Personal oxygen concentrator
View Patent ↗An oxygen separator for separating oxygen from ambient air utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption process has a mass of less than 2.3 kg. A carrier is mountable on a person to support the oxygen separator for ambulatory use.
1. An oxygen concentrator comprising:
a portable power pack;
a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) oxygen separator powered by the power source and having a plurality of nitrogen-selective adsorbent beds, each operating in VSA cycles including feed, evacuation and repressurization phases, the VSA cycles operating in a range between about 0.1 atm and about 1.0 atm;
wherein the VSA oxygen separator comprises:
an ambient air inlet;
a vacuum pump;
a product control pump; and
a valve for selectively connecting the ambient air inlet, the vacuum pump and the product control pump to the adsorbent beds during different phases of the VSA cycles;
a reservoir for storing oxygen-rich product gas produced by the VSA oxygen separator; and
wherein the VSA oxygen separator is contained within a plurality of modules connected to a carrier mounted on a person.
2. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the VSA oxygen concentrator further comprises:
a motor for driving the valve and the vacuum pump,
wherein the motor is contained within a control module.
3. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of modules are connected by a belt.
4. The oxygen concentrator of claim 3 wherein the belt contains a series of the pathways which contain electrical and pneumatic connections of the VSA oxygen separator contained within the plurality of modules.
5. The oxygen concentrator of claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of modules is attached to the belt with a quick disconnect mechanism.
6. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the carrier comprises a belt which includes a plurality of connected segments to allow manipulation of the carrier.