As Accurate Biomed Services Inc. holds several manufacturer warranty contracts for oxygen concentrator devices, we felt that this page may help guide people in need of oxygen therapy or are considering exercise with oxygen therapy (EWOT) to get an idea on the differences in manufacturers and models of oxygen concentrators. Please feel free to look around and ask any questions or offer any comments you may feel are appropriate.
Overview
An oxygen concentrator is a device that takes air from the atmosphere, separates the nitrogen (roughly 78% of the atmosphere) out of the air and delivers to an outlet in the oxygen concentrator 90%-94% pure oxygen. The method used for this is a process called pressure swing arm absorption. Air is pulled into the machine by means of a compressor, forced through cylinders or magazines that contain zeolite (a volcanic mineral that absorbs nitrogen) and forces the oxygen into a product tank that is then fed to the outlet nozzle and to the person needing oxygen.
Manufacturers
There are several manufacturers of oxygen concentrators and all of those machines follow the basic design concept described above. The most well known and largest manufacturers of this equipment are: Invacare, Respironics, and Devilbiss. There are other manufacturers that have specialized equipment.
Respironics: Manufacturer of the Millennium oxygen concentrator. This a very quiet unit that uses a single cylinder compressor instead of a two cylinder compressor utilized on other manufacturer models. Very reliable when used in a home environment.
Invacare: Manufacturer of the Platinum oxygen concentrator. This unit is a well built oxygen concentrator that also is fitted with a valving device that will allow it to fill small oxygen tanks when used in conjunction with their home fill unit.
Sunrise Medical: Manufacturer of the Devilbiss oxygen concentrator. Sunrise manufacturers solid units and also make a 3 liter per minute oxygen concentrator that is very light and small.
There are other major manufacturers such as Chad Therapeutics, Airsep and Oxlife. The companies mentioned above however, are the nation's largest.
As far as choosing an oxygen concentrator, any of the above companies are good choices. Warranty length is a consideration. Most companies now have a 3 to 5 year warranty period. You should insist on at least a three year for a new machine. This will give you over 26,000 hours of warranty if the oxygen concentrator is used 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
After you decide on a concentrator you should ask how the unit needs to be maintained and if there are any special considerations concerning the manufacturer you choose. Also you should insist on all manuals and instructions to be supplied with your concentrator. At the very least there are filters that need to be changed and / or cleaned on a regular (weekly or monthly) basis. This is the most important regimen to develop to insure long life and high oxygen concentration levels throughout the life of the oxygen concentrator.
New Vs. Rebuilt Oxygen Concentrators
As you research oxygen concentrators you will find new and used units being offered over the Internet. There is a price advantage to purchasing a rebuilt unit, but that should be tempered with knowing the company that is offering the rebuilt oxygen concentrator.
Questions that you should ask the re builder is:
What is the warranty? What does that warranty cover?
Is the compressor completely rebuilt including eccentric bearings?
Is the sieve repoured? If so, with what? Is the material used in the sieve bed repour virgin (brand new) or reprocessed?
Are the valves rebuilt? Is all internal tubing replaced?
Is the hour meter replaced so that you know how many hours you have actually owned the concentrator?
How many employees does the company have? How many technicians? What are their qualifications? Can they document those qualifications?
What are their relationship with manufacturers? How many warranty contracts do they have?
These questions should (depending on the answers) give you some assurance of the quality of the re builders work and general reputation.
On Line Auctions
We are often asked about oxygen concentrators found on online auctions. It is our opinion that a person requiring an oxygen concentrator be, at the very least, familiar with the company from which they purchase. We have received phone calls many times from patients that have purchased machines from on line auctioneers that didn't work, weren't complete, or arrived broken and dirty. There is very little recourse in a situation like that. It is Accurate Biomed's opinion that medical equipment should not be bought at auction.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments concerning this article.
