After oxygen reaches our lungs, it passes through tiny air sacs to enter the bloodstream and then travels to cells throughout the body. Some diseases, however, interrupt this process, and cells receive less oxygen. If one’s oxygen saturation levels drop below 89 percent or arterial oxygen pressure is less than 60 mmHg, doctors may recommend using oxygen concentrators. These devices can be portable or fixed near a patients’ bed to help them breathe better.

How do oxygen concentrators work?
The air around us is 80 percent nitrogen and 20 percent oxygen. An oxygen concentrator collects air in cylinders, filters and purifies it, and converts the filtered air to 95 percent oxygen and five percent nitrogen. It then sends the oxygen to a patient via a tube, mask, or nasal cannula. Most devices have multiple speed settings, so one can adjust the flow rate to continuous flow or pulse flow depending on the need.

But what’s the difference between a fixed and portable concentrator? Both fixed and portable oxygen concentrators have multiple components, including a cabinet with a compressor and filters, tubes, and a face mask or a nasal cannula. They also function the same way. The only significant difference in a portable unit is that it contains a battery and a DC or AC charge. So, it can be carried anywhere and used as long as the battery has a charge.

What are the uses of oxygen concentrators?
Doctors recommend oxygen concentrators if a blood exam or pulse oximetry shows low oxygen levels in the blood. It could be for short-term or long-term use. Short-term use of oxygen concentrators is usually required for conditions like asthma, pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

But patients with chronic conditions causing continuous or frequent low oxygen levels, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, or sleep apnea, may need an oxygen concentrator for a long time. One can buy a portable oxygen concentrator at home when they need it or per the doctor’s advice.

Cost of oxygen concentrators
The cost may differ depending on the flow rate, power consumption, battery backup, oxygen purity, noise level, warranty, brand, etc. At-home or stationary concentrators are bulkier and heavier than portable oxygen concentrators but less expensive as they do not have a battery backup and come with limited features. They cost around $550 to $2,000.

Portable oxygen concentrators cost between $2,000 to $6,000 depending on weight, ease of use, brand, battery life, design, and features like touch screen display. Most portable oxygen concentrators come with a bag that helps carry the device.

Top oxygen concentrator brands
Here are three brands that sell quality oxygen concentrators:

CAIRE
CAIRE is one of the leading and largest manufacturers of oxygen concentrators with an accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Healthcare (ACHC). It is a trusted brand for both in-home and industrial oxygen devices. High-altitude clinics, space labs, and even the military use CAIRE products. Costs start at about $1,000 for portable models and about $800 for fixed devices. The oxygen concentrators are lightweight, easy to use, and have adjustable pulse flow settings and good battery life. One can buy them from distributors or directly from their factories for additional benefits.

Philips
Philips home oxygen systems like EverFlo and portable oxygen concentrators like Respironics Simply Go and SimplyGo Mini are popular. The portable devices are lightweight, easy to transport, compact, and do not need much maintenance. Seniors too can operate them with ease. They are suited both for continuous and pulse flow. The cost of Philips SimplyGo oxygen concentrators begins at around $2,495. They have FAA accreditation and come with a warranty.

Inogen
Inogen offers multiple models of portable oxygen concentrators and home systems. One can choose a device based on their oxygen flow requirements. The devices are lightweight, easy to use, energy-efficient, quiet, and have good battery backup. The base price of Inogen oxygen concentrators begins at around $1,500.