{"id":6669,"date":"2024-11-10T17:15:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-10T17:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/?p=6669"},"modified":"2024-11-10T17:15:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-10T17:15:22","slug":"how-medical-oxygen-is-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/how-medical-oxygen-is-made\/","title":{"rendered":"How Medical Oxygen is Made"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where does oxygen actually come from? For those needing the use of a portable oxygen concentrator, liquid oxygen or cylinders understanding this can help to make some decisions on what type of oxygen therapy you may want or need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Portable Oxygen Concentrators<\/h2>\n

Portable oxygen concentrators<\/a> (POCs) have revolutionised oxygen therapy, allowing users to produce their own medical-grade oxygen anywhere, anytime on the go. But how do they work?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>1. POCs draw in ambient air, which is about 21% oxygen.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The air passes through filters to remove dust, bacteria and other particles.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The cleaned air is compressed.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Using a molecular sieve bed of zeolite crystals, the POC absorbs nitrogen from the air.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. The remaining oxygen (now about 90-95% pure) is delivered to the user.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    POCs are energy-efficient and eliminate the need for oxygen refills, making them ideal for active users and travellers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Liquid Oxygen<\/h2>\n

    Liquid oxygen (LOX) is oxygen that has been cooled to -183\u00b0C (-297\u00b0F), turning it into a liquid form. Here’s how it’s used:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Ambient air is cooled and compressed in a cryogenic air separation unit.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. The cooled air is separated into its components, including oxygen, nitrogen and argon.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. The liquid oxygen is stored in specially insulated containers.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. When needed, the liquid oxygen is warmed and converted back to gas for use.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Liquid oxygen systems can store large amounts of oxygen in a compact space, making them suitable for users with high oxygen needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Oxygen Cylinders<\/span><\/h2>\n

      Oxygen cylinders contain compressed oxygen. The production process involves:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Ambient air is compressed to high pressures.<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. The compressed air is cooled to remove moisture.<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Impurities are removed through various filtration processes.<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. The air is separated into its components using either:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0– Cryogenic distillation (similar to liquid oxygen production)<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0– Pressure swing adsorption (PSA), which uses molecular sieves to separate oxygen from other gasses<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. The purified oxygen is compressed into cylinders for storage and transport.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Oxygen cylinders are widely used in both medical facilities and home care settings due to their reliability and simplicity.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Choosing the Right Oxygen Supply for You<\/b><\/h3>\n

          Each method of oxygen production has its advantages:<\/span><\/p>\n

          – Portable Oxygen Concentrators: Ideal for active lifestyles and travel<\/span><\/p>\n

          – Liquid Oxygen: Best for high-flow oxygen needs and home use<\/span><\/p>\n

          – Oxygen Cylinders: Suitable for both continuous flow and pulse dose delivery<\/span><\/p>\n

          By understanding the science behind your oxygen supply, you can better appreciate the technology that helps you breathe easier every day.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Where does oxygen actually come from? For those needing the use of a portable oxygen concentrator, liquid oxygen or cylinders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":218,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[49,1156,1157,1158,1159,1160],"class_list":["post-6669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","tag-medical-oxygen","tag-oxygen-therapy-medical-equipment","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-portable-oxygen-medical-supplies","tag-respiratory-care","tag-patient-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6669"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6676,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6669\/revisions\/6676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxygenworldwide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}