A Portable Oxygen Concentrator is a device that is used for individuals that have low oxygen saturation levels and is in need of supplemental oxygen. POC’s are smaller and lighter than a traditional Home Oxygen Concentrator.
POC’s are meant to be used as a portable source for supplemental oxygen. They can be used while plugged in to a power source or they can be used with an external battery. A portable oxygen concentrator is very different from an oxygen tank. An oxygen tank is filled with compressed oxygen, where a POC uses the room air to provide oxygen to the user.
So, how does a portable oxygen concentrator work?
The air in the atmosphere that we typically breathe is composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% mixture of other gases. A portable oxygen concentrator removes most of the non-oxygen gases and delivers oxygen to the user through a cannula or mask. The concentrator process works by forcing room air through filters called molecular sieves. The process flushes out the nitrogen, concentrates the oxygen and produces a medical-grade oxygen.
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