Looking For Oxygen Concentrator? Things To Consider Before Buying Online

What Is An Oxygen Concentrator?

We're aware that we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The air we breathe consists of other gases like nitrogen, which is naturally filtered by our body. However, COVID-19 patients require pure oxygen - which is where the oxygen concentrator comes into the picture. The oxygen concentrator provides pure oxygen that's measured as liters per minute or LPM.

An oxygen concentrator sucks air from the room using a motor, which then passes through filters and undergoes heating that removes nitrogen and compresses oxygen. Finally, pure, compressed oxygen is passed through clean water and provides breathable, clean oxygen for patients to breathe. Simply put, an oxygen concentrator doesn't produce oxygen but rather concentrates it.

 

Oxygen Concentrator Price

As the demand for oxygen concentrators soars, e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and others have started shipping them. But before we get into the buying guidelines, one needs to know the pricing of the oxygen concentrator in the market. Ideally, one would need an oxygen concentrator that can generate 5LPM continuously. The market also has models that offer 10 LPM.

You should know that oxygen concentrators are a costly affair. The affordable ones start from Rs. 45,000 from brands like Philips, offering 5 LPM. There are even battery-powered oxygen concentrators that cost more than Rs. 1,00,000. Models offering 10 LPM are also available, costing over Rs. 1,50,000.

Guidelines To Buying An Oxygen Concentrator Online

There are several factors to bear in mind before buying an oxygen concentrator online. Presently, both Flipkart and Amazon are delivering only essentials across the nation, which also includes oxygen concentrators. To note, oxygen concentrators have been a household gadget where there are asthma or other respiratory infections and are nothing new to the COVID-19 scenario.

Guidelines To Buying An Oxygen Concentrator Online

One of the factors to note is to get a doctor's consultation before buying one. There are two models when it comes to oxygen concentrators. Firstly, there's the continuous flow model where the rate of oxygen delivery can't be changed. A 5 LPM continuous flow model will generate the fixed supply of oxygen - no matter how the patient is feeling.

The second model is called the pulse dose model, which supplies oxygen only when the patient is inhaling. It comes with an attached meter that detects the patient's breathing pattern. Additionally, there are battery-operated units as well as models running with a continuous supply of power.

Oxygen Concentrator Brands

There are several gadget brands available on both Amazon and Flipkart, which could be confusing. Oxygen concentrators from Philips are among the affordable ones in India. Plus, there are made in India oxygen concentrators like Invacare, AirSep, Medtronic, BPL, Inogen among others. With the doctor's advice, you can go for the best one, even if it's a tad bit expensive. Also, make sure there's timely service available as the oxygen concentrator needs to be serviced regularly.

At the same time, several startups have launched oxygen concentrators to help those in need. Oxygen concentrators by IISc graduates as well as IIT Kanpur have come into the picture, who have developed these systems with a fundraiser. But these oxygen concentrators are currently being supplied only to rural Indian health centers.

Problems Of Buying An Oxygen Concentrator

There are several problems when it comes to buying an oxygen concentrator - whether online or offline. Firstly, there isn't a fixed price for a certain model and the price of the concentrators varies from city to city. Plus, both offline markets and online markets could have fake products that could further dupe you of your money.

The best way to get an oxygen concentrator is to get your doctor's advice. Doctors generally have links and contacts with suppliers, who provide genuine oxygen concentrators with regular service. This could be available in both online and offline markets, so make sure you research well before buying one.