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Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Portable oxygen concentratators provide respiratory patients with increased mobility and flexibilty for their active lifestyles. We carry a wide selection of the top models.
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Portable Oxygen Concentrators
A portable oxygen concentrator, also called a portable concentrator is a portable device used to provide oxygen therapy to a patient at substantially higher concentrations than the levels of ambient air. It is very similar to a Portableoxygen concentrator, but it smaller in size and more mobile. The portable oxygen concentrator makes it easy for patients to travel freely; they are small enough to fit in a car and most of the major concentrators are now FAA approved.
How they Work
The simplest Portableoxygen Concentrator is capable of continuous delivery of oxygen and has internal functions based around two cylinders, filled with a zeolite material, which selectively adsorbs the nitrogen in the air. In each cycle, air flows through one cylinder at a pressure of around 20 lbf/inē (138 kPa, or 1.36 atmospheres) where the nitrogen molecules are captured by the zeolite, while the other cylinder is vented off to ambient atmospheric pressure allowing the captured nitrogen to dissipate.
Typical units have cycles of around 20 seconds, and allow for a continuous supply of oxygen at a flow rate of up to approximately five liters per minute (LPM) at concentrations anywhere from 50 to 95 %. This process is called pressure swing adsorption (PSA).[1] Since 1999, concentrators providing up to 10 LPM have been available for high flow patients, in sizes not much larger or heavier than 5 LPM concentrators.
Development
Portable oxygen concentrators have been around for decades; but the older versions were bulky, not reliable and not FAA approved. Since 2000, a number of manufactures have introduced the latest and more reliable versions of the portable oxygen concentrators. They produce anywhere between 1 and 6 liters per minute (LPM) of oxygen. There are versions that are pulse-flow or continuous-flow. The portable concentrators plug directly into a regular house outlet for charging at home or hotel; but they came with a power adapter that can usually be plugged into a vehicle DC adapter. They have the ability to operate from the battery power as well for either ambulatory use, or away from a power source, or on an airplane.
FAA Approves Oxygen Concentrators
The FAA has approved the use of portable oxygen concentrator for use on commercial airlines. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) will permit passengers to use certain portable oxygen concentrator (POC) devices on aircraft, provided certain conditions in this SFAR are satisfied. The SFAR includes a POC preparation requirement for carry-on baggage transport, and a battery-packaging standard necessary for the safe carriage of extra POC batteries in carry-on baggage. This rulemaking action is necessary to address the traveling needs of people on oxygen therapy.
Approved Airlines
Air Canada
Air France
Air New Zealand
Air Tahiti Nui
AirTran Airways
Alaska Airlines
Alitaliav
All Nippon Airways
Allegiant Air
Aloha Airlines
America West
American Airlines
ATA Airlines
Avianca Airlines
Champion Air
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
ExpressJet Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Horizon Air
Icelandair
JetBlue Airways
LTU International Airlines
Lufthansa
Mango
Mesa Airlines
Midwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Qantas
Scandinavian Airlines System
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
Southwest Airlines
Sterling Airlines
Sunwing Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
Swiss International Air Lines
US Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways
WestJet Airlines
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