The purpose of an oxygen concentrator is to take in air from the surrounding area and concentrate the air to nearly pure oxygen. Oxygen concentrators are designed to be used by people with medical conditions or diseases that make it difficult for them to breathe. Concentrators are a more effective option than previous oxygen devices. Unlike machines that used tanks of oxygen, concentrators never need to be refilled. Instead, they can take in air from any environment. In addition to being more effective, they are also more safe. While tanks of oxygen can combust under heavy pressure, this isn't an issue with concentrators. As a result, it's possible to take certain models of oxygen concentrators on airplane flights.
While the process a concentrator performs is very advanced, it is fairly easy to understand. When a concentrator is turned on, it starts absorbing air. What many people don't realize is that standard air is made up of as little as twenty percent oxygen. The reason that there's such a lower percentage of oxygen in the air is because the majority of the air is nitrogen. The nitrogen content of standard air can range between seventy and eighty percent. In addition to nitrogen, a small percentage of various gases make up the rest of normal air's composition. Once a concentrator absorbs standard air, the air is forced into compartments. These compartments contain aluminum silicate. This substance is used to filter nitrogen from the air. Once the nitrogen is filtered, the leftover air is nearly pure oxygen. Depending on the specific concentrator, the oxygen delivered to the patient can be around ninety-five percent pure.
Although a concentrator can be used for a wide range of conditions, COPD is the most common. The big issue with this condition is that it can prohibit the blood in someone's body from getting enough oxygen. When this happens, it can lead to organ damage. Fortunately, patients with COPD can avoid a lot of bad effects of this condition by using an oxygen concentrator. By using this type of device throughout their regular routine, they can avoid not being able to get enough air. And because they will have enough oxygen in their system, they will feel more focused and generally in better health. As an additional benefit, an oxygen concentrator can also be used at night. If someone with COPD uses this type of machine while they sleep, they will find that they feel much more rested when they get up in the morning.
Originally, oxygen concentrators were only designed to be used in homes. The reason is because the technology inside of these machines took up a lot of space. As a result, the concentrators were quite large. However, it's now possible to compress the same technology into a much smaller space. This means that there are now oxygen concentrators that are portable. Because portable oxygen concentrators can weigh as little as five to ten pounds, it's possible to take them on a trip or anywhere else.
