Oxygen Tanks and Oxygen Concentrators, what’s the difference?
Over the course of the pandemic the demand for Oxygen has increased dramatically, COVID-19 cases are still rising and in some cases more rapidly than ever before due to mutant variants. As a result there has been a significant shortage of oxygen and respiratory therapy products in the global market.
Oxygen concentrators and Oxygen tanks are similar indeed, but despite their similarities, they both operate in very different ways and deliver different results. They both deliver oxygen therapy to the patients that need it, however understanding the difference between the concentrator and the tank or cylinder is very important.
The Oxygen Concentrator works like an air conditioning machine, it takes in air, modifies, and adjusts it, and then delivers it in a new form. The only difference is that a concentrator purifies the air and makes it available for patients who have low oxygen levels in their blood. The benefits of the concentrator is that it is consistent, it will never run out as long as it has a supply of power. An oxygen concentrator extracts oxygen from the air itself, making the supply unlimited and readily available.
The safety of this machine is another benefit, an oxygen cylinder could begin to leak, and oxygen saturated air increases the risk of a fire. The concentrator simply creates oxygen as needed, eliminating the concern of leaks, and therefore the concern of flammability. The oxygen concentrator is also much lighter in weight and therefore designed easily for convenience and portability.
The Oxygen tank on the other hand is a large cylinder that contains pressurized oxygen that can be continuously released at specific flow rates to provide medical grade oxygen to the patient. The benefits of the tank is that it does not require any batteries or power, this is extremely useful when there is no electrical outlet available. It is also very silent as there are no loud sounds associated with the cylinder. And lastly, the cost of an oxygen tank is much lower than all the other oxygen devices. This is convenient for third world countries who are in need of it.
As a result, the Oxygen concentrator and Oxygen tank claim many similarities and differences and are important when deciding which device meets the patient’s requirements.
At Santé, we’re committed to providing the appropriate Oxygen therapy to the patient that requires it- if you are still unsure, please contact us, or view our technical specification sheets for more information.
