NEW DELHI: An oxygen enrichment unit is a device, which concentrates the oxygen from the air around us by selectively removing nitrogen to supply an oxygen-enriched air. The concentrated Oxygen is delivered to the patients, having respiratory diseases, through oxygen mask or nasal cannula.
The device may be used in remote places, homes, or hospital like facilities for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), chronic hypoxemia and pulmonary edema. It may be used as an adjunct treatment for severe sleep apnea (in conjunction with a continuous positive airway pressure unit).
The commercially available Oxygen Enrichment Units generally work till 8000 ft from sea level. With an optional plug-in module, this unit can work upto the altitude of 14000 ft with a penalty on flow rate thereby making it very handy for the usage of the high-altitude terrain battlefield in contingencies.
Though some other research establishments in the country have also developed such system, CSIR-CMERI’s system having an outflow at 93% oxygen concentration level and 5 LPM is far ahead than those which merely gives the outflow of around 27-35%. The performance benchmarking of the unit has been carried out which find it at par with the reputed MNC’s.