Home oxygen concentrators are a typical piece of medical equipment used at home to treat patients with respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, etc. Additionally, frequently rented for short-term use are these devices. There are numerous options on the market for oxygen concentrators, should one need to purchase one. Continue reading to learn more about important things to bear in mind while purchasing an oxygen concentrator.

How the Home Oxygen Concentrators Work?

The apparatus first takes ambient air through a compressor, which is primarily made up of nitrogen and oxygen. The air is then sent through a number of filtering devices to separate the nitrogen and clean the oxygen. After passing through a pressure regulator to regulate airflow, the purified oxygen is then supplied to the patient using oxygen tubing, a mask, or a nasal cannula.

Given their widespread use and obvious utility, home oxygen concentrators have a wide range of features and advantages. Finding the ideal product to satisfy the demands of you or a loved one may seem difficult in light of this. In light of this, this article will provide some essential information and guide you in choosing the oxygen concentrator that will work best for you by outlining the most crucial characteristics and advantages to take into account.

1. What Is The Flow Requirement?

The "flow needs" are the most significant factor to consider before purchasing an oxygen concentrator. Use of an oxygen concentrator must be based on a physician's prescription, and the physician will undoubtedly specify the flow rate in LPM based on the patient's health and the amount of supplemental oxygen therapy that is required.

They might even expressly advise purchasing a 5LPM or 10LPM machine. The most popular and widely available home oxygen concentrators on the market are 5 Liters/Minute capacity. To choose the flow rate capacity while purchasing an oxygen concentrator, follow your doctor's advice.

2. Will It Be Used On Short-Term Or Long-Term Use?

Many home users are interested in selling their seldom used home oxygen concentrators. They would have only used it for six months, one to two months, or perhaps just ten to fifteen days. Believe us when we say that regardless of how little the equipment has been used, its price on the second-hand equipment market will drop dramatically to half (at best), a third, or even less depending on how much it has been used.

3. Buy or Rent Oxygen Concentrator?

Renting an oxygen concentrator is less expensive than purchasing a brand-new one. Therefore, it makes more economical sense to rent the equipment if you intend to use it for a shorter period of time than a year. If the consumption is for fewer than six months, renting may be a better option than buying, even when resale value is taken into account.

4. Noise

The amount of noise an oxygen concentrator makes while operating is a frequently ignored problem, despite the fact that it may seem evident. The amount of noise that home oxygen concentrators make when they are operating might vary due to the broad diversity of constructions, designs, and power levels that they have.

Some more discreet, smaller portable concentrator devices are quite silent. Other goods, like as the high-powered, high flow rate devices, can make a little more noise when they're running because they need more power and have more oxygen coming out of them.

5. Additional Features

Many devices come with extra features or accessories that might help make using an oxygen concentrator simpler or more efficient. Carrying containers (boxes, bags), flow locking settings, simple filter replacement systems, oxygen concentrator accessories, and many other characteristics are among these extra features.

Before making a purchase, it is important to go into the auxiliary features that come with a concentrator because the selection differs from product to product.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that you are at least somewhat familiar with the home oxygen concentrators, if you or a loved one requires oxygen therapy on a regular basis. These devices were created with the specific purpose of gathering oxygen and nitrogen from ambient air, quickly filtering it, and then giving the patient safe, oxygen-enriched air for better breathing.