A 5-liter home oxygen concentrator that is small enough for travel–wouldn’t that be nice?!
Many people dream of smaller, lighter, and more powerful oxygen equipment. If a travel-sized oxygen concentrator that provides up to 5 LPM has been on your wish list, then your dream is about to come true.
Inogen, Inc., the manufacturer of the popular Inogen One G2 and G3 portable oxygen concentrators, recently announced that it has received FDA approval for a first-of-its-kind home oxygen concentrator called the Inogen At Home. The At Home will be the smallest and lightest 5 LPM concentrator on the market.
How does 18 pounds sound?
At 18 pounds, the Inogen At Home will be small enough to easily pick-up-and-go for travel – even air travel. No more home concentrator arrangements will have to be made at your destination when you can bring your own home concentrator with you. The At Home will come with a wheeled cart for easy transport, and it will be small enough to place in your carry-on luggage.
Even if a travel-sized concentrator isn’t your greatest need, many will find its reduced noise level and lower power consumption a great benefit. Even for home use only, a lower electric bill is sure to please.
Inogen set out to change the oxygen therapy market with our Inogen One family of products and in a similar fashion with the Inogen At Home™, we intend to change the perception of oxygen concentrators used in the home. We believe we have created a home concentrator with product attributes that will be patient preferred. – Raymond Huggenberger, Inogen CEO
The Inogen At Home is expected to be released later this year. I anticipate an unveiling at the Medtrade Show next month and will provide more information as soon as it is available.
thanks Allison ! really appreciate the update ! looking forward to this new concentrator ! another very import thing to all of us oxygen users, is how long the battery last ! right now the only other ones out, only last about an hour on continuous setting of 3 lpm. with the battery. not really enough if going to an outdoor function. just going to and from the car, takes 10-15 minutes, so minus that, leaves about 45 minutes !!! not good !!!
Yes, battery time is a another need high on many people’s wish lists. Unfortunately, the Inogen At Home is a home oxygen concentrator and not portable. Therefore, it will only work when plugged into an electrical outlet. With new machines coming out nearly every year, I have hope that it won’t be long before small, light, powerful and long battery times will be available for all oxygen users.
Hello. I just purchased an Inogen G3 and I re4gret it. I am sure it has lots of good qualities but it is so noisey that I do not feel comfortable using it on an airplane. The motor running is OK but the sound that seems to comwe more often than the 15 seconds they say is really annoying. It would defintely make me crazy and the person on the plane sitting next to me I believe would be really annoyed as well. I rented a unit before and I did not notice thar sound but I must have because it is the same unit the G3, Had I been told that the G2 did not make that noise and the only downside was it weighing more, I would have ghladly sacrificed the lighter weight for a quieter machine.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the Inogen One G3. If you purchased the unit from a reputable authorized dealer, you should be able to exchange the unit within a trial period. Please see my article on the importance of choosing the right dealer.
(For other readers, please not this comment is in regard to the Inogen One G3 portable oxygen concentrator, and not the Inogen At Home featured in this artice.)
I recently had 1/2 my right lung removed and have COPD I need a portable with a setting of LPM 3. Would you recommend the inogen one G3 or the G2? I am sold on the G3 but the rep is telling me I should go with the G2.
Thank You,
Steven
First, I want to make sure you understand that the Inogen One G2 and G3 units are pulse only so they have a setting 3, but it is not 3 LPM exactly. That being the case, the rep may be concerned that you are using the G3 at a higher setting and does not have as much wiggle room if you need more oxygen. Apart from the amount of oxygen, the G3 is great if you are looking for a smaller unit, while the G2 is better if you wish to have a quieter unit. Whichever you decide, be sure you are able to have a trial period with a free exchange in the event that you choose the wrong unit.
Hi,
Your articles are great and my maiden name is Waters so you’re even greater for having the same name. If one is on 2LPM continuous O2 what should your O2 be on when on a conserver even with portable O2 tanks.
I find that when I am out & about moving around that my sats are not quite as good as when I’m on continuous and I’m concerned about that. I have COPD but I have basically zero symptoms except for low O2 sats -unless I truly exerted myself so I don’t suffer any symptoms even if I’m hypoxic and I have actually had days where I’ve been distracted, and have even been out for hours only to check the tank and discover that it was never even turned on at all -what dose on a conserver or POC (intermittent dose) is the same/equivalent of 2LPM continuous flow and can you just go to a higher rate on ID to compensate for it?
Thanks for your columns AND answering me as well. I appreciate it.
Thanks,
Jeanne H2Os
Since conservers and POCs use different conserving ratios, there isn’t one pulse (intermittent) setting that is equivalent to a continuous flow. For instance, on pulse setting 2 the LifeChoice Activox provides 15 mL per breath at 20 breaths per minute, while the Inogen units provide 21 mL, the Respironics SimplyGo provides 24 mL, and the SeQual units provide 32 mL. That’s quite a range for the same pulse flow setting! Clearly the SeQual units are the most powerful and provide the closest volume of oxygen as 2 LPM, but they are larger and not as portable as the smaller, 5-pound units.
Most people use the same pulse flow setting as their continuous flow setting; however, some people need to increase the pulse setting. The setting needed depends on your personal breathing rate and the conversing ratio of the machine. Ultimately, the pulse flow setting needed is the one that keeps your sats at a level that your doctor recommends. A fingertip pulse oximeter can be used to test your oxygen at varying levels of activity and pulse flow settings. For an in-depth look at pulse flow, I recommend you read my article on understanding pulse flow settings.
Can I talk to you about much higher lpm, in the seven , eight range on continuous, I have idiopatic pulmonary fibrosis. I’m in excellent physical shape, but I need that flow to do moderate exercises at home. I would love to go to the gym but I don’t think there is anything on the market that would accommodate my needs. Thank you
Unfortunately, there is no portable concentrator available that can provide more than 4 LPM continuous flow.
Allison,
I have not found a continuous flow more than 3LPM. Which one has a 4LPM that you mentioned?
The Inogen At Home featured on this page is a small home concentrator that provides up to 5 LPM continuous flow. There is a new Oxlife Independence portable concentrator that will provide up to 4 LPM, but I heard that it may not be released until next year.
Dear Allison,
Thank you for hosting such an informative forum. When I was faced with having to integrate the use of supplemental O2 into my life about eight months ago, my research on the topic eventually led me here. Your objective reviews of the available portable oxygen units which are available in the marketplace was a very useful tool in helping me make my final decision.
I now find I am in a bit of a dilemma in that I have suddenly progressed from as needed O2 use to required 24/7 O2 use. Therefore, Iam shopping around for a home unit. I was thrilled to learn that Inogen had developed a home unit. Unfortunately, my need for a home unit is immediate, and I have begun discussions on the topic with the home medical equipment company which I have been working with, OxiMedical.
Because of your unbiased referral of OxiMedical, I have had a rather amazing working relationship with them. Thank you so very much for finding one of th few reputable online home medical equipment companies out there. I sing the praises of OxiMedical whenever I come across anyone who is even vaguely interested in a portable oxygen unit so that they can escape the “tyranny of the tank” as I call it.
Allison, what do you think of the idea of my obtaining a home unit from OxiMedical for use now since it is something I need, and then, some time down the road, trade in the much heavier unit for the almost light-as-a-feather Inogen home unit? Given that OxiMedical is already a licensed distributor for Inogen, a good chance does exist that OxiMedical may decide to carry the new Inogen home unit as part of its inventory, especially if they are given much encouragement from their customer base. This plan does seem feasible, does it not?
Allison, thank you for for you public education efforts in the field of O2 therapy. I really do appreciate having the opportunity to voice my thoughts “out loud” here with you.
all my best…mk
Thank you for your kind words. Since OxiMedical offers a trade-in program for their units, I think your plan is reasonable and a safe bet. I understand that the dealers would like to carry the new Inogen At Home, but Inogen is not releasing it to them yet. I have not heard how long before Inogen will allow their resellers to offer the At Home Concentrator, but I would imagine OxiMedical and the other authorized resellers would sell it as soon as they are able.
I need to purchase a Home Concentrator for my Mom and we live at over 9000 ft in the mountains of NM. I am clueless on my options and does Medicare pay for this if she has a Dr. to approve. She gets extreme altitude sickness with headache and trouble breathing. What are the top manufacturers that you could direct me to. I appreciate your help.
Home oxygen concentrators are tried and true units. There are no major differences from one manufacturer to another, as loon as you choose a U.S. company. I recommend the Respironics EverFlo Q, the Invacare Perfecto2 and the AirSep Companion 5. Medicare provides a monthly rental benefit for oxygen. You would need to contact a local homecare company that handles Medicare billing. As long as your mother qualifies, you should have no trouble getting a home concentrator through Medicare. However, keep in mind that the homecare companies often provide older, bigger, noisier equipment than you will find at internet retailers who sell the units for around $750.
Research has indicated that oxygen is being used for cancer therapy. Are home, and/or portable oxygen generators effective for this type of therapy?
Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable about using oxygen therapy for cancer treatment so I cannot provide a good answer for your question. I would think that the level of oxygen produced by home oxygen concentrators would be insufficient for cancer therapy; however, in your research you may have uncovered more information. A standard home oxygen concentrator can produce up to 5 LPM, while a portable unit can produce up to 3 LPM. Of course, your physician would have to be consulted since you would need a prescription to obtain an oxygen concentrator for any purpose.
how much is it and do u take payment on ss
I only provide information about portable oxygen concentrators. I don’t sell any equipment.
Is there a true continuous flow portable O2 concentrator that will go to 5 LPM that has the ability to be used with batteries, a car adapter (DC car supply) or a AC wall supply. My wife is now on 4 LPM continuous and she may need to go to 5 LPM ion the future. We purchased a Sequel Eclipse 5 a year or so ago and it has been great until her demands went to 4 LPM. I thought the Inogen G4 would go to 4 LPM continuous but after investigating it looks like it is pulse only.
Hoping you can help me find something that will work for us. We would like to travel to visit our grandchildren but until we can find a suitable portable it is just to much trouble to haul enough tanks arround
Unfortunately, no. The Eclipse 5 is the most powerful portable concentrator on the market. You are also correct that Inogen POCs provide only pulse flow. However, this Inogen At Home goes up to 5 LPM and is about the same size and weight as the Eclipse, so it’s fairly travel-friendly. If your wife can use the Eclipse at a higher pulse setting during the day then the Inogen might be perfect for her night use.
Another option to try is the Chad Oxymizer Pendant. It is a conserving cannula that boosts the output of continuous flow oxygen, providing 5 LPM when the Eclipse is set to only 2.5 LPM.
I’m traveling with a Inogen concentrator (home-18 lbs) that I use at night only . I’m 75 and will be getting in plane Saturday- I handle the carry on fine until I have to lift it up to store above seat in luggage compartments. Embarrassed to have to go on with people needing help. I look very ok. Can u check it in or ask for help. Does TSA put u through a lot. Jean
Yes, you can check your concentrator. I have not heard of problems with the TSA, but it’s not out of the question. My other concern would be the baggage handlers. They can be pretty rough with luggage and could damage your concentrator. If you choose to check your concentrator, be sure it is well-wrapped in your clothing.