Portable Oxygen Tanks

Nearly 1 million people in the United States only require oxygen therapy 24 hours a day. Oxygen therapy involves delivering additional oxygen to individuals with breathing problems caused by emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer.

If you or someone near you need supplemental oxygen, the following article may help you understand better what portable oxygen tanks are. This pertains to the delivery method, namely: portable oxygen cylinders (for compressed oxygen) or portable oxygen tanks (for liquid oxygen). The other systems (i.e. portable oxygen concentrators) do not make the subject of this article.

The first thing to do is decide with your doctor what kind of oxygen delivery system suits you better, in terms of diagnosis and degree of mobility of your lifestyle. There is a wide variety of oxygen supply units, so this usually must be a joint decision involving several factors you have to take into account.

Portable Oxygen Cylinders
They are light weight cylinders filled with pressurized oxygen, that are easy to carry, store and maneuver.
If used in combination with bigger, stationary oxygen systems, there is an added advantage, since they can be refilled directly from the latter. Both the home and portable oxygen cylinders have the same usage and the safety precautions are very similar.

Depending on your preference, needs and abilities, compressed oxygen cylinders can be carried or dragged along in a cart. Many people use what is referred to as a rolling backpack, which allows you to carry several cylinders at a time, meaning you don’t have to worry about running out of oxygen, and allows you to keep the cylinders inside a bag for more privacy.

Portable Oxygen Tanks
Liquid oxygen tanks are an efficient means of storing oxygen, as the liquid stage contains much more oxygen, than when stored as compressed oxygen. It is stored at -170 degrees Celsius and one liter of liquid oxygen is the equivalent of 860 liters of gas oxygen.

The portable oxygen tanks can be refilled from the main container and have a few important advantages: they have light weight units available, there are no major moving parts, are quite silent because they don’t need a power source to operate.

Liquid oxygen containers are an efficient means of storing oxygen as the liquid stage contains much more oxygen, than when stored as compressed oxygen. To note one liter of liquid oxygen is the equivalent of 860 liters of oxygen as gas.  It is stored in the tank at -170 degrees Celsius.  The amount of oxygen you have is for about two weeks when used as the primary source and depending on the flow rate you have been prescribed.

There are some basic safety precautions one should observe when using oxygen tanks:
- keep away from fire
- mind the refilling requirements (both for the main and the portable tanks)
- keep an emergency backup nearby
- read all the instructions carefully, especially the safety section.