Portable Oxygen Machines
I'm currently using Inogen One G5 but don't feel all the comfortable with it. Does anyone use one that they really like? If so, please share.
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Which are you recommending. This one I see weighs 6 1/2 lbs. I was under the impression that these portables could not deliver over 3 ltrs . Crystalina
Its a completely different system of oxy production. With your oxy bottle or home oxy generator, you have a steady supply of oxy via the cannula into your nostrils. The portables use a different technology, due to their size, and they push oxy into your nostrils as you inhale which means you get much more oxygen per breath than at home or hospital bed. However, I still haven't come across an expert who could translate how much would I need to ramp up the power in my portable oxy gen to reach 5 ltrs. I usually take the portable on trips (frequent) and use it at nite, and put the output at 2 or rarely 3 out of five. So do whatever you feel good with. Re weight - the batteries and the oxygenerators inside (look like two big batteries) are the heavy parts, but that can't be avoided. I really can't say which one is better but the one you are looking at is a lot cheaper. That doesn't mean that is it necessarily worse, at all. So please do consult your physician on this. All I can tell you with conviction is - buy one, you wont be sorry and you will see its a good investment. Re noise - don't be bashful - weddings are always noisy. GL
I had an enogen . It would not deliver enough oxy for me . I use 4 liters 24/7 . It had settings on it from one to five . They did not represent liters . If you turned it up to 4 or 5 it just sucked through more of the air from the room, etc . Actually I got less with it turned up . It could not produce more than 3 ltrs. I got into some tricky situations . Had to sit and turn it down to 3 to get my levels up . I was very unhappy with my Dr. - I think copd patients are not treated well. We have a fatal disease and it seems they just want to hold our hand and collect their money. I live in the Michigan upper lower peninsula . It is a medical desert . Blessed Be, Crystalina
I just asked and here is the answer: Yes, there are portable oxygen concentrators that can provide 5 liters per minute (LPM) of oxygen flow. Here are a few options:
- RESJOY 5 Liter Continuous Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrator – Offers up to 5 LPM continuous flow and features a compact design for easy transport. It also includes a negative ion function for air purification.
- VARON 5L/min Pulse Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrator NT-01 – Provides 5 LPM pulse flow with 93%±3% oxygen concentration. It is lightweight and designed for everyday use, including outdoor activities.
- HACENOR Battery Portable Oxygen Concentrator HCN-5B – Supports 1-5 LPM continuous flow with 90%±3% oxygen purity at 1 LPM. It is compact, rechargeable, and suitable for travel.
I can’t thank you enough. I will research them. I will have one! Love that idea of getting free of the cart and tank. I can fly! Yay. I’m going to head west for the Pacific beach in Oregon! Thanks again , Crystalina
I purchased one, thought it was low quality. I am also on continuous flow of 2liter thought the 5 pulse would be close (not). I paying more and get a better machine.
The maximum CONTINUOUS flow any portable O2 concentrator can currently produce is 3 liters/minute. Anyone who tells you something else is wrong.
Before buying any machine, be sure you can try it out for a week or longer and be sure it meets your needs or you’re just wasting money. Reputable companies will give you a trial period. During the trial period, use your oximeter and walk, up and down stairs and inclines, all around, if you have hills or mountains, go up and see whether you can stay at or above 90% all the time in your good quality oximeter. If not, the machine isn’t meeting your needs and you need to find donating that does.
It’s sad but true that the machines that produce more O2 tend to be larger, heavier and noisier.
If you’re flying with your machine, remember you can only have batteries with a max of 100 watt hours plus 2 batteries of 100-160 watt hours. Some machines (like the Sequal Eclipse that delivers 3lpm continuous flow) only have batteries >160 watt-hours which can make flying with them impossible.
The settings on machines (especially pulse doses) do NOT tell you the continuous flow setting. They’re just like dials on stove—more or less—for a stove heat or cold, for O2 machine oxygen simply more or less oxygen.
So which POC do you recommend? Highest flow possible, please.
This really is an impossible question. The issue is what will work for YOU and your needs? Will you need it for flying? What liter flow rate do you need? Do you need continuous flow? The best and only way I know of is to TRY the different POCs and work them hard while using your pulse oximeter to see which one(s) can keep you saturated while meeting other criteria you may have. If you buy without trying, you run the risk of buying machines that don't meet your needs and then have to figure out how to return or re-sell, which are both undesirable to me. My supplier always lets me try so we can know whether my needs are met.
For me, I have to be able to fly with a machine to remain saturated. This means that I have to have a machine that has batteries that are 160 watt hours or less. This rules out the highest flow machine, the Sequal Eclipse and similar machines that have watt hours over 160.
The two continuous flow machines that I have trialed recently are the Liberty 2.0 from Oxlife and the Discovr from Belluscura. Both deliver up to 2 liters/minute continous flow. I don't know what their watt hour ratings are for their batteries so no idea whether you can fly with those machines--both were mailed to me and I mailed them back to my provider, without trying to fly with either machine. Both machines are bigger, bulkier and NOISIER than the Inogen One G5, but if they allow for continous flow and are reliable, they may be worth considering because I need continuous flow for sleeping. I was able to use both in very quiet settings (museum & in a meeting) without disturbing anyone else, so they're not THAT noisy, just louder than the G5.
I am still trying to get information about watt hours of these machines and am irked that neither company is choosing to provide such information. I expect to be trialing a new and improved Discovr in July--stay tuned. If it works and has batteries that are low enough watt hours, I may be interested. Sadly, no one machine really works as well as I'd like.
The SOAR act which was introduced in Congress (supplemental oxygen access reform) would help make durable medical equipment companies provide the oxygen systems that patients NEED and would allow them to be properly reimbursed. Importantly, it would allow for LIQUID OXYGEN systems that are the best and lightest for high flow needs (but can't be used on planes). I have used and LOVE liquid O2--it allows you to fill our little canister on an R2D2 type reservoir in your home and go about your day until you need to refill it. It's what comes out of walls in hospital systems so they don't have to have countless tanks all over the place. Please call your Congress Persons and ask them to help co-sponsor and get this important bill into law!
https://www.runningonair.net/soar-act
Lots of good POC information here: https://www.runningonair.net/pocs