Portable Oxygen Equipment

The whole reason behind portable oxygen equipment is so that you can enjoy a more active life style even when you need additional oxygen.

Portable Oxygen Equipment:

If you need portable oxygen equipment this means that you have been prescribed with supplemental oxygen and the diagnosis indicates the amount and the frequency that you must receive oxygen. It also means that the prescription and diagnosis is taking into account your lifestyle and your needs relating to activities.

This probably includes your professional and work demands, your leisure time that could include exercise (walking, golf, etc.), your social life and your family life.

The most important aspect of all this is that you can and should live an active life - hence the portable side of the oxygen equipment.

The term portable oxygen equipment includes:

a. Oxygen supply system

• Portable oxygen concentrators, which are units that extract oxygen from the surrounding air and deliver it to the patient or user at a higher concentration.
• Portable oxygen tanks, which hold liquid oxygen that is transformed to gas and then delivered to the user.
• Portable oxygen cylinders, that hold compressed oxygen (in gas form) and then supplied to the patient.

b. Oxygen Accessories

• Nose cannula which is a tube like piece through which the oxygen is fed to the nose. There are also other types of oxygen directing alternatives, such as oxygen masks and mouth delivery systems.
• Oxygen conserving devices that are used to regulate the amount of oxygen that is being delivered. These devices also help reduce oxygen waste as they are set to deliver oxygen as you inhale and this means that unlike regular oxygen flow where the delivery is made at specific intervals and thereby also delivering during exhalation, the oxygen supply will be extended.
• Oximeters. These are small devices that are used to read the mount of oxygen saturation in the blood. They are placed over the tip of the finger and read off the saturation level (in people with healthy oxygen saturation the levels are between 90% and 98%). Before these units were introduced it was nearly impossible for a patient to identify their oxygen saturation and this meant that they were dependent of tests that had to be made in a clinic or hospital. This in turn limited their mobility and what is even more important, reduced their lifestyle.

Additionally there will be carrier alternatives that go from small backpacks to pull along trolleys as well as similar types of accessories.

The phrase portable oxygen equipment will normally be applied to oxygen delivery systems that are used by patients on long term oxygen therapy. However other portable oxygen equipment uses must include underwater diving, fish farms, oxygen bars and beauty related treatments (due to facial skin benefits).