One of the most important things for those who suffer from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and needs extra oxygen is mobility. Although you may have mental activity, an active life entails a physical ability to move and participate in any number of different activities. This is part of the lifestyle that everyone has the right to expect. This is such an ordinary part of life that most people do not think twice about their mobility. This can occur from a simple type of action - from walking upstairs, getting into a car or just walking, to others that require more stress.
COPD is characterized by damage to the lungs, which, in turn, limits oxygen consumption by normal breathing and, therefore, limits the ability to move.
The good news is that new models of portable oxygen equipment are being developed to meet the needs of mobile patients. Old heavy and uncomfortable oxygen tanks are now a thing of the past. Stationary oxygen plants for homes use three different types of oxygen delivery, and now they have their portable equivalents.
Three options for portable oxygen delivery systems.
1. Compressed oxygen
2. Liquid oxygen
3. Oxygen Concentrators
- Compressed oxygen cylinders. They were used for quite a long time, but were heavy and large, with a limited supply of oxygen. The new range of aluminum cylinders means that you now have different options for portable cylinders, where the weight and design make them much easier to carry. Carrier options are also part of the benefits, where you can either pull simple but effective trolleys, or carry light travel bags. All oxygen systems have a regulator that emits oxygen at a certain rate (liters per minute). You can also get “storage devices” that emit oxygen at certain settings at the beginning of inhalation, and therefore oxygen is lost, which prolongs the duration of the oxygen cylinder. Cylinders, both stationary and portable, must be replenished.
- Liquid oxygen tanks. In general, manufacturers of oxygen delivery systems focus their new design efforts on two directions: the weight and duration of oxygen. Therefore, it is not surprising that developments both for cylinders with compressed oxygen and for liquid oxygen tanks are very similar. Oxygen is maintained in the tank at a temperature of -170 degrees Celsius. The amount of oxygen contained in the tank is much higher in liquid form than in the form of gas, due to its properties. However, liquid oxygen evaporates. This means that the liquid oxygen tank remaining overnight will lose in the range from 0.5 to 1.5 liters - compressed oxygen, on the other hand, will not evaporate leakage. Given this, the duration of the portable liquid oxygen tank will be, other things being equal, much longer.
- Oxygen concentrators. An oxygen concentrator is an oxygen delivery system that is powered by electricity to extract pure oxygen from the surrounding air — it doesn’t need to be refilled there, because oxygen is not stored in the device. As long as the portable hub is powered (either by battery or by connecting), it will supply oxygen. Oxygen concentrators arrived on the scene around 2002 and pay great attention to both users and designers. There are different manufacturers, and portable versions will have different characteristics, but the main efforts were also related to weight and portability, as well as the duration of battery life.
