Designed to provide an efficient method of oxygen, based on medical needs, the oxygen concentrator has been around for a little over ten years. The concentrator is designed to deliver processed air which meets required health standards, so that the patient can achieve their acceptable co2 levels. These machines can range from two to three LPM's (litres per minute) and are considered as a safe alternative to the big and bulky co2 tanks.
Part of the design is the absorption of nitrogen in the air through zeolite, which can be found on board the unit, usually in a couple of cylinders. Most units function as cycles which run on an average of about 20 seconds, allowing for oxygen to flow continuously for the patient's consumption. Units are designed to be compact and easy to move around in the patient's home.
Oxygen is an important requirement of any human being, especially if they are under medical charge. Generally speaking, patients who suffer with COPD and other forms of respiratory disorder, require additional sources of oxygen to adjust for their own restrictive access. In these cases, patients can be sent home with oxygen-gas cylinders, liquid-oxygen devices or concentrators to help them survive. Patients with any of these oxygen devices can easily perform for many years into the future.
Without a steady source of good oxygen, the human body will die, just try holding your breath and you will see what happens. Oxygen is an important factor in keeping up the metabolism of cells, which can end up starving without it. Once the body takes in the available oxygen, it is usually dispersed within, primarily through the blood stream.
It is said that you never miss something until you lose it, that saying can easily be attributed to your oxygen levels. The problem with not enough oxygen in your body is this, you don't always know that your body is being starved, that is until serious side effects begin to take place. Individuals, who visit the emergency room for any reason, are usually checked for their oxygen level and this can be done as easily as affixing a clothes pin like gadget on the end of one of your fingers.
An extended stay in the hospital can include an oxygen dispenser, which is usually in the form of two spouts, one in each nostril. The other end is usually affixed to a central line which draws from the main hospital dispenser. Once you are sent home, you may be prescribed with your own portable oxygen concentrator to continue the process.
