Before buying any oxygen concentrator for COPD patients, it is very important to know some small but crucial things to keep in mind which will help to get the best product according to patient’s requirements.
But before that, you need to have some basic introduction about oxygen concentrator.
What is oxygen concentrator?
An oxygen concentrator is a machine which takes external air from the environment and purifies it by removing nitrogen from it to the patient. It is used for COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patients who have breathing problem and low oxygen concentration in their blood.
Oxygen concentrators are used when doctors recommends to specific patients. Without doctor’s recommendations it is not advisable to use.
There are many types of oxygen concentrator ranging from different percentage of oxygen concentration depending upon the needs of patients.
Oxygen concentration are measured in LPM i.e., litres per minute.
In addition to this, there are many diseases in which oxygen concentrator is required such as asthama, Penumonia, Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as well as sleep apnea.
How it works?
Its mechanism is very simple. It takes normal air from its surroundings as it contains approx 21 percent of oxygen and then purifies air by removing nitrogen with the help of sieve beds and a filter and then compresses that air.
It consists of cooling mechanism which keeps the concentrator cool and prevent from being overheated and then delivers purified air through mask or nasal cannula to patient. It has electronic interface which helps to adjust delivery settings according to the needs and breathing requirements of patients.
- Know your flow requirements –
It is very important to know your or patient’s flow requirements. If you don’t know then you can consult doctor. Most of the times, doctor recommends how much flow is needed according to the patients.
Flow is measured in litres per minutes i.e., LPM. For average person, flow requirement of home oxygen concentrator is up to 5 LPM.
Know the kind of concentrator required –
There are various types of oxygen concentrators are available in the market. Some of them are portable oxygen concentrator or home oxygen concentrator, and there is big difference between them.
Portable oxygen concentrator is 3 times more expensive than home oxygen concentrator.
Minimum flow of home oxygen concentrator is up to 5 LPM and high flow ranges from 8 LPM to 10 LPM.
On the other hand, flow of portable oxygen concentrator is of two types, one is pulse flow and other is combination of pulse flow and continuous flow.
Most of the times, doctor prescribes the kind of oxygen concentrator required according to the needs of patients .
Choose branded Oxygen concentrator –
Try to choose that brand of concentrator which has received maximum positive consumer ratings. As these things are mentioned by doctor according to patient’s needs.
Some of the brands are :-
AirSep and Philips Respironics Oxygen Concentrator –
These are one of the most selling machines in the market and has received maximum positive consumer ratings.
Invacare – this brand has entered the Indian market and giving tough competitions by outranking its competitors.
Apart from these machines, there are various fake Chinese machines are available in the market, so try to understand the difference between the two and beware of them.
Choose right models for oxygen concentrator –
It is very important to select models of oxygen concentrator based on patient’s breathing patterns.
Here is a list of some of the top and most recommended models of oxygen concentrator according to patient’s breathing patterns –
Portable Oxygen Concentrator –
- Airsep focus
- Airsep Freestyle Series
- SeQual Eclipse 5
- Philips Respironics SimplyGo
- Invacare XPO2
- SeQual eQuinox
Stationary Oxygen Concentrator –
- Airsep VisionAire 5 –
- Airsep NewLife Elite –
- NewLife Intensity 10
- Caire Companion 5 –
- Philips Respironics EverFlo
- Invacare Perfect O2 V
- Invacare Platinum 10
- Nidek Nuvo Lite
- Nidek Nuvo 8
These are some of the best models suitable for patients but it would be great if you consult doctor first for their recommendation.
Check prices for various oxygen concentrator in Delhi NCR-
You must check prices before buying any concentrator. It is not that cheap concentrators are always best.
No oxygen concentrator comes with MRP price tag. Some specific oxygen concentrators –
5 LPM Home Oxygen Concentrators
High flow (8 – 10 LPM) Oxygen Concentrators
Pulse flow Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Continuous flow Portable Oxygen Concentrators
