A portable oxygen concentrator has become a "must" for the many people who have COPD and who have have to receive supplemental oxygen. Simultaneously this type of machine can be a godsend for individuals who assist or live with them.
For both the patient and the caretaker, too little oxygen saturation is difficult - the individual has to live with the shortness of breath and all that entails, or must receive extra oxygen. Those that assist, and this could be a relative or someone from the medical profession, must provide help also to do so got to know their way around 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 produce for another approach.
A portable oxygen concentrator extracts oxygen from the surrounding air. After that it delivers the oxygen in a concentrated form, to the individual. An oxygen tank delivers oxygen to the patient from its reservoir or stored oxygen. The basic difference has to do with storage. A tank holds or stores oxygen while a concentrator does not - it delivers the oxygen since it extracts it.
The difference between a stored and non stored oxygen system has another implication. A tank will deliver the quantity of oxygen it stores. The tanks capacity depends on its size basically and the oxygen will last a limited time - how much exactly will depend on how full the tank is and the delivery rate. For a portable oxygen concentrator, the delivery can last as long as the machine is turned on.
The next difference also follows on from the prior one. A tank or cylinder that holds oxygen, both compressed or liquid, will deliver oxygen at a certain adjustable rate, in line with the pressure released from the tank. Quite simply it does not require yet another power source to deliver the oxygen. A portable oxygen concentrator however 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 the battery or as a result of being plugged in. Portable oxygen concentrators use rechargeable batteries which increases dramatically its possibilities for oxygen delivery and when you are plugged in, where many models can also be connected to the car lighter socket for example.
These three basic differences can happen small in nature but in reality are the reason why portable oxygen concentrators haven't only become so popular but have also increased the amount and type of activities COPD patients are enjoying. From the point of view of caretakers - especially members of the family - they're experiencing less demands and also have therefore less stress.
In short:
Longer oxygen supply. Even though not plugged in, the battery option which can go from 2 hours onwards based on the flow rate and the battery capacity. But with portable oxygen machine of battery the complete cycle begins again.
The relationship between weight and quantity of oxygen that's stored is not any longer an issue.
There is no need for a refill - this being among the logistic problems and limitations that used eventually everyone on supplemental oxygen before the arrival of portable oxygen concentrators.
Decoration make these machines more portable.
Travel, short distances, long distances or the equivalent in time intervals is much easier. This ease of travel is because of the durability of the oxygen supply and also because public carriers (airplanes, trains and buses) have less restraints than they do for oxygen containers.