Portable Oxygen Tanks

Portable Oxygen Tanks

Are a practical option specially for moving about around the house, in the office or for short car trips.

Portable oxygen tanks used to be the standard issue in oxygen delivery systems. In fact for a time they were the only alternative that patients who required supplemental oxygen, could receive either at home or for their (at that time) limited mobility.

Advances in designs that have incorporated new materials as well as technical developments mean that a portable tank today is much easier to carry, to store, to recharge and will even deliver oxygen for longer periods of time.

Benefits of Portable Oxygen Tanks

Some of the benefits that have been enhanced with the new designs in portable oxygen tanks are:

• Smaller tanks 
• Easier to carry 
• You can place them in a small satchel or backpack 
• They are less cumbersome to store 
• Excellent devices for short periods of use.  For example within the house, you no longer have to pull a long a large tank or have extra long hoses connected 
• Less weight -not only the size delivers this benefit, but also the new aluminum tanks are lighter 
• Longer lasting delivery. 

Generally oxygen tanks refer to liquid oxygen containers and oxygen cylinders refer to compressed oxygen containers.  However common usage have made these terms, tanks and cylinders, interchangeable.

These two types of oxygen systems, liquid oxygen and compressed oxygen, have different characteristics.

Liquid Oxygen Tanks: 

When oxygen is kept in a liquid state (-170 degrees Celsius) the amount of oxygen stored is much greater than if it is stored in its gaseous state. The relationship between the gaseous state and the liquid state of oxygen is approximately 860 to 1; therefore 860 liters of gas oxygen is the equivalent of 1 liter of liquid oxygen. The amount of oxygen when kept in a liquid stage is much greater which is why a liquid oxygen tank lasts much longer.

Compressed Oxygen Cylinders: 

Oxygen cylinders holding compressed gas were for a long time the only alternative available. The cylinder is filled with pressurized oxygen, and to do this you have two ways of doing it: a. Through your oxygen provider and b. From a stationary oxygen concentrator (with the appropriate adaptor).

The final delivery of oxygen to the patient is basically the same whether stored as liquid or as gas.

The required amount of oxygen (as a gas) is delivered through a plastic hose to the nose so that the patinet absorbs the oxygen by inhaling. The flow is regulated at a fixed rate. The patients receives his oxygen by means of a nose cannula (plastic hose that rests behind the ears and adjusts at the nostril) or via a face mask.

Most people who need supplemental oxygen will not depend on only one type of oxygen delivery system. It is more than lightly that they have a particular type of portable oxygen unit for some of their activities, and others for other types of activities. What is very important is that anyone on supplemental oxygen, be it for occasional use or full time, be prescribed professionally with additional oxygen.

The mobility that today's portable oxygen tanks bring has vastly improved patient's quality of life.

You should share and be open with your doctor or physician about the type of activities you have, so that they can help you define your optimum portable oxygen machine that fits in with your level of activities.