Oxygen Concentrator- How Does It Work

1
Oxygen Concentrator- how does it work ?

• Silverline Meditech Pvt Ltd

2
Introduction

• Critical patients need oxygen support to help
  them breathe. They are provided with an oxygen
  mask for this purpose.
• Oxygen concentrators are special devices that
  ensure a steady and concentrated supply of oxygen
  flow from the outlet to patients.
• They are the preferred mode of delivering oxygen
  to patients at home.
• These devices can be used alternatively in
  factories and plants to provide economical method
  of conveying oxygen in industrial processes.

3
Structure

• These concentrators have air compressors, two
  cylinders filled with pellets, a reservoir to
  equalize pressure, and a number of
  interconnecting valves and tubes

4
Principle on which they work

• These devices use the pressure swing adsorption
  method to concentrate oxygen in places that avoid
  the use of liquid oxygen due to its high
  combustibility.
• PSA works by quickly cycling pressure and
  simultaneously alternately venting the opposite
  ends of the column. This leads to reduction of
  size of adsorbed bed and discarding of feed gas.

5
How the concentrator functions

• First the cylinder receives air from the
  compressor it is attached to. When this flow of
  air comes in the pressure in the first cylinder
  rises significantly higher than atmospheric
  pressure.
• This initial air flow lasts for around three
  seconds. The pellets in the cylinder absorb the
  nitrogen from the air and leaves near pure oxygen
  in the it.
• At this stage a valve opens up to allow this
  oxygen rich air to flow into the equalizer
  reservoir which in turn is connected to the
  patients hose.
• The oxygen enriched air then passes from the
  equalizer through the hose to the patient.

6

• In the second stage another valve position change
  allows the air in the compressor to be directed
  to the second cylinder and the process is
  repeated.
• Meanwhile, as air passes into the reservoir, the
  pressure in the first cylinder drops.
• As a result Nitrogen is absorbed back into the
  air and yet another valve position change allows
  this air to be diverted to the atmosphere.
• This keeps the concentration of oxygen in the
  reservoir at an optimum.
• The pressure reducing valve controls the air
  pressure in the air delivering hose.

7
Versatility of use

• These devices plug into wall sockets. They also
  have batteries that can be used away from homes.
• As they can be plugged into outlets in vehicles
  they are useful for ambulances too.
• A few airlines permit the use of these devices on
  commercial flights too.
• Larger devices operate on pulse flow and
  continuous flow modes as required by patients.
• This eliminates the problem of the concentrator
  not being able to detect the time of inhalation.

8
Conclusion

• Oxygen concentrators are less dangerous than
  oxygen cylinders. This makes them particularly
  advantageous for outdoor use.
• They are also reliable enough to be provided to
  patients at home.
• This device does away with the hassle of
  replenishing cylinders at regular intervals.
• In this way it helps to control cost of supplying
  oxygen to patients.
• The durable medical equipment industry has
  rapidly adopted the use and manufacture of the
  device.

9
Thank You
Visit us _at_ www.silverlinemeditech.com Follow us
on