Nowadays, life is all about choices. We get to choose where we shop, eat, work, and much more. For the most part, this is a positive thing because it allows us the freedom to create a life that’s suited to our wants and needs. Oxygen patients, for example, can benefit from many decades of improvement in oxygen device technology and they have a wider array of options available to them than ever before including oxygen tanks, liquid oxygen tanks, stationary oxygen concentrators, and portable oxygen concentrators.
Unfortunately, there are downsides to having so many options as well. The more choices that you have, the more research you will need to do to ensure that you’re choosing the right oxygen device for you. Additionally, the more features that are added to oxygen devices, the easier it is to fall victim to scams and false advertising. This is why it’s recommended that you speak with a respiratory specialist after you’ve taken some time to look around for yourself and see what’s out there.
Here at LPT Medical, we understand the need for oxygen patients to choose the oxygen machine that’s right for them. But we also acknowledge that it can be difficult to find exactly what you’re looking for in a market that’s full of jargon and other confusing terminology. If you’d like to speak with someone who will help you understand your options but not pressure you into making an immediate choice, get in touch with our respiratory specialists today.
In the meantime, we’re going to take a look at the benefits of the Inogen One G5, one of our most popular portable oxygen concentrators. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
If you’ve been a cell phone user for the past couple of decades, you’ve likely begun to notice a trend: they get progressively more complicated as time goes on. And while this might be a good thing for some people, if you’re like most people, you just want to be able to make calls or send a text message without using a bunch of unnecessary features. Many people believe that purchasing an oxygen concentrator will be a similar experience, but this is not the case when it comes to the Inogen One G5.
Inogen has been manufacturing portable oxygen concentrators since the early 2000s meaning they were one of the first companies in the business. And despite adding more features each generation, their POCs have actually gotten easier to use instead of more difficult. In other words, you don’t have to worry about bending over backward to learn how to use the G5. It will likely come naturally and you’ll feel comfortable operating it an hour or two after receiving it in the mail.
One of the reasons the G5 is so simple to operate is because it only has five physical buttons that you need to know how to use. One to turn the device on or off, two for adjusting the flow setting up or down, one to adjust the alarm settings, and one to adjust the volume settings. That’s it! There’s no need to spend hours on the phone with customer support trying to figure out how to operate your new device. The G5 also comes with a very thorough user manual that outlines all the symbols that may appear on the user interface display and what they mean. We recommend folding up your user manual and keeping it with you whenever you leave the house so that you can refer to it if you need to.
Another aspect of the Inogen One G5 that’s easy to use is the battery system. Unlike other portable oxygen concentrators which require you to open the device up in order to replace the batteries, the G5 batteries simply pop off the bottom of the unit and can be replaced in a matter of seconds. This is ideal for people who are on the go and don’t have time to tamper with their POC.
One other aspect of the Inogen G5 that makes it easy to use is the Intelligent Delivery Technology®. This built-in technology isn’t mentioned very often but it’s quite possibly the most important feature of the device. Essentially, what this does is automatically adjust your oxygen flow based on your breathing rate. In other words, you’ll be able to do things like walk, exercise, and even sleep without having to constantly change your oxygen flow setting.
One way or another, most people tend to lose muscle function as they get older. It’s a natural part of aging, and COPD patients are especially susceptible because of something called muscle atrophy, or “muscle wasting.” While you can combat this by exercising more often and maintaining a well-balanced diet, you might still need to find a lightweight POC like the Inogen One G5.
Although the Inogen One G5 is not the lightest portable oxygen concentrator on the market, it’s light enough for the vast majority of oxygen patients even people with late-stage COPD. The G5 weighs just 4.7 pounds, making it the third lightest POC ever manufactured behind the AirSep Focus and the Inogen One G4. It’s also lighter than its main competitor, the Caire FreeStyle Comfort.
Whether you struggle with mobility issues or not, the Inogen One G5 makes it easier to get around while still having access to medical-grade oxygen. This is something that simply wasn’t possible in the past with heavy and bulky oxygen tanks. The problem with these devices is that the weight of the unit directly correlates to the amount of oxygen that you have access to. In other words, if you wanted enough oxygen to make it through the day, you’d need to carry or wheel around an extremely cumbersome oxygen tank.
Unfortunately, with the turn of the century, things didn’t improve much. While there were portable oxygen concentrators available in the early 2000s, they were still very heavy and didn’t provide a decent enough battery life to justify getting one. We’re living in a revolutionary time for portable oxygen concentrators because lightweight machines like the G5 and the Caire FreeStyle Comfort are breaking barriers for COPD patients.
One of the nicest things about owning a portable oxygen concentrator is how easy it is to adjust your flow settings. If you’re going out for a walk or to a pulmonary rehabilitation course, you might need to go up a flow setting or two in order to keep your blood oxygen levels stable. However, you can’t do this if you own a portable oxygen concentrator that doesn’t go up to a high flow setting.
The Inogen One G5 uses something called pulse dose technology. Unlike older concentrators which use continuous flow, pulse dose closely monitors your breathing rate and delivers oxygen only when you’re inhaling. Overall, this makes the device much more energy-efficient, affording you the freedom to stay out of the house longer. The Inogen One G5 has 6 pulse flow settings which equates to a maximum oxygen output of 1,260 milliliters per minute (ml/min) of oxygen.
The majority of oxygen patients only need to use a flow setting of 2 or 3, so the Inogen One G5 offers plenty of flexibility to move up if you’re exercising or your respiratory disease progresses. Be sure to maintain open lines of communication with your doctor and let him/her know if you’re feeling breathless and want to increase the amount of medical oxygen you’re receiving.
The only thing making it possible to have portable devices like cellphones, laptops, and even portable oxygen concentrators is the advancement of lithium-ion batteries. These are some of the most powerful and reliable types of batteries out there and the experts at Inogen have crafted one that will afford you a significant amount of freedom with the Inogen One G5 portable oxygen concentrator.
The single battery which comes with the standard G5 package can run for up to 6.5 hours on a flow setting of one. The double battery which is sold separately can run for an astounding 13 hours on a flow setting of one. While this may sound too good to be true, it’s simply a testament to how much time and money Inogen has put into refining their products and ensuring that they offer the best possible value for your money.
There are countless reasons it’s important to have a portable oxygen concentrator with long-lasting batteries. First and foremost, it allows you to have ample oxygen supply whenever you leave the home. Even if you’re leaving the home for a few hours, it’s nice knowing that you have a safety net in case there is an emergency and you are gone longer than expected. If you are going on a flight, most airlines will require that you have at least 1.5 times the duration of the flight in battery life.
One of the things that people are most worried about when looking for a portable oxygen concentrator is that they will be noisy and cause a distraction for themselves and the people around them. And while this is certainly a valid concern, this will not be a problem if you purchase an Imogen One G5 because it only puts out 37 decibels (dBA) of sound on a setting of 2. This is equivalent to a quiet conversation or a slight background humming noise that won’t disrupt your day or anyone else’s.
The benefit of having a quiet portable oxygen concentrator is that you can take it just about anywhere without feeling anxious or worried. Most people report being able to take their Inogen One G5 to church services, libraries, or other quiet places without causing a disruption. Before you do so, however, be sure to read the user manual to figure out how to turn off the audible alarms.
Believe it or not, many COPD patients need to be on oxygen 24 hours a day. And if this is you, it means that you need an oxygen concentrator that’s capable of running around the clock without failing. Fortunately, the G5 was designed for just this. The intelligent delivery technology in the G5 will adjust your oxygen supply all night long to make sure you aren’t getting too much or too little oxygen.
The one downside to using the G5 while sleeping is that it is not compatible with CPAP and BiPAP machines used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is a sleep disorder that causes your airways to close up as you sleep causing disruptions and putting you at a higher risk for several serious conditions like heart attack, stroke, and irregular heartbeats. The PAP machines open the airways as you sleep making it easier to breathe. And in certain cases, this disease can overlap with COPD meaning you’ll need to use supplemental oxygen simultaneously.
One final benefit of the Inogen One G5 is that it’s backed by a reputable brand. Inogen has been in the oxygen industry since the early 2000s and people tend to wait in anticipation of their next product because they know they will be reliable and powerful devices. The Inogen One G5 is their latest generation of portable oxygen concentrator and it’s also their best. While the G5 has a very low failure rate compared to other POCs on the market, you can still rest easy knowing that you have a 3-year manufacturer warranty with the purchase of a new G5.
Another way Inogen supports the G5 is with a mobile application called the Inogen Connect. This connects to your device via Bluetooth and enables you to check your battery life, monitor column life status, perform column resets, and access your user manual all without ever touching your POC. This is perfect for people who are on the go often and don’t want to keep checking their device. Simply check the app on your phone and you’ll have all the information you need in one convenient place. Inogen will likely implement similar features into future concentrators because it’s been well-received by oxygen users.
Choosing an oxygen concentrator can seem like an insurmountable challenge at times. Whether you’re in the market for a stationary unit, continuous flow, or pulse dose, you should take some time to understand your options before committing to anything. This post provided you with just a few of the many reasons to invest in an Inogen One G5 over other units on the market. For full details on the specs and benefits of the G5, be sure to visit our product page.
If you found this post helpful, feel free to bookmark our blog page. We update our site regularly with informational posts that aim to help COPD patients better manage their disease and live long and fulfilling lives. And whether you’re a current customer of ours or you just want more information on medical oxygen devices, please reach out to us either by phone or email.