What is veterinary oxygen concentrators

Every veterinary practice needs to provide supplemental oxygen to patients during treatment or recovery. Oxygen concentrators extract oxygen from the air, which makes them a practical and cost-effective alternative to traditional oxygen tanks or bottles. 

What is an oxygen concentrator?
An oxygen concentrator is a device that extracts oxygen from the air and concentrates it for delivery to the patient via a mask. It provides a continuous supply of oxygen, making it a convenient and efficient way to support animals with breathing difficulties or other medical conditions that require supplemental oxygen.

In a veterinary setting, oxygen concentrators are used to help animals recover from surgery or other medical procedures, or to treat conditions such as respiratory distress or heart disease.

How does an oxygen concentrator work?
Oxygen concentrators work using a process called ‘molecular sieve pressure swing adsorption’, using air as a raw material. The concentrator first uses a compressor to pull in air and filter out all dust particles and bacteria. After passing through the first filter, the compressed air travels through a column to a zeolite molecular sieve. This sieve is used for separating molecules based on their size and shape. Gases such as nitrogen bind to the zeolite, allowing only oxygen to pass through the sieve, where it is then captured.

An oxygen concentrator produces medical grade oxygen at 93% concentration which can then be administered directly to the patient via a mask, nasal cannula or by direct intubation.

Are oxygen concentrators safe?
Yes. Oxygen concentrators are extremely safe for patients and in terms of wider practice safety. An oxygen concentrator is an alternative to using compressed oxygen cylinders (E-tanks). 

Are oxygen concentrators difficult to use?
No. Longfian Oxygen Concentrators have been designed to be incredibly user friendly. Any veterinarian or technician can easily set up this equipment by following simple instructions, and once set up, the machine is operated at the flick of a switch. This is especially convenient for vets working remotely, since they are often alone – it’s supremely easy to stop and start the oxygen flow with one hand in surgical or other demanding scenarios.

Some oxygen concentrator models also include purity and flow alarms to make it even easier for the clinician to monitor the quality and delivery rate of oxygen to the patient.

What are the differences in oxygen concentrators?
To meet both the simplest and more complex needs, we sell three types of Pureline oxygen concentrators, including static and portable models. All models deliver medical grade oxygen at 93% concentration, but each has different features that make it adapted to specific veterinary care needs:

For single patient / mobile use
The JAY-5KW is a very simple oxygen concentrator, delivering 93% oxygen on demand up to 5 liters per minute (LPM). It operates at around 40 decibels, it is quiet, making it light enough to be portable wherever you need it. We recommend this model for small practices where complex surgical procedures are rare, and for mobile vets who may need to deliver supplemental oxygen in the field.

For more than one patient
Our Longfian JAY-10 model also delivers 93% oxygen on demand up to 10 LPM, which means it is suitable for patients with intensive oxygen needs. The JAY-10 operates at 50 dB, which makes it slightly louder, but still ideal for mobile practice, especially where large animals are involved.

What other benefits can an oxygen concentrator bring to my practice?
Another key benefit of using an oxygen concentrator is sustainability – both in terms of supply, and environmental impact. During the Covid-19 pandemic, compressed oxygen was in short supply due to huge demand. The raw materials required to manufacture oxygen tanks are also subject to occasional supply chain issues. Using an oxygen concentrator means that as long as you have fresh air, you’ll have oxygen for your patients in a low-cost format that has a minimal carbon footprint.