Long-Term Oxygen Therapy: Advances and Perspectives in Technical Devices
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Long-term oxygen therapy: advances and perspectives in technical devices. |
Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1999 Feb;54(1):75-8. Since the early beginnings of long-term oxygen therapy, by means of cylinders of compressed oxygen and their subsequent replacement with oxygen concentrators, most technical advances have been steadily focused on improving the facilities for continuous ambulatory oxygen therapy. Largely for this purpose, two different systems have been developed.
1) Oxygen concentrators in combination with portable cylinders for patients requiring oxygen at home and during short-term outdoor activities. If connected to an oxygen-conserving device, the duration of the administration of oxygen therapy can be increased substantially. For improved mobility, a new generation of lightweight cylinders can now be provided by multiple suppliers, reducing the weight of the portable system to 2.1 kg.
2) Liquid oxygen is still the most convenient system for patients requiring continuous oxygen therapy at home as well as during daily outdoor activities. A major shortcoming of liquid oxygen is its high costs, mainly due to logistics of resupply and refilling of cylinders.
Conserving devices are capable of substantially reducing the consumption and costs of compressed and liquid oxygen. The following conservation devices have proven to be efficient: reservoir cannulas, demand oxygen-pulse devices, and transtracheal catheters. Additionally, the transtracheal route improves physical ability and prolongs survival. Looking to the future of long-term oxygen therapy, there is ongoing progress in the technical advancements of oxygen concentrators.
A very promising new product is a type of concentrator which can be used to refill small portable cylinders at home. This system may be an innovative and less expensive alternative to liquid oxygen. To summarize, all future efforts should be directed at improving the technologies for providing continuous ambulatory oxygen therapy to those suffering from chronic pulmonary impairment.
PMID: 10218377 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Editors Comments: Since this article was written in 1999, we can see where its predictions have accurately led as well as its short comings. The author recognized two main sources of oxygen being concentrators and liquid reservoirs in 1999. In 2007, these remain the favored home oxygen therapy sources with some of the same disadvantages. Liquid oxygen remains cost prohibitive for many individuals, especially when factoring in ongoing costs of delivery service. Oxygen concentrators remain the preferred choice due to low operating cost, reliability and increased safety. Oxygen cylinders have been proven to be dangerous and their popularity has diminished greatly with the advent of more mobile units. The prediction about oxygen concentrators has proven to be partly true. Concentrators that refill oxygen cylinders have been brought to the market, though based on internet inquiries, they are in less demand than the newly developed portable oxygen concentrators. Safety issues and market demand has pushed oxygen concentrator development toward miniaturizing the concentrator. This concept replaces the danger associated with pressurized cylinders with the safety and reliability of an oxygen concentrator. |
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