Oxygen concentrators use pressure swing adsorption to concentrate oxygen from ambient air for delivery to critical patients who need oxygen support. They work by passing air through cylinders containing pellets that absorb nitrogen, leaving concentrated oxygen which is delivered to patients through a hose. The concentrator cycles between two cylinders, absorbing nitrogen in one while releasing it from the other and filling the reservoir with oxygen, ensuring a steady supply. Oxygen concentrators are a safer and more economical alternative to oxygen cylinders for home use and some medical situations.

1. Oxygen Concentrator-
how does it work ?
Silverline Meditech Pvt Ltd

2. Introduction
Critical patients need oxygen support to help
them breathe. They are provided with an oxygen
mask for this purpose.
Oxygen concentrators are special devices that
ensure a steady and concentrated supply of
oxygen flow from the outlet to patients.
They are the preferred mode of delivering oxygen
to patients at home.
These devices can be used alternatively in
factories and plants to provide economical
method of conveying oxygen in industrial
processes.

3. Structure
These concentrators have air compressors, two
cylinders filled with pellets, a reservoir to equalize
pressure, and a number of interconnecting valves
and tubes

4. Principle on
which they
work
These devices use the pressure swing adsorption
method to concentrate oxygen in places that
avoid the use of liquid oxygen due to its high
combustibility.
PSA works by quickly cycling pressure and
simultaneously alternately venting the opposite
ends of the column. This leads to reduction of size
of adsorbed bed and discarding of feed gas.

5. How the
concentrator
functions
First the cylinder receives air from the
compressor it is attached to. When this flow of air
comes in the pressure in the first cylinder rises
significantly higher than atmospheric pressure.
This initial air flow lasts for around three seconds.
The pellets in the cylinder absorb the nitrogen
from the air and leaves near pure oxygen in the it.
At this stage a valve opens up to allow this
oxygen rich air to flow into the equalizer reservoir
which in turn is connected to the patient’s hose.
The oxygen enriched air then passes from the
equalizer through the hose to the patient.

6. In the second stage another valve position
change allows the air in the compressor to be
directed to the second cylinder and the process is
repeated.
Meanwhile, as air passes into the reservoir, the
pressure in the first cylinder drops.
As a result Nitrogen is absorbed back into the air
and yet another valve position change allows this
air to be diverted to the atmosphere.
This keeps the concentration of oxygen in the
reservoir at an optimum.
The pressure reducing valve controls the air
pressure in the air delivering hose.

7. Versatility of
use
These devices plug into wall sockets. They also
have batteries that can be used away from
homes.
As they can be plugged into outlets in vehicles
they are useful for ambulances too.
A few airlines permit the use of these devices on
commercial flights too.
Larger devices operate on pulse flow and
continuous flow modes as required by patients.
This eliminates the problem of the concentrator
not being able to detect the time of inhalation.

8. Conclusion
Oxygen concentrators are less dangerous than
oxygen cylinders. This makes them particularly
advantageous for outdoor use.
They are also reliable enough to be provided to
patients at home.
This device does away with the hassle of
replenishing cylinders at regular intervals.
In this way it helps to control cost of supplying
oxygen to patients.
The durable medical equipment industry has
rapidly adopted the use and manufacture of the
device.

9. Thank You
Visit us @ www.silverlinemeditech.com
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10. Thank You
Visit us @ www.silverlinemeditech.com
Follow us on: