The oxygen provided by home and portable concentrators can be dispensed in one of two ways, commonly referred to as either Continuous Flow or Pulse Flow delivery. Both of these oxygen delivery methods provide medical-grade oxygen directly to the user; however, the dosage is measured differently for each method of oxygen flow. Below we will contrast the two oxygen delivery methods and highlight the devices that feature them, this will help you and your physician determine what type of oxygen delivery is best suited for your lifestyle and oxygen requirements.
Continuous flow oxygen flows without interruption from the cannula and only stops when the concentrator is turned off. These continuous flow concentrators will deliver the same amount of oxygen through the cannula regardless of the patients breathing patterns. This type of oxygen delivery allows the flow rate to be measured at a constant volume of LPM (liters per minute).
Pulse dose oxygen concentrators are engineered to dispense oxygen when the machine senses inhalation. A “pulse” dose of oxygen, referred to as a “bolus”, is triggered and released when a patient inhales through a cannula. Pulse dose oxygen machines have “settings” that indicate how much oxygen is dispensed each minute. The amount (milliliters) of oxygen received by the patient (in a minute) will vary with the manufacturer, the setting, and the patient’s breathing (inhalation) rate. The size of the bolus of oxygen dispensed increases when the settings are increased.
