What is oxygen concentrator? Ever since the second wave of coronavirus took India by storm, this medical device has been in extremely high demand. Affected families scramble to procure either oxygen concentrators or cylinders from suppliers in a bid to breathe life into patients.
An oxygen concentrator is a compact device that concentrates and sieves oxygen from the air, filtering out nitrogen, to supply a stream of life-saving gas to the patient. It makes up for the low oxygen levels in a person's blood, making up for the shortage caused by a disease or other medical conditions.
Portable variations are available readily today, to make for easy movement.
The oxygen thus being supplied through a concentrator is upto 95 percent pure. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) place a concentrator's flow rate between 5 and 10 litres per minute.
What is oxygen concentrator and how is it different from cylinders?
In health conditions raised by the SARS-CoV-2, which attacks the lungs affecting supply of oxygen in the body, oxygen concentrators have proved to be useful for patients.
Though used interchangeably with oxygen cylinders, concentrators function and treat differently. Where cylinders are used for oxygen supply to critical COVID-19 patients, a mild to moderate drop in oxygen can be reversed with an oxygen concentrator.
Here is a tabulated explanation:
| Oxygen Concentrator |
Oxygen Cylinder |
| Usable by patients only mildly or moderately sick, with SPO2 levels above 85 |
Best for patients with serious dip in SPO2 levels, critical ICU admits |
| Non-stop oxygen supply |
Oxygen sustains as long as cylinder supply does |
| Does not require refill but needs continuous connection to a power source |
Needs refilling after oxygen supply in cylinder exhausted |
| Expensive (upwards of Rs 45000) but looked at as investment |
Cheaper (priced under Rs 10000) but has to be refilled |
| Portable, easy to carry |
Portable, bulkier in size |
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