Oxygen concentrators: Here are things you should check before buying one

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With the Covid-19 threat refusing to go away, the demand for oxygen concentrators and ventilators is at an all-time high. China has been the major player in supplying oxygen concentrators in India so far. Since April, at least 40,000 oxygen concentrators have been placed by Indian companies, from which 21,000 have been successfully delivered, according to official Chinese customs figures.

Best Brands in India

Many companies have come up with oxygen concentrators. Philips, Medikart, Airsep and a few US-based brands are some trusted brands for it. BPL Medical Technologies Ltd, Invacare, SS Technologies, Oshocorp Global Pvt Ltd, Medtronic, Inogen, Nidek Medical, Chart Industries are also common importers and manufacturers in India.

Since there is huge demand for oxygen concentrators, the market is now flooded with counterfeit products. Recently Phillips mentioned that there are duplicate cheap quality oxygen concentrators that have been revolving in the market.

How will you spot counterfeit products?

According to Dr. Ravi Malik of Radix healthcare, “an oxygen concentrator is fake if it does not give you 92-95% pure oxygen at 5 litres per minute. The machine should have 40-70 pressure levels by which the oxygen level is coming out. The machine should have a working alarm as it alerts you, if it not there then you might be using a fake one. If Any machine offering 50% oxygen purity then that is not the correct one for covid-19 treatment. Also, the machine should have nasal cannulas and other accessories.” Noise levels and portability are also key factors. According to the WHO, oxygen concentrators should produce no more than 50 decibels while operating.

Cost of oxygen concentrators

Chinese and Indian brands with 5L per minute capacity are selling for around Rs 50,000 to Rs 55,000. Philips sells only one model in India, and its MRP is around Rs 65,000. For a 10L Chinese brand concentrator, the price is around Rs 95,000 to Rs 1.10 lakh. For an American brand concentrator, the price is between Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 1.75 lakh.

Points to be considered before buying

Portable or non-portable: Oxygen concentrators that are non-portable are designed for patients at home, require direct power input from a wall socket, and can provide a higher amount of oxygen compared to a portable oxygen concentrator. While the portable concentrator gives you the option to carry it anywhere and can be charged like smartphones.  Most of the good and high-performance concentrators weigh at least 14-15 kgs. Anything lighter than this may not be a quality product.

Capacity: Then you should check the capacity of oxygen concentrators. They are available as 3, 5, 8, and 10 (Litres per minute) LPM units. For mild to moderate level patients, 3-5 LPM is ideal with approximately 90% oxygen purity.

Oxygen Concentration Level: Some oxygen concentrators provide you with air that has 87% oxygen, while others promise the same up to 93%. The higher the percentage level, the pure supply of oxygen will be available. Patients undergoing breathing difficulties require air that is almost all oxygen. Anything lower than 90% concentration of oxygen may not help Covid-19 patients.