COPD Patients May Benefit from Light-Weight, Portable Oxygen Concentrator

GCE Healthcare recently announced the launch of the Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator (POC), a device designed to help patients with respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to better manage their oxygen therapy inside or outside the home. The device is the first product to be developed at  GCE’s new manufacturing and innovation center in St. Helens, U.K.

Zen-O weighs less than 5 kilograms (4.66 kg, about 10 pounds) and can provide up to two liters of oxygen per minute in either continuous or pulse flow. The device comes with several accessories, including a carry bag and a pull cart to improve mobility.

Mike Galvin, managing director of GCE Healthcare, said in a recent press release: “The Zen-O™ gives patients the means to remain mobile and carry on living their lives independently. It is one of the few mobile oxygen therapy devices to be manufactured in the UK and is the first of a number of focused products we want to bring to the homecare market in future under our own brand name.”

The Zen-O uses advanced technology to adjust the amount of oxygen delivered in response to a patient’s breath rate, and automatically increases the amount when the patient needs it most — such as walking uphill.

“All concentrators have parts that wear and degrade. We have designed sieve beds that can be changed at the patient’s premises, without having to be returned to base, and this will significantly lower the cost of ownership,” Galvin said.

The device is the latest in a range of medical gas solutions manufactured and distributed by GCE Healthcare, a Swedish company formed in 1987 and part of the GCE Group. At its Innovation Centre, the company’s team of engineers produce high-quality, groundbreaking products. The Zen-O is commercially available and comes with a three-year device or 15,000 hours of total use warranty.

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. More than 11 million people have been diagnosed with the disease, but an estimated 24 million may suffer from COPD without even knowing it. COPD causes serious long-term disability and early death. The number of people dying from COPD is increasing, and there is currently no cure for the condition.