPM?
You may have seen such numbers when searching for concentrators, the number means how many litres of air per minute the machine delivers. Note the distinction: litres of AIR delivered per minute.
If a concentrator runs at 5 Litres Per Minute (LPM), that means it is delivering 5 litres of air per minute to the patient
What is the Oxygen Purity?
The oxygen purity of an oxygen concentrator is the measure of how much of the air that is being delivered to the patient is oxygen. So if a concentrator says 95% purity – that means 95% of the output air is oxygen. If it says 30% purity then that would indicate only 30% of the output air is oxygen.
Flow Rate & Oxygen Purity
Now that we understand Flow Rate and Oxygen Purity. Let’s see how they interact.
Any reputed brand concentrator would hold it’s ~95% purity regardless of what Flow Rate is being used. Some concentrators reduce the oxygen purity as the flow is increased.
In the example here of a fairly popular model in the current COVID scenario, it can be seen that at 1 Litre (of air) per minute, 90% of that air is oxygen. However at 6 Litres (of air) per minute, only 30% of that air is oxygen. Remember that the normal air we breathe is 21% oxygen already!
That means this concentrator most probably will not be very effective for someone needing a higher flow level since the purity is quite reduced.
How do I make sure I am buying a
good machine?
The ideal way is to check the specifications yourself online. If they are not available then you can ask the seller or email the company directly. Most of all, ensure you are buying from reputed shops and dealers.
Thank you for reading. We hope you stay at home and stay safe. Avoid unnecessary movement. If you must travel, wear a mask, sanitise and maintain social distancing!
