DNA Explainer: What is an oxygen concentrator? Why you should know about this?

As COVID-19 cases are on the rise, the need for oxygen cylinders for corona-positive patients is increasing whereas the hospitals are falling short of supplies. In such a crisis situation we look for alternatives to oxygen cylinders. One such alternative is oxygen concentrators. But do you know what exactly it is and how it can be a good alternative?

Oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylinders have both been designed to deliver patients with oxygen therapy, who on their own are not able to get the suitable amount of oxygen. The good part is that you can get oxygen concentrators on Amazon.

Oxygen concentrators dispense oxygen in almost exactly the same way that oxygen tanks do, delivering oxygen directly to the patient via the same nasal cannula or oxygen masks. However, where oxygen tanks contain a fixed amount of pressurized oxygen, concentrators collect oxygen from the surrounding air, concentrate it, and then deliver it to the patient, removing the need for replacement or refilling.

Concentrators are also available in multiple styles, offering larger models for use at home or in the hospital as well as more compact models perfect for traveling and moving out and about.

There are many similarities and differences between oxygen tanks and oxygen concentrators, and each has its own benefits. Because of this, finding the right product to meet you or your loved one's needs might feel like an imposing task. 

Advantages of oxygen concentrators 

The ability of oxygen concentrators to continuously draw in and treat air ensures that, unlike oxygen tanks, the concentrator will never run out of oxygen. 

Because they do not rely on pressurized oxygen, concentrators do not require a dense metal tank. This means that they are notably lighter and more portable than most oxygen tanks. 

Oxygen concentrators are available in a wide selection of sizes, models, and styles, each designed to perfectly accommodate a specific user base. 

While oxygen tanks frequently need to be refilled or replaced, oxygen concentrators use ambient air and therefore don't require the long-term maintenance costs that tanks do. It's a one-time investment.

Disadvantages of oxygen concentrators 

Because they do not use pressurized oxygen within a tank, oxygen concentrators must rely on battery or electric power to perform their air filtering and oxygen flow.

Oxygen concentrators collect oxygen from the air and then filter and compress it for the user. This process can often be noisy, due to the various components at work.

Because of the complex mechanisms at work, oxygen concentrators are often quite expensive up-front.