What to Look for in an Oxygen Concentrator’s Flow Meter

flow meter

The lack of medical-grade oxygen created a massive need for alternate source oxygen concentrators in India, owing to an unprecedented surge in critical COVID-19 cases resulting from a novel mutation in SARS-Cov-2.Oxygen concentrators can be used by patients with chronic or acute respiratory and lung problems. These devices continually filter nitrogen from the surrounding air in order to provide the user with an oxygen-rich gas stream. In the home and in hospitals, oxygen concentrators provide supplemental oxygen. They are safer, more convenient, and cost-effective for many users than oxygen tanks or pressurized cylinders. Pulse dose (PD) oxygen delivery and continuous flow (CF) oxygen delivery are the two basic oxygen delivery systems used by oxygen concentrators. The majority of O2 concentrators use one of these delivery systems however there are some devices on the market that can work in both modes. WHY DO OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS NEED TO BE TESTED AND WHEN DO THEY NEED TO BE TESTED? Flow and pressure sensors are built into oxygen concentrators. These are necessary for detecting patient inhalations and maintaining proper oxygen production pressures. To maintain reliability and appropriate operation, these sensors may need to be calibrated and/or checked on a regular basis. This frequently occurs during the machine’s design/manufacturing process, as well as during service. These stages include oxygen concentrator testing:

  • Development and Research (R&D)
  • Production and Quality Control
  • Calibration and Service
  • Patient-to-patient comparisons of device performance

The best Rebreathe flow metre for evaluating pulse dose, continuous flow, and combination oxygen concentrators is what you get. The Effects of Oxygen Devices on Oxygen Flow Meters The following four regularly used oxygen devices have various effects on therapeutic oxygen levels and are responsive to your breathing pattern:

  •   Simple masks
  •   Non-rebreathing masks
  •   Nasal cannulas
  •   Reservoir cannulas

Nasal cannulas are small plastic tubes that are inserted into your nostrils and give a small amount of oxygen. These devices provide the highest comfort, although they are susceptible to air dilution. Mouth breathing, as previously said, skips the therapeutic oxygen entering your nostrils and dilutes the air entering your lungs with ambient air (at 21 percent oxygen). The secret with nasal cannulas is to concentrate on breathing through your nose most of the time to avoid this, although they will work great if you breathe slowly and deeply through your mouth. Reservoir cannulas are similar to ordinary nasal cannulas in appearance and operation, but they contain a reservoir mechanism that saves a tiny amount of oxygen for the following breath. This provides oxygen to the first part of the following breath. Mouth-breathing is still a problem with reservoir cannulas, but the reservoir helps to reduce the amount of air dilution. Plastic face masks that cover your nose and mouth and provide oxygen from a flow metre are known as simple masks. These masks eliminate the problem of mouth breathing and can deliver a consistent amount of therapeutic oxygen. They are, nevertheless, nonetheless subject to your breathing pattern’s effects. The key to utilising basic masks is to maintain your breathing rate modestly and inhale deeply. While the non-rebreathing mask is mostly used in acute or emergency situations, it is a fantastic way to eliminate the mouth-breathing problem and breathing-pattern variations, especially when a higher concentration of oxygen is required for a medical reason. A big reservoir bag fills with oxygen constantly with these masks, allowing you to obtain near-pure oxygen levels. However, because this device requires it, you’ll need an oxygen flow metre that can go up to 15 litres per minute. REBREATHE FLOW METER FOR CONTINUOUS FLOW DELIVERY Flowing indefinitely, regardless of the patient’s breathing, oxygen concentrators give oxygen at a consistent rate. Continuous flow delivery is used by the majority of at-home or stationary concentrators. The Rebreathe flow metre family is perfect for testing and calibrating continuous flow oxygen concentrators.

  • With a reading accuracy of 2%, it measures oxygen or mixed air/O2 gas fluxes.
  • Measures flow in both directions with a range of +/- 30 L/min.
  • Measures flow in standard and volumetric flow conditions.
  • Using a totalizer, you can calculate total inhaled volume by aggregating flow rate.

REBREATHE FLOW METER FOR PULSE DOSE DELIVERY Pulse dosage oxygen concentrators distribute oxygen according to the user’s inhaling and exhalation patterns. Pulse dosage concentrators tailor oxygen delivery to the user’s breathing rate using an oxygen conserver and other equipment. Rebreathe flow metres are ideal for delivering pulse doses since they:

  • Measures flow in both directions at a rate of +/-30 L/min.
  • Measures the volume of pulse dosages that vary in magnitude or frequency.
  • With a reading accuracy of 2%, it measures the flow rate or volume of oxygen or air/oxygen mixtures.
  • Displays readings in millilitres (mL), litres (L), or cubic feet (ft3)

DELIVERING BOTH PULSE AND CONTINUOUS FLOW The oxygen concentrator can meet a larger range of patient needs by combining pulse dosage and continuous flow oxygen delivery. Rebreathe flow metres are suitable for evaluating concentrators that can give both forms of delivery:

  • Calculates the volume of pulse dosages that vary in size or frequency.
  • Measures the flow rate and volume of oxygen or air/oxygen mixes
  • Delivers flow rate and volume measurements in milliliters (mL), liters (L), or cubic feet (ft3

DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH Measurements may need to be more precise and accurate in R&D applications for any oxygen concentrator type. Rebreathe flow metres are an excellent instrument for research and development (R&D) in oxygen therapy. Each unit:

  • Accurately measures volume and flow rate with a reading accuracy of +/- 1.7 percent.
  • Checks the temperature, pressure, and humidity of gas flows.
  • Adjusts flow measurements for accuracy in a variety of operating scenarios.
  • Measures flow in both standard and volumetric units, with gas temperature and pressure standard conditions that can be customised.

Conclusion Among its many attributes, Rebreathe flow metres also measure the concentration or ratio of air/O2. If you need to detect the air/oxygen mix while taking measurements, our flow metre is the way to go. This will enable you to detect oxygen concentrations ranging from 21% to 100% while also detecting the volume and rate of the gas flow.

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