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Ed Yeates ReportingOxygen on the go, no matter where you go. For people with congestive heart failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a new small portable machine is about all they need anymore to help them breathe.
At St. Mark's Hospital, registered nurse Annette Maynard throws a tote over her shoulder and moves about freely, even though like many patients there, she has congestive heart failure. Inside her tote is a compact nine pound oxygen concentrator called Inogen.
The portable unit does away with the need to roll around an oxygen tank and then to replenish this tank when it's empty. Now, no matter where Annette Maynard goes what she does, this new unit - operating on rechargeable batteries or AC or DC power - continually pulls oxygen from the air and concentrates it for Annette's use.
Tom Bradley, CEO, Petersen Medical: "As long as there are batteries -- and the battery life is approximately three hours on two liters -- and as long as you can plug it in someplace -- plug it into a cigarette lighter in a car -- yeah -you can be away from home for as long as you want to be."
That's not all! At home, the new portable unit does away with the big traditional concentrator as well.
Annette Maynard R.N., St. Mark's Hospital: "When I first got on oxygen and I first got the big concentrator and the little tanks, I thought I would never be able to go with my daughter to Disneyland, which we use to do a lot when she was younger."
But because the new unit IS allowed on airlines, she flew to Disneyland.
Annette Maynoard: "The Inogen one is fixed with a sensitive mode, so when the individual is sleeping, it will calibrate to the individual's breath. So if they slow down, then the bowl of oxygen will be larter."
Oxygen, on demand, 24/7, and it's all in the bag.
The Inogen machine is expensive, about $5,400. Unfortunately, most insurance companies will not pay the bill.
