AirSep exec wins National Medal of Technology and Innovation
AirSep exec wins National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Norman McCombs, a University at Buffaloalumnus and executive at Amherst-basedAirSep Corp., has been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the U.S. government’s highest honor for technological achievement.
McCombs, who lives in Tonawanda, “developed an oxygen production system that spawned a billion dollar industry and helped ease the pain of millions suffering from lung diseases,” according to a release issued by UB. He is AirSep’s senior vice president of research and development.
President Obama will present the medal to McCombs and other award winners at a Feb. 1 ceremony at the White House.
The award is administered for the White House by the U.S. Department of Commerce’sPatent and Trademark Office and recognizes those “who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the nation’s technological workforce,” according to a White House statement.
McCombs is the third person with UB ties to receive the medal. Former engineering professor Esther Takeuchi was honored in 2007 for developing a battery used to power implantable cardiac defibrillators. Wilson Greatbatch, founder of Greatbatch Inc. and a UB alumnus and faculty member, received the award in 1990.
McCombs developed a method of separating gases that produces oxygen, leading to a device called an oxygen concentrator, which is used to treat people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There are currently about 1.2 million oxygen concentrators in the U.S. alone, a more than $2 billion industry.
Dan Miner is Business First's enterprise reporter. He also covers education and public companies.
Medical oxygen and you
Home oxygen treatment involves breathing high concentrations of oxygen from a cylinder or machine in your home.
The main purpose of home oxygen treatment is to raise your blood oxygen to a level that prevents such harm. It also helps relieve breathlessness and other symptoms of low blood oxygen, such as ankle swelling and blue lips.
How home oxygen treatment can help
Breathing air with a higher concentration of oxygen can help increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. This makes it easier to do activities that might otherwise be more difficult. It also helps reduce the symptoms mentioned above.
Oxygen therapy can help people with a range of health conditions that affect breathing or blood circulation, including:
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - a long-term disease of the lungs
- severe long-term asthma
- cystic fibrosis - an inherited disease that causes the lungs to become clogged with thick, sticky mucus
- pulmonary hypertension - high pressure inside the arteries to the lungs, which causes damage to the right-hand side of the heart
- obstructive sleep apnoea - a condition that causes interrupted breathing during sleep
- diseases of the nerves and muscles or ribcage
- heart failure - when the heart struggles to pump enough blood around the body
People who have oxygen therapy have different requirements. Some people only need oxygen therapy for short periods during the day, when they're walking about (ambulatory oxygen). Others need it for longer periods and during the night.
Oxygen concentrator machineAn oxygen concentrator machine is convenient if you would benefit from having oxygen for a large number of hours a day, including while you're asleep. It ensures you have a source of oxygen that never runs out.
A back-up cylinder of oxygen is also provided in case the machine breaks down. Regular maintenance visits will be made to make sure the concentrator is always working properly.
Portable cylinders can provide oxygen at a rate of 2 litres or 4 litres a minute, or have an adjustable scale up to 4 litres a minute. The flow required is determined by your lung specialist or the oxygen service healthcare professional. When full, these cylinders weigh just over five pounds (2.3kg) and hold just under two hours of oxygen (at 2 litres a minute).
Going on holiday
If you are going on holiday in England or abroad you can make arrangements to have home oxygen supplied to you at your destination. Before you arrange your holiday, check with your doctor that you are well enough to travel.
For more information visit OxygenWorldwide or speak to one of our advisors
Use Medical Oxygen? Warm those muscles
We all know that exercising is important for a healthy lifestyle, so get out there and get moving! But before you get too far, remember to warm up your muscles by stretching. Flexibility exercises can help loosen up your body, helping you to feel better and more comfortable on a daily basis. You should stretch before all physical activity, even walking. So follow these simple steps to a more flexible body.
If you feel pain, stop immediately and consult your physician or therapist. Never bounce while stretching; make steady movements that help your muscles stretch naturally.
Leg stretch: Sit in a chair with your legs bent in front of you. Straighten your right leg as much as possible without locking your knee. Lengthen your spine then lean forward reaching your hands toward your feet. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, then rest and repeat with a flexed foot. Repeat the routine on your left side.
Chest Stretch: Begin by standing with your arms at your side and feet shoulder-width apart. Extend both arms behind your back and clasp your hands together, if possible. Stop when you feel a good stretch or sense discomfort. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds, then rest and repeat.
Quadriceps Stretch: Stand next to a sturdy chair or a counter with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Use the left hand to hold onto the chair or counter for balance. Slowly, bend your right knee back grabbing your right ankle with your right hand until your thigh is straight up and down. Do not lean forward or backward, but stand up straight. (If you can't grasp your ankle in your hand, just keep your leg as close to perpendicular as possible and hold the bend, or place your foot on the seat of a chair.) Hold the stretch for 30 seconds then repeat on the left side.
Don’t worry if you can’t touch your toes or stretch as far as others, just do your best and improve over time.
This year we will help even more travel with medical oxygen
For those of you with diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, supplemental medical oxygen is a necessity. If you have ever tried to travel with supplemental oxygen, you know how difficult this can be. Being prepared, and knowing how to travel safely with oxygen and where to obtain oxygen at your final destination is vital. This is where OxygenWorldwide can help with 20 years of expertise the team are ready and waiting. On call 24 hours a day book your next trip no matter how short or long haul and you will always be in safe hands.
Safety is a very important issue when traveling by car, as an oxygen tank can become a dangerous projectile in an accident. It is crucial to secure the unit. Your oxygen company can provide you with information about safe ways to store and protect your particular oxygen unit in a vehicle. In case of break down OxygenWorldwide provide a FREE registration to a Back Up Service - complete details online now and await a confirmation from our team.
Portable oxygen concentrators — which form oxygen by extracting and separating it from the surrounding air, and deliver it through a nasal cannula — may be stored in any position, but they should be padded to protect them from impact.
Travel by airplane also takes a good amount of research and preparation. No airline will allow you to bring aboard your own oxygen cylinder, but many airlines have medical oxygen cylinders available for a fee for use on their planes, such as Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Continental, Delta and Japan Airlines. The oxygen containers used on airplanes vary from airline to airline.
You will also need to contact your airline to learn their requirements for advance notification of your need for medical oxygen. Many airlines will need a letter from your physician in advance of the flight, so they can contact him or her to verify liter flow. The letter should have a date of no more than one year prior to the flight (some airlines require a letter dated no more than 10 days prior to the flight), stating the amount of oxygen needed and the flow rate, adjusted to cabin pressure.
In Europe, the rules and regulations for oxygen use on vary from country to country. There is no one place to find the information for a trip that takes you from country to country. Your best bet is to contact OxygenWorldwide's customer service department who have a wide range of knowledge in these countries.
Being well prepared will make your travels much more enjoyable.
New Year New You
New Year's Eve is perhaps the most intensely and raucously celebrated night of the year. After all the fanfare, fiestas and fun that are over, it is time for those resolutions!
It’s a brand new year. A time of great hope and optimism as we pocket all the old worries, fears and failures that plagued the last one.
We believe there’s no better way to mark the significance of such a blessed milestone than committing to some New Year Resolutions. Have you given it any thought? Now’s the time!
We all know the “usuals” and they invariably have to do with achieving a greater level of health. People everywhere want to begin anew by getting in shape, eating healthy, exercising.
We researched a list of the most popular resolutions and posted them for you here. See any that strike your fancy?
Most Popular New Year Resolutions
- Eat Healthy Food
- Travel to a new destination
- Do more exercise
- Visit a long-lost friend
- Save Money
- Book your summer holiday
- Volunteer to Help Others
2012 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here's an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,900 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 5 years to get that many views.
Click here to see the complete report.
Your travel Checklist
A checklist for those traveling with portable oxygen concentrators
□ Ask your doctor before traveling
Check with your doctor for travel clearance, especially if you've been hospitalized recently.
□ Complete the paperwork
You may need a letter from your doctor that verifies all of your medications, including oxygen.
□ Take a copy of your oxygen prescription
You will need to show your prescription to travel personnel, so be sure to carry it with you.
□ Take contact info for your Doctor: ________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Respiratory Therapist: ____________________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Oxygen Supplier: ________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Home Healthcare Representative: ___________________________
Phone: _____________________________
□ Take enough medication to last the entire trip
Remember to pack all medication and supplies in your carry-on bag and keep a list of medications with you at all times.
□ Wear emergency medical identification
□ Contact your home healthcare company
Tell them where you are going so they can assist in arranging for oxygen when you reach your destination.
□ Know how to use your portable oxygen concentrator
Try operating on all types of power: AC, DC, battery. Test how long your batteries last at your dosage or liter flow level.
□ Contact your travel carrier
Call your airline, cruise ship or bus company before departure to check for any special requirements.
Travelling with COPD
Where are you going?
Be sure to research the city or state that you will be visiting. Places at high or low altitude can affect your breathing. Poor air quality can cause an exacerbation of COPD. Before you leave, call ahead or check air pollution levels to determine if air quality will be an issue.
Are you healthy enough to travel?
Nothing ruins a holiday faster than ending up in a hospital bed. Schedule a visit with your health care provider shortly before you plan to leave. He or she might prescribe extra medication in case of a flare – up whilst on the road. Your doctors can also provide you with your home-oxygen prescription as well as with any other medical documents that may be required when you travel.
How will you get there ?
How you travel can also affect your COPD systems. Travel by car, air or rail all present different challenges to consider.
Air Travel
There are special considerations for those with COPD when flying. Especially when using supplemental oxygen. Many major airlines now allow you to take and use your own portable oxygen concentrator. We always recommend checking with your airline before booking your holiday, or click on the link below for more information.
Bus
Most bus lines will provide assistance for those with special needs. We recommend you call at least 48 hours before you plan to leave and let them know if you use supplemental oxygen or are in a wheelchair. Most bus lines will allow patients to carry and use their oxygen concentrators on board. Always call ahead for specific regulations.
Cruise Ship
Most cruise lines require 4 to 6 weeks prior notice if travelling with supplemental oxygen. They do however allow you to take your own oxygen concentrators on board, just remember that cruise line regulations may vary.
Quick List:
- Sufficient Batteries for your oxygen concentrator
- Sufficient Medication
- Copy of your oxygen prescription
- Required medical documentation
- A list of your medications
- Proper electrical adapters, particularly if travelling overseas or foreign countries
- Directions to hospital, walk in centres, in case of emergency
To register for our Simple Oxygen Solutions please read more here or to speak to one of our advisors info@oxygenworldwide.com @oxygenworldwide facebook/oxygenworldwide .
Home or away?
When travelling at home or abroad OxygenWorldwide make travel as carefree as possible for all our customers who use medical oxygen. With international networks worldwide, a team of advisors who speak many languages plus we are contactable 24/7, you know you are in safe hands.
For all or our customers who use portable oxygen concentrators we also have a Simple Oxygen Solutions back up service that you all can register for FREE OF CHARGE. To find out more please register here.
