A portable oxygen concentrator has become a "must" for the countless people with COPD and who have have to receive supplemental oxygen. Concurrently this kind of machine is also a godsend for individuals who assist or live with them.
For both patient and the caretaker, a lack of oxygen saturation is difficult - the patient 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 relative or someone from the medical profession, must also provide help and to do so got to know their way round the oxygen machine, in this case 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. It then delivers the oxygen in a concentrated form, to the patient. An oxygen tank delivers oxygen to the individual from its reservoir or stored oxygen. The basic difference has to do with storage. follow this link 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 depends on its size basically and the oxygen can 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 will last as long as the machine is turned on.
The next 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 being released from the tank. In other words it generally does not require yet another power source to deliver the oxygen. A portable oxygen concentrator on the other hand delivers the oxygen it really 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 a battery or as a result of being plugged in. Portable oxygen concentrators use rechargeable batteries which increases dramatically its possibilities for oxygen delivery and by being plugged in, where many models can be connected to the automobile lighter socket for example.
Additional resources may appear small in nature however in reality are the reason portable oxygen concentrators have not only become so popular but have also increased the total amount and kind of activities COPD patients are enjoying. From the point of view of caretakers - especially family members - they're experiencing less demands and also have therefore less stress.
In short:
Longer oxygen supply. Even though not plugged in, the battery option that may go from 2 hours onwards with respect to the flow rate and the battery capacity. But with a change of battery the whole cycle begins again.
The partnership between weight and quantity of oxygen that is stored is no longer an issue.
You don't have for a refill - this being one of the logistic problems and limitations which used happen to 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 equivalent in time intervals is much easier. This simple travel is due to the durability of the oxygen supply and also because public carriers (airplanes, trains and buses) have less restraints than they do for oxygen containers.