Oxygen Concentrators - the saviors

 

Hey hello fam, Oxygen concentrator is one of the most important device and mostly used device in COVID-19 In this article we are gonna see about how this oxygen concentrators played a important role in COVID-19.

What is an Oxygen Concentrator?

An oxygen concentrator is a device which basically makes oxygen on its own, unlike the medically sourced oxygen in hospitals via industrial units in the form of cylinders. Their is no refilling required and it can also be moved around easily. The basic working of an oxygen concentrator is it takes the oxygen from the room or nearby surroundings, purifies it and produces the oxygen for the patient or person who's in need of oxygen.

Components:

It contains the following components in it ,

1. Air filter 
2. Compressor 
3. Heat exchanger 
4. surge tank 
5. Control unit 
6. PSA Tubes 
7. Product tank 
8. Pressure regulator 
9. Oxygen Outlet 

The working :

The oxygen concentrator uses Pressure swing absorption(PSA) which is a technology used to separate some gas species form a mixture of gases under pressure. As we know that the air contains mixture of gases so the Oxygen concentrator filters the Oxygen form other gases and give that filtrated oxygen to the patients  

Their role in COVID-19 :

The main and major issue in patient suffering from COVID-19 is breathlessness which arises during 7-10 days after the attack of COVID virus In second wave, Hospitals being overcrowded and lack of availability of ventilators caused a major problems and deaths as to prevent that situation Oxygen concentrators are provided to be helpful. As the oxygen concentrator filters oxygen and gives it to patients it plays a vital role in patients suffering from breathing problems. Patients may suffer from mild to severe symptoms who are infected with COVID-19 virus . . Also the majority of cases are patients with mild symptoms who don’t require ventilator support, breathing therapy by oxygen concentrator helps in stabilizing the health of the patient. Oxygen concentrator played a crucial role in COVID-19 also saved many life's 

Their Types 

There are two types of Oxygen concentrators available for our benefit and the way we are going to use it they are,

1. Stationary oxygen concentrators
2. Portable Oxygen Concentrators 

Stationary oxygen concentrators:

Stationary oxygen concentrators are generally larger and heavier than the portable oxygen concentrators, but they can also offer higher flow rates and are often recommended for patients who need more oxygen than portable concentrators can provide. Some of the features of Stationary Oxygen Concentrators are as follow,

• Have a higher oxygen output
• Typically deliver continuous oxygen flow
• Greater lifespan
• Require a power source to operate
• Most models come with wheels for ease of transfer

Portable Oxygen Concentrators:

A portable oxygen concentrator(POC) is a device used to provide oxygen therapy to people that require greater oxygen concentrations than the levels of ambient air. It is similar to a home oxygen concentrator, but is smaller in size and more mobile.

• Smaller in size and compact in design
• Portable in nature
• Lightweight compared to stationary oxygen concentrators
• It can work by rechargeable battery
• Deliver pulse dose oxygen

How to buy an Oxygen concentrator and its Requirements :

We need about 7-8Liters of oxygen per minute for inhalation as well as exhalation for exhalation we take up to 3-4L of oxygen per minute and for inhalation we take 5L of oxygen per minute so we need to buy 5L Oxygen concentrator note the point 5liters some of them sell 1Liter Oxygen concentrator saying that it has 90 - 95 % purity No thats not enough See I told you that we need 5liters of oxygen per minute sometimes the patients need 8 to 12L also if their is a COVID Patient 1L is not enough. so Don't buy 1liter and waste your money 1liter can be brought only for home use not for Covid patients kindly note the point

Before buying Oxygen Concentrators there is certain things we should keep is mind like:

1. Its Flow rate 
2. Power consumption 
3. Portability 
4. Oxygen concentration 
5. Nosie level 
6. Warranty

If you are buying any Oxygen concentrators Compare them, check them, do your own research and buy them if you are buying it should last long and be safe to the patients

I hope that I given a information you need and if you have any doubts or queries please do contact me. That's all for now, fam.

Stay safe and wear a mask😷