Learn About Oxygen Purity and Oxygen Concentrators

What is Oxygen Purity?

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The purity level of your oxygen delivery is extremely important to your therapy and overall health. An oxygen concentrator is used to maintain a certain level of purity at each individual setting. But what exactly is oxygen purity and what does it mean?

Oxygen is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas that makes up approximately 20% of the air we breathe. If you suffer from COPD or other lung/respiratory diseases you probably require supplemental oxygen. Perhaps you’ve heard your doctor mention oxygen purity when talking about your ideal settings and levels. The word “purity” refers to how pure of a percentage of concentrated oxygen is available to the patient. Medical grade oxygen for an oxygen concentrator should be no less than 90.0% and no more than 96.0%. It’s also important to consider your altitude level when looking at ideal oxygen saturation levels. For example, an ideal saturation level at or near sea level will fluctuate slightly from cities at a higher altitude such as Denver, Colorado. If you’re unsure or confused about your required oxygen levels, consult your doctor.

Luckily, advancements in technology have allowed patients to check and monitor their blood-oxygen levels comfortably at anytime! A pulse oximeter is a small and lightweight device that painlessly attaches to a fingertip and is a great way to keep on top of your health! Pulse oximeters measure pulse rate and the level of oxygen in your blood to ensure you’re concentrator is providing you with the purity and concentration you need! Click the following link to learn more about pulse oximeters.

There are also ways to maintain and take care of your oxygen concentrator to ensure it will continue delivering a consistent level of oxygen purity for many years to come. One of the easiest ways is by cleaning any Gross Particle Filters in your machine. This is the filter that should be cleaned and replaced periodically. An unclean filter can bring down your oxygen purity level. Follow the directions in your owners manual on how to clean, remove, and replace a Gross Particle Filter or check out the following blog posts:

It’s also important to note that older models of concentrators can suffer from low purity levels. This is usually due to the model not being properly refurbished or their internal and external filters being too dirty/clogged.

If you have a new oxygen concentrator and you have been keeping up with regular filter cleaning, you should only consider having your oxygen purity tested when you see or hear an oxygen purity error or warning message on your machine. Most concentrators today feature oxygen purity alarm systems that will alert you if your oxygen purity levels drop below their ideal range.

The percentage of pure oxygen concentration that you, the patient, receive via cannula or mask is extremely important to your oxygen therapy and overall health. It’s important to note that no two people are alike in terms of their purity and setting requirements. Things such as gender, weight, and genetics play an important role in how well your body can absorb oxygen. If you’re concerned about your oxygen purity levels or simply want to be proactive, regular filter cleaning and the use of a pulse oximeter are great ways to keep an eye on your oxygen purity and monitor its effectiveness.

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Danielle is extensively trained oxygen specialist and used her oxygen therapy knowledge to write on products from leading manufactures such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare and ResMed.

About Danielle Jason:

Danielle is extensively trained oxygen specialist and used her oxygen therapy knowledge to write on products from leading manufactures such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare and ResMed.

14 thoughts on “What is Oxygen Purity?

  1. My girlfriend was diagnosed with cood and dont have a oxygen nachine. She needs one bad as her oxygen level akways goes under 55.. how can she get one she needs one asap

  2. I bought a portable oxygen concentrator from China I also bought a metre which measures the concentration of the oxygen. This portable oxygen concentrator maximum oxygen level seems to be 37%. Is it of any use at all

    • Well, the answer depends on what’s your requirement and what output were you expecting from the machine. If you suspect the meter is faulty, get the oxygen saturation tested by an oxygen supplier.

      • Sorry, I didn’t understand your question. Can you rephrase it?
        Anyways, 38% oxygen purity is not medical-grade and will not help with the patient’s supplemental oxygen needs.

  3. What oxygen purity percentage is not safe in oxygen consentrator pls rply. Dr. Suggest after covid treatment she needs 2 ltr oxygen for 1to2month.

    • Please note that there are three different numbers that you have to check for supplemental oxygen.

        First, the patient’s SpO2% (blood oxygen saturation percent) should be over 92% – this number would go higher than 95% with help of supplemental oxygen. This can be checked with a finger pulse oximeter.
        Second, the purity level of the oxygen concentrator should be over 90%. This means that over 90% of the air supplied from the oxygen concentrator is oxygen. Check this with your vendor or on the manufacturer’s website.
        Third, liter flow prescribed by the doctor. In you case, as you mentioned, it is 2 liters per minute. Ensure that your concentrator can supply 2 LPM.
    • When oxygen output is increased in an oxygen concentrator, it still delivers oxygen at the purity level required for medical-grade oxygen.

  4. I AM BEDRIDDEN WITH INFLAMMATION OF BRAIN FM
    Parkinson’s disease, complicated by inflammation of brain from long Covid. I PARKINSON’S is deteriorating rapidly; is an at home oxygen concentrator going to help as well as the recommended H-BOT AND W-BOT?

    • Sorry, we cannot give any medical advice; please consult with your physician or health care provider. They are the qualified experts to assess the condition and provide treatment.

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