A
portable oxygen concentrator, (POC) also called a portable concentrator is a portable device used to provide oxygen therapy to a patient at substantially higher concentrations than the levels of ambient air. It is very similar to a home
oxygen concentrator, but it smaller in size and more mobile. The portable oxygen concentrator makes it easy for patients to travel freely; they are small enough to fit in a car and most of the major concentrators are now
FAA-approved.
Portable oxygen concentrators have been around for decades; but the older versions were bulky, not reliable, and were not permitted on airplanes. Since 2000, a number of manufactures have improved their reliability and they now produce anywhere between 1 and 6 liters per minute (LPM) of oxygen. There are versions that provide pulse or continuous flow. The portable concentrators plug directly into a regular house outlet for charging at home or hotel; but they came with a power adapter that can usually be plugged into a vehicle DC adapter. They have the ability to operate from the battery power as well for either ambulatory use, or away from a power source, or on an airplane.
On July 12, 2005 the American FAA approved the use of portable oxygen concentrator for use on commercial airlines[1]. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) will permit passengers to use certain portable oxygen concentrator devices on aircraft, provided certain conditions in this SFAR are satisfied. The SFAR includes a POC preparation requirement for carry-on baggage transport, and a battery-packaging standard necessary for the safe carriage of extra POC batteries in carry-on baggage. This rulemaking action was deemed necessary to address the traveling needs of people on oxygen therapy.
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