Source｜Medical Respiratory Channel
First of all, let's learn about the important parameters of an oxygen concentrator, and make sure you know whether those important parameters are up to the required standards before you buy one.
What is an oxygen concentrator? As the name suggests it is a machine that produces oxygen.
Nowadays, there are many types of oxygen concentrators on the market, which are characterized by different principles of oxygen production and different characteristics of use. According to the classification of oxygen generator oxygen principle, there are: molecular sieve principle, polymer oxygen-rich membrane principle, electrolysis water principle, chemical reaction oxygen principle and so on.
Early oxygen principle is chemical oxygen, that is, the use of chemical reagents to produce oxygen, because the method can not be a long time continuous supply of oxygen, and chemical reagents are expensive, high cost of oxygen, and was eliminated from the market. Molecular sieve oxygen concentrator is to air as raw material, only consume electricity, raw material is air, no need to spend, easy to take, use, not only relative to other principles of oxygen concentrator has the advantage, and liquid oxygen canisters, cylinders of oxygen compared to the other, but also has the advantage of easy to use, not subject to the market price of oxygen, the cost of transportation and other factors affect the benefits.
The molecular sieve oxygen concentrator is currently the only mature oxygen concentrator with both international and national standards. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase an oxygen concentrator based on the molecular sieve principle, especially for therapeutic use.
The molecular sieve oxygen concentrator works by utilizing the molecular sieve physical adsorption and desorption technology.
The oxygen concentrator is filled with molecular sieves, which can adsorb nitrogen from the air when pressurized, and the remaining unabsorbed oxygen is collected and purified to become high-purity oxygen.
The molecular sieve will discharge the adsorbed nitrogen back into the ambient air when it is depressurized, and then adsorb nitrogen and produce oxygen when it is next pressurized, and the whole process is a cyclical dynamic cycle, and the molecular sieve is not consumed.
Many people mistakenly confuse the oxygen concentration of an oxygen concentrator with the concentration of oxygen absorption, thinking that it is the same concept, in fact, it is very different.
The oxygen concentration of the oxygen concentrator refers to the size of the oxygen content, which is commonly known as the purity of the oxygen output of the oxygen concentrator. The oxygen concentration of different oxygen concentrators is not the same, in order to ensure a long time to apply and have a therapeutic effect, it is recommended to choose to achieve the country's prescribed Oxygen Concentration Standard 93% ± 3 of the oxygen concentrator .
Many people are not clear about what 1L oxygen concentrator, 3L oxygen concentrator, 5L oxygen concentrator means, in fact, that is the oxygen concentration guaranteed under the premise of the oxygen concentrator can provide the maximum flow of oxygen per minute.
When the adjusted flow rate exceeds this maximum oxygen flow rate, the oxygen concentration will decrease, and the effect of oxygen absorption will also decrease, or even no effect.
In order to meet the national regulations of the oxygen concentration of 93% ± 3 standard premise, according to the oxygen concentrator can be divided into 1L, 3L, 5L, 8L, 9L, 10L, etc. as a reference standard to define the oxygen concentrator to adapt to the crowd and the use of performance:
■ 1L Oxygen Concentration Machine
1L Oxygen Concentration Machine is a oxygen concentrator to meet the standards of the premise of the maximum output of 1L/minute. Oxygen concentration to meet the standard, the maximum output of oxygen for 1L/min oxygen generator. This type of oxygen concentrator is relatively inexpensive, suitable for the need for general oxygen inhalation of pregnant women and long hours of work and study nervous brain workers (such as students, white-collar workers), etc., mainly used for health care, generally about 30 minutes of oxygen therapy, to relieve the temporary fatigue, more energetic.
■ 3L Oxygen Concentrator
3L Oxygen Concentrator can reach the standard of medical oxygen, the maximum output of oxygen for 3L/min, that is, the oxygen flow can be adjusted in the range of 0 to 3L/min, can only be less, not more, can not be adjusted out of the 3L/min flow, or the output of oxygen is not stable.
This type of oxygen concentrator due to different brands at different prices, generally more than 2,000 to 4,000 or so, suitable for home health care for the elderly oxygen or some chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular anoxic diseases, hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, etc.) of the patients at home oxygen therapy. The main purpose is to enhance the blood oxygen saturation, to prevent the occurrence of some other diseases.
■ 5L Oxygen Concentrator
5L Oxygen Concentrator can deliver up to 5L/min when the oxygen concentration is up to the standard, which is suitable for patients with cardiopulmonary functional diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary heart disease).
■ 8L oxygen concentrator
8L oxygen concentrator is mainly used for high oxygen flow, long-term oxygen intake of special patients. This type of patient, generally can not long time from the oxygen, so, with this kind of oxygen concentrator, to avoid spending time and effort every few days to go back and forth to the oxygen cylinder filling oxygen.
Oxygen inhalation through the oxygen concentrator, the effective oxygen concentration in the patient's lungs is determined by the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen concentrator and the corresponding oxygen concentration **** with the decision. For example, excluding the effects of patient factors such as respiratory rate and tidal volume, when oxygen is inhaled through a nasal cannula, the effective oxygen concentration (%) that reaches the patient's lungs = 21 + 4 × oxygen flow rate from the oxygen concentrator × oxygen concentration from the oxygen concentrator.
If it is used for therapeutic effects, it is recommended to purchase an oxygen concentrator with an output of not less than 3L, and for patients who need long-term oxygen therapy, it is recommended to use an oxygen concentrator of not less than 5L, not only is the range of adjustability large enough to give a relatively high flow rate of oxygen, but more importantly, this ensures that a long period of time for oxygen supply, and the concentration of the output of oxygen can be stabilized at more than 90%, so as to The main purpose of the treatment is to ensure that the oxygen concentration can be stabilized above 90% for a long period of time, so as to achieve a good therapeutic purpose, especially for those who need to be used in conjunction with the home-type non-invasive ventilator.
Home use of non-invasive ventilator and hospital use of non-invasive ventilator is different, the oxygen source is often need to be additionally equipped with an oxygen generator to provide, because the mask has a CO2 "storage effect", and the pressure inside the mask is larger, when the flow rate is less than 5L/min, the oxygen can not be very good into the mask, and naturally can not enter the airway and lungs, and at the same time, it is not possible for the oxygen supply to be stable for a long time. When the flow rate is less than 5L/min, the oxygen can not enter the mask well, and naturally can not enter the airway and lungs, and at the same time can not be exhaled CO2 flushed out to the outside of the mask, which affects the treatment effect.
If the oxygen concentrator is only used for healthcare, it is often small and has relatively poor heat dissipation, and cannot work for long periods of time. Most medical oxygen concentrators used for therapeutic purposes work 24 hours a day.
Like patients with chronic respiratory failure combined with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which requires no less than 15 hours of oxygen per day, so you need to choose to buy an oxygen concentrator that can supply oxygen for a long time, so as to avoid failing to meet the therapeutic needs.
It is recommended to choose an oxygen concentrator with a low noise level of less than 45 to 48 decibels, otherwise it may affect the rest of the person and others, especially at night. The level of noise control is related to the level of the oxygen concentrator manufacturer and the volume structure of the oxygen concentrator. Generally, oxygen concentrators with a larger volume have less noise because they have enough space to place soundproof parts and internal structures to reduce noise.
When the oxygen concentrator is working, try not to place it in a small space or on a wooden floor, as this can increase echoes or other additional noise. People who are very sensitive to noise can place the oxygen concentrator relatively far away from the oxygen absorber and connect it through a longer oxygen tube.
Before buying an oxygen concentrator, in addition to the need to first understand the important parameters of the oxygen concentrator, which must have a stable and efficient oxygen supply system, it is also important to pay attention to the following points:
■ To make clear why you want to inhale oxygen
Is it for health care or treatment, according to their own needs to choose to satisfy their own needs of the maximum oxygen flow rate, the length of oxygen inhalation per day and other parameters of the The oxygen concentrator. For example, for patients with chronic respiratory or heart failure, hypoxemia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, you should choose a medical-grade oxygen concentrator that can work 24 hours a day without interruption and still maintain the oxygen concentration up to standard. If you are a pregnant woman or a student with frequent brain overload, you can choose a relatively inexpensive, quality-assured 1L to 2L oxygen concentrator.
■ Valuing the "value" of the oxygen generator
To choose different grades of oxygen generator according to the needs of the condition and the economic ability, that is to say, to "price" and "value" to unify the consideration, to avoid the "value" and "value". Similarly, there is no need to deliberately buy only the most expensive, rather than the most suitable, and the waste of resources.
■ Practical first, do not deliberately pursue aesthetic
Home oxygen concentrator is a medical device, not for aesthetic exhibition of goods, do not be brainwashed into some businessmen due to the lack of technology and choose the appearance of the fancy to sell as a point of view, in fact, is not practical traps.
Especially for those who need oxygen for a longer period of time, the machine must be able to work continuously for a long time, and it is best to choose a machine with a moderate size, excellent performance, optimized internal structure, and ideal space for heat dissipation.
■ Large screen and voice function
HD large screen, large buttons, can be more convenient for the elderly to use, especially with backlit buttons, so that the night oxygen can also be clearly read. The voice function makes it easy for the elderly to know their oxygen intake without wearing presbyopia glasses.
■ Timer function
Like blowing a fan to sleep, if the user wants to sleep with only one hour of oxygen, he or she can set the time before going to bed, sleep with peace of mind, and it will turn off automatically when the time comes. If there is no timer function, sleep for fear of over time did not dare to sleep steadily, or open power consumption waste.
Of course, the timer function and the big screen, voice function, are belong to the "optional", combined with their own economic conditions and needs to be determined, because the more features, often the price is relatively high.
■ Nebulizer function
Especially for patients with chronic lung disease, asthma and other respiratory diseases, not only to meet the need for supplemental oxygen, but also easy and convenient at home for nebulizer inhalation therapy, saving time and repeatedly go to the hospital and queuing up time, but also reduces the cost of medical care.
■ Choose a brand manufacturer with strength and reputation
At present, there are many varieties of domestic oxygen concentrators, the quality is also uneven, the strength of the manufacturers is large, the survival of the fittest, the survival of the fittest, there are bound to be some manufacturers or brands will be eliminated. This must be noted, if you buy the eliminated brand, the after-sales service can not be guaranteed.
Therefore, when buying an oxygen concentrator, it is recommended to choose a strong, reputable, quality-assured, long-term sustainable development of the oxygen concentrator manufacturer or brand, preferably in the local area also has a perfect after-sales service organization. Whether it is a domestic or foreign brand, after-sales maintenance and parts replacement are particularly important, and only guaranteed brand manufacturers can ensure sustainable development and after-sales maintenance services. At the same time, be sure to go through the formal channels of purchase, complete procedures, in order to be more secure.
■ ■ Oxygen concentrator has "four fears"
afraid of fire, afraid of heat, afraid of dust, afraid of moisture.
Therefore, the use of oxygen concentrator, be sure to stay away from fire, avoid direct light (sunlight), high temperature environment; usually pay attention to the nasal catheter, oxygen catheter, humidification and heating device, such as the replacement and cleaning and disinfection, in order to prevent cross-infection, catheter clogging; oxygen concentrator idle for a long time without using, you should cut off the power supply, pour off the humidified bottle of water, wipe the surface of the oxygen concentrator clean, with a plastic cover cover, and put in the dry place without sunlight storage. When the oxygen concentrator is not used for a long time, the water in the humidifying bottle should be poured out, the surface of the oxygen concentrator should be wiped clean, covered with a plastic cover, and stored in a dry place without sunlight.
■ oxygen inhalation, pay attention to the appropriate heating and humidification
because the respiratory tract to maintain the temperature of 37 ℃ and humidity 95% to 100% is the mucus cilia system normal clearance function of the necessary conditions, so the inhalation of oxygen should be through the humidification bottles and the necessary heating device, in order to avoid inhalation of cold oxygen stimulation damage to the mucous membranes of the airway, as well as lead to sputum dry and affect the cilia of the "scavenger". The "scavenger" function of the cilia, etc..
■ When the oxygen generator is turned on and working, do not put the flowmeter float on the zero position; in the process of oxygen inhalation, pay attention to check whether the flowmeter float is in the correct scale position.
■ The molecular sieve oxygen concentrator is not used for a long time, it will reduce the activity of molecular sieve, so you should pay attention to the operation and maintenance.
■ Oxygen generator used or not used to cut off its power supply, this is not only to reduce the machine and energy consumption, but also for fire safety.
■ By the oxygen generator to the oxygen bag tank oxygen before the completion of the first must be removed from the oxygen bag plug tube, and then turn off the oxygen generator, to avoid the humidification of the bottle of water negative pressure anti-suction into the machine, resulting in machine failure.
■ Oxygen concentrator work, need to be placed in a smooth, around the radius of not less than 20 centimeters of space, its environment should pay attention to the appropriate ventilation and air quality.
■ Different people, different conditions, the need for oxygen requirements are different.
For example: carbon dioxide retention (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with chronic respiratory failure) should pay attention to controlled oxygen, that is, in general, the oxygen flow should not be more than 3L/min, to 1 ~ 2L/min for proper, because high concentration of oxygen can lead to respiratory depression of such patients to make the condition worse; although oxygen inhalation for pregnant women have the advantage, but also pay attention to follow the recommendations of the doctor, do not blindly on their own for a long time. The first thing you need to do is to get a good deal on your own.
■ Oxygen concentrator can be used for health care and general oxygen therapy (including plateau hypoxia, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc.), but can not be satisfied with (can not be used for) the rescue of advanced life support.