How to check the oxygen purity of your portable oxygen concentrator

 Portable oxygen concentrator are important medical devices, but like all technology they are subject to decay and will fail over time. Regarding oxygen concentrators, the purity of oxygen coming from the concentrator is very important and must operate within a certain range.

When you set 2 liters per minute (LPM) on your machine, you would expect to get at least 2 LPM >95% pure oxygen. However, when the axes are down, you might think you're getting 2 LPM, but in reality, the focus might be 85% or less. This is a serious medical problem because, in this scenario, you would not be able to rely on your concentrator to deliver the oxygen concentration you need.

In this article, we will discuss how to find out if your device needs a purity test and discuss some ways to get it done.

How do you know if your portable oxygen concentrator needs a purity rating?

While the only way to know if your concentrate does not offer sufficient purity is to get a medical evaluation, there is one clue you should keep in mind that may indicate the need for an evaluation. If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or another lung disease that requires oxygen, you're not currently ill or you're having an exacerbation, and you notice that you're feeling more tired or short of breath with activities that used to be easy, it may be time to test your purity. oxygen.

However, by the time this happens, you may experience an emerging need for replacement, so it is not an ideal way to know that your oxygen concentrator needs a purity rating.

Regular maintenance of oxygen concentrators is the way to maintain oxygen purity

Like most home appliances, it is best to perform regular maintenance on your appliances to ensure proper operation and to detect problems before they become emergencies. Oxygen concentrators are no different.

Regular maintenance includes 3 general strategies:

Contact your oxygen supplier to request an oxygen purity assessment

The oxygen provider must be able to manually test the concentrator to ensure that it is working properly at reasonable intervals. Ask your provider if you can schedule a capacitor test regularly and when you suspect a problem.

When they go out to test your device, they will use an oxygen analyzer to check the output stream from your device to assess whether the output is accurate compared to the control measurement. These devices are very reliable and will detect deviations in oxygen purity down to tenths of a percent.

Clean coarse particles from the filter

One of the reasons your portable oxygen concentrator may be filtering oxygen at a lower purity level is because the filters need to be cleaned. Check your owner's manual to see if your oxygen unit has a coarse particulate filter.

The course particulate filter should be cleaned regularly and replaced periodically. When the unit is on, ambient air must first pass through a course particulate filter to clean the air of dust and debris. If this filter is not cleaned regularly, a buildup of dirt and debris can ultimately reduce the amount of purified oxygen the condenser can produce. To clean the particulate filter, follow the instructions in your owner's manual on how to remove, clean, and replace the particulate filter.

Send your device to the manufacturer for repair

Sometimes the internal filter and components may also need maintenance. This is when you should send your oxygen concentrator to the manufacturer or retailer for service. You won't be able to clean the internal filters or components yourself without potentially damaging the device or voiding the warranty, so it's best to play it safe and have repairs done by professionals, especially since it's a medical device.

There is a fourth option to check the purity of the oxygen

While you can purchase your own oxygen analyzer and test your device yourself, there are two things to consider: price and calibration.

Oxygen purity analyzers are expensive, with the most expensive analyzers costing a few hundred dollars. They are available online, but they can be quite expensive. If cost is not a concern, having a home oxygen analyzer is a great way to track any deviations in the purity of the condenser over time.

The other thing to keep in mind is calibration. Oxygen analyzers are devices in themselves, and like all devices, they age and fail over time. The great thing about oxygen analyzers is that they come with a self-calibration feature, so you can do your own quality control test at home and make sure you get accurate purity readings.

Final thoughts

Oxygen purity is an essential aspect of owning an oxygen concentrator or tank, but it is rarely mentioned to patients. In general, most oxygen and condensate tanks are regulated and tested to meet specified purity standards, but from time to time, defective units will arrive on the shipping truck. With this knowledge, you now have the tools to check the oxygen purity of your oxygen therapy machine or learn how to order an evaluation.

Source: Portable oxygen concentrator