EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance High flow oxygen at home

We have a patient that they are looking to get home but they are currently requiring 10lpm of oxygen. Cylinders would be too bulky or would need replacing too frequently to be a viable option as an oxygen supply.
Does anyone have knowledge of high flow concentrators, I have only found ones that give 6lpm and then only at 80%, or liquid oxygen systems? I know of the Tyco Helios systems but have no specification of the system.
Thanks all
Robert

Would BOC be able to suggest a solution?

Yes, lots of cylinders, which has storage and handling problems.
You would need to change an F cylinger every two and a quarter hours or a J cylider twice a day but these weigh 70kg each.
And what would the fire brigade have to say about this amount of oxygen? They were concerned about my small oxy-acetelene setup.
Hence looking for more radical solutions.
Robert

You can couple concentrators together using a T-piece to achieve the aggregate flowrate you desire

That is one solution we are looking at, Sky, but this doubles the maintenance, noise and amount of floor space needed.
Robert

I was considering something like this for a poorly relative with severe respiratory problems a while back (to be prescribed by a physician of course). I too did not fancy having (4 AF) full cylinders lying around the house continuously with a smoker:

BarO2 Concentrators

Still a fire risk but possibly more acceptable to the local Fire Brigade. It says up to 10 lpm. Concerns are if it is Medical Grade or not and whether output pressures are appropriate.

Also:

PaSA Domicillary O2 Risk Assessement

Richard,
I came across these people with a web search and ignored them. I have had another look and see they do a concentrator that claims to do 10lpm but I have also seen that it produces 75-99% oxygen. The medical ones start to drop off the concentration at over 6lpm so they limit the flow. I wonder if this one is similar but without the limit.
I will investigate it further.
Thank you
Robert

Oxygen is a drug and therefore needs to be prescribed. I think there is still Pharmaceutacil legislation that limits the flow for domicilliary oxygen to a maximum of 4l/min. Hence most concentrators have a maximum useful flow of 4 l/min and domicilliary regulators are medium (2l/min) and high (4l/min.
Our Respiratory Consultant will not prescible concentrators to people who are still smoking.