On April 28, the Indian government announced that it would purchase 100,000 oxygen generators and distribute them to high-burden countries as an alternative to consuming liquid medical oxygen resources. The shortage of steel cylinders has also promoted the concentrator market, early auxiliary medical equipment, at the forefront of home isolation patients and moderate patients in hospitals. But it is important to use the correct specifications.

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Only mild to moderate patients with oxygen saturation between 90-94 should rely on oxygen concentrators and can be used at home. Because of the lack of oxygen, even people with an oxygen content as low as 85 can choose one. Anyone with an oxygen saturation below 80-85 may require a higher oxygen flow rate and must switch to a cylinder or liquid medical oxygen supply.

“Suppose a person’s oxygen saturation is 87 to 90, and he is wearing an oxygen concentrator. If the oxygen saturation rises and stays between 92-94, it means that the concentrator can help. But if the patient’s The oxygen saturation continues to drop, which means he will need to switch to a cylinder with a higher oxygen flow or be hospitalized," said physician Shahid Barmare.

The inflamed lungs infected by Covid-19 cannot use the atmosphere (21% oxygen) to absorb enough oxygen. External oxygen support makes the lungs work easier.

In addition, a stable power supply is necessary. If you live in a place with frequent power outages, you may want to find an oxygen cylinder.

There are two types-continuous flow and pulsed dose. Continuous flow of oxygen will provide the same oxygen flow every minute, unless it is turned off, regardless of whether the patient inhales or not, while pulsed dose oxygen concentrators detect breathing patterns and dispense oxygen when inhalation is detected. In the second case, the oxygen dispensed every minute will be different.

Let us first understand how the oxygen supply works. Barmare said that normal air contains 21% oxygen. The concentrator will inhale the atmosphere, filter nitrogen and other gases, and compress the remaining oxygen and distribute it through the casing. "If 1 liter of oxygen is provided to the patient through a concentrator, the percentage of oxygen in the lungs (or the proportion of inhaled air) rises to 24%, 2 liters to 28%, and 10 liters to 60%. As needed, every minute must be adjusted The number of oxygen liters," Barmare explained.

A doctor’s advice is needed to determine how many liters of oxygen are needed per minute, and a pulse oximeter should be very convenient. The oxygen concentrator can provide oxygen between 0.1 liters per minute (LPM) and 5 to 10 LPM. The concentrator has 92-95% pure oxygen.

Supplier Mohammed Ashraf said it depends on the number of screens/filters in the concentrator that affect its oxygen quality output. The purer the oxygen output, the better the effect on improving the patient's blood oxygen saturation level. “The output of the concentrator is not measured by its weight, but by the LPM output,” he said.

"If the concentrator is overheated, the output of oxygen purity will decrease. Therefore, patients must use only the oxygen they need, not excessive use," Ashraf said.

It is recommended to use light equipment weighing less than 27 kg. The oxygen concentrator is available in 3, 5, 8 and 10 LPM units. The most common is 3 or 5 LPM. 10 LPM can be used for two patients with low oxygen demand. The cost of 5 LPM is 40,000-60,000 rupees, while the cost of 10 LPM is as high as 160,000 rupees.

Sunil Khurana, CEO and MD of domestic manufacturer BPL Medical Technologies, said that in China, it is a common practice for people over 65 to place concentrators in their homes. Khurana said 3 LPM is ideal for mild to moderate patients. "The oxygen generator is a home care product, ideally not a hospital product. In desperate situations, it is used in hospitals. As far as I know, in 95% of cases, 3-5 LPM capacity is the most ideal , The oxygen purity is about 90%," he said.

Khurana added that even with a specification of 10 LPM, “poor quality” concentrators (several are now imported from China and cost less) will produce poor output. "So check the supplier's credentials," he said.

Phillips, BPL Medical Technologies Ltd, Invacare, AirSep, SS Technologies, Oshocorp Global Pvt Ltd, Medtronic, Inogen, Nidek Medical, Chart Industries are some of the common importers and manufacturers in India.

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