Portable Oxygen Machines

Welcome to www.portableoxygenmachines.net where you can find what you need for your portable oxygen requirements, including portable oxygen concentrators, oxygen tanks and cylinders as well as your oxygen supplies in general. 

Portable Oxygen Machines: 

Portable oxygen machines have been around for some time, however over the last few years there have been important developments in both technology and designs that are benefiting millions of people.

These developments and changes in design are bringing much needed benefits to people who must receive additional oxygen and are possible because of their lighter weight, sizes and increased oxygen delivery times.

Perhaps the most important aspect of these changes is that mobility has become a real option and when you take into account how  anyone is affected by a forced reduction on their activity potential, it is easy to understand how extensive these developments really are. Portable oxygen machines are changing people's quality of life.

Oxygen Tanks Demonstration for Pulmonary Patients - Springfield Clinic Pulmonary Department

This video from the Springfield Clinic provides a biref but good introduction of oxygen therapy and portable oxygen machines.

The patient´s oxygen level is monitored with an oximeter while walking.  The idea is to identify the oxygen blood saturation and if found too low then the oxygen therapy will be applied.

Then a quick description of the three types of oxygen delivery systems and how they work.

1. The most common being an oxygen tank that holds concentrated oxygen.  Usually these are used by people who need extra oxygen for short periods of time. E-tank is shown here.

2. Liquid Oxygen. At low temperatures the oxygen liquefies.  When it is warmed it turns into gas and this is how it is delivered.

3. Oxygen Concentrator.  The one shown in this video is a home concentrator, not a portable one. 

Oxygen Machines 

Portable Oxygen machines are, for many patients, a standard requirement as they must receive supplemental oxygen continuously but the types and brands of oxygen units can be confusing.

Oxygen Machines:

Unfortunately there are many thousands of people who need to use additional oxygen on a daily basis. And the projections are that these numbers will increase substantially before they begin to decrease.

This can be for various reasons, but the main one is that they suffer from COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. (A vast majority of these have this ailment as a result of smoking in the past and with a baby boomer generation that is growing older, many of whom have smoked, there is tendency for more people to have COPD).

The good news is that there are some very good and practical alternatives that allow you to lead an active life. These are portable oxygen machines that are being made with the needs of the user in mind and where the current technology allows manufacturers to focus on the patient. For example there are lighter materials, such as aluminum, that put the "portable" into a portable oxygen machine. The combination of a home oxygen machine and a portable one makes live much easier for you.

A portable oxygen machine is one that you can take with you, maneuver it, take on as hand luggage or pull in a small cart. A mobile portable oxygen machine is one that can be easily carried and therefore in general terms weighs much less.

Portable Oxygen Tanks

These generally refer to liquid oxygen stored in tanks. The liquid oxygen then has to be converted to gas so that breathing can take place. The positive side of this is that a same sized tank of liquid oxygen will hold many times more oxygen than the same sized cylinder will of compressed oxygen. The down side is the tank refilling and that a certain amount of evaporation takes place so the longer the storage period the greater the oxygen loss in the tank.   

 

Portable Oxygen Cylinders 

They relate to compressed oxygen (in gas form). At one time the most common type of oxygen machine. These tanks are now lighter and with a greater variety of sizes and storage capacity than just a few short years ago. As with the other oxygen delivery systems you will find their stationary alternatives for home use.   

 

Portable Oxygen Concentrators 

An oxygen concentrator is a machine that extracts pure  oxygen from the surrounding air and delivers it to the patient. There are both stationary or home units, as well as portable concentrators. These type of machines have benefited greatly over the last few years with the development of portable units that can be powered both by direct plugging in or with rechargeable batteries - and this has meant an enormous increase in activity and mobility.   

For the many thousands of people who must receive continuous oxygen the new portable oxygen machines have made the difference between leading a near normal active life and being housebound a large percentage of their time.

Air Travel Oxygen Concentrators

Over the last few years there have been great and beneficial changes in the travel area, as the FAA has authorized a list of portable oxygen concentrators on aboard flights that travel over US airspace - and this is great news for oxygen dependent patients as this both simplifies their travel plans and makes it possible to extend their range of activities. These units can also be carried and used on trains, buses, ships and cars.

 

Portable Oxygen Generators

There is some confusion between oxygen generators and oxygen concentrators as both terms are used to refer to the same type of oxygen delivery machines. The terms portable oxygen generators and portable oxygen concentrators are used interchangeably - especially in the medical area.

 

Any one prescribed with supplemental oxygen will need not only the oxygen delivery machines, but additional items.  These will include: flow regulators, nose cannulas, masks and tubing as well as conserving devices and carriers, among others.

 

Oxygen Accessories and Oxygen Supplies

Perhaps the most important need, straight after being able to breathe obviously, is to be able to live an active life.  This is where portable oxygen is so vital for your quality of life.  The oxygen machines you can carry and have with you allow you to be mobile.  Then there are a series of accessories that make them even simpler - for example oxygen regulators and conserving devices (extending the length of time of your oxygen supply) as well as replacement batteries in the case of concentrators, and no matter the type of machine, pulse oximeters.

 

Portable Pulse Oximeters

Simply put, pulse oximeters allow you to measure your oxygen blood saturation as well as your pulse rate.  They are portable units and this has a great advantage both for medical emergencies (in an ambulance for example) but also for any of the thousands of people on oxygen, active and mobile. The amount of oxygen in your blood stream or oxygen saturation is a direct measure of how a patient is absorbing oxygen (or not). 

 

Oxygen Conserving Devices

Oxygen conserving devices make more efficient use of oxygen delivery so that the delivery takes place during inhalation and not continuously, therefore saving oxygen and reducing waste. The begining of the inhalation process is when we receive more oxygen into the alveoli. Read more for a more in depth look at this process and oxygen conserving devices.

Long Term Oxygen Therapy 

Long term oxygen therapy, or LTOT, refers to the administration of additional oxygen for at least 16 hours a day, day in day out. The oxygen delivery is especially important during sleep, after meals, exercise or unusually in cases of anxiety and mental turmoil...

Oxygen Administration

Oxygen is administered by various means, each of which have their own pros and cons - it will depend both on the diagnosis and the specific needs of the patient.

Travel Oxygen

Things are much better now for people on oxygen therapy and not least is the greater facilities you have for travel with your oxygen. This includes travel by car, by bus, by train as well as by air. Trips can now take much longer ...

 

Oxygen regulators allow you to control the amount of oxygen that is delivered according to your needs and prescribed flow.

COPD and Emphysema

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects millions of people and for many there is the need to also receive supplemental oxygen. Chronic describes the constant problem, while acute refers to specific incidents. COPD is a disease that won´t go away and is there for the long term.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea - caused by blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep.

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