What is Oxygen Concentrator? When Would You Need One?

With most COVID patients gasping for oxygen, the demand for oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators have gone up manifold. We all know what an oxygen cylinder is but oxygen concentrator seems to be a new term that we are using very often now. While many are already using an oxygen concentrator and knows all about these concentrators, there still could be many who might want to know more about these devices that could help people breathe easy.

So, what is the difference between an oxygen cylinder and an oxygen concentrator? How does an oxygen concentrator? When would you need oxygen concentrator? How can you get one? How much does it cost? We try to answer these questions in this article.

An oxygen concentrator is an equipment that sucks in air, separates the oxygen from nitrogen and gives air with a much higher level of oxygen concentrate that is necessary to save a patient infected with COVID.

Air is made of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and one per cent is other gases. The oxygen concentrator takes in this air, filters it through a sieve, releases the nitrogen back into the air, and works on the remaining oxygen. Under normal circumstances 21% oxygen is ok for person to breathe and stay healthy. But a COVID patient might need air with more oxygen, like over 90%. Concentrators help doing this.

If you are treating COVID at home, it is advisable to keep one handy. But oxygen concentrators are beneficial only if the patient's oxygen level is between 90 per cent and 92 per cent. This equipment won't be able to help if the levels drop below 90 per cent. It would also not be safe to keep the patient at home if the oxygen level drops below 90 per cent. Oxygen concentrators can supply 5-10 litres of oxygen per minute (critical patients may need 40-50 litres per minute).

Costing anywhere upwards of Rs 40,000 up to about Rs 90,000 concentrators are more expensive than cylinders (Rs 8,000-20,000). But it is a one-time investment. Apart from electricity and routine maintenance, concentrators are hassle-free. Oxygen cylinders on the other hand would require to be refilled.

Oxygen concentrators are portable and can be easily carried from one place to another and do not need refilling. It only needs a source of power to draw in ambient air. On the other hand, oxygen cylinders are bulky and need refilling. Both have their benefits, advantages and disadvantages. However, for critical COVID patients, only cylinders can save a life.

They need a continuous electricity supply ranging from 100W to 600W. Unlike oxygen cylinders, it dispenses oxygen until and unless it has been manually shut down. One litre of oxygen can raise the lung capacity of a patient to 24%, whereas 2 litres can increase it to 28% and so on. It can be regulated as per the need.

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