Philips Introduces Only System that Generates and Stores Liquid Oxygen at Home ...

/PRNewswire/ -- Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) today introduced the HomeLox portable liquid oxygen system. The innovative system enables oxygen users to generate and store the liquid form of oxygen in the home setting. The HomeLox system offers users the long-lasting and lightweight characteristics of traditional liquid systems, while freeing them from difficulties of filling and dependence on deliveries associated with conventional systems.  

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Home oxygen is a critical, life-sustaining medical treatment prescribed to nearly 1.5 million Medicare patients annually who suffer from respiratory illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and American Thoracic Society)

HomeLox includes a liquid oxygen generation and storage unit that remains in the user's home, and a lightweight and long-lasting portable device, GoLox. HomeLox generates liquid oxygen by converting room air into oxygen, and then chilling and converting it to liquid form using a proprietary refrigerant along with standard refrigeration technology found in industrial and household applications. The liquid oxygen is stored within the HomeLox unit until transferred to GoLox for portable use.  

In addition to giving users the ability to generate and store liquid oxygen at home, the HomeLox system features a new hands-free clean filling process. To fill the GoLox portable device, the user simply places the unit on top of HomeLox, turns and locks the unit, and pulls the filling lever. The hands-free process helps reduce freezing, overfilling, and under filling. For homecare providers, the new HomeLox liquid system reduces the cost and complexity of current systems commonly associated with delivered liquid oxygen systems which may include the purchase of specialized vehicles, testing equipment, and storage containers, as well as recurrent deliveries and filling-related service calls.

"Now more than ever, the challenge for homecare providers is to eliminate as many non-therapy-related expenses as possible while maintaining a high level of service to oxygen users," Sr. Vice President, General Manager, Sleep and Respiratory Care, Philips Home Healthcare Solutions.  "HomeLox helps providers avoid significant upfront costs of traditional liquid systems and offers a new option for those who currently outsource that portion of their business. For providers who currently offer liquid, the system opens up the opportunity to transition away from costs associated with delivery while providing patients the ability to generate oxygen in their homes.

Oxygen Therapy Side Effects

Over the last few years oxygen therapy has been used more and more. Basically it is given to patients who have problems getting sufficient oxygen through their normal breathing process and this can have a series of consequences, the most obvious one is shortness of breath.

This lack of oxygen can be due to damage to the lungs which limits the distribution of oxygen through the blood (blood oxygenation) among others.

This problem is known as hypoxia.

Health care professionals belief that oxygen treatments, including long term oxygen treatment , are usually quite safe however there have been reports of side effects from some patients. Usually, these are minor and on the few occasions when they do occur, they last for short periods. However, there have been reports in limited cases where oxygen therapy side effects have been more severe.

Among the common reasons that cause these results, one that stands out is due to the handling and taking care of the oxygen therapy equipment that are used to supply supplemental oxygen. If improperly used, the contamination can occur with the subsequent health problems. Among the things that you should keep a close eye on are the filters and tubes. One of the oxygen therapies is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. For this type of therapy some patients have reported that a post treatment consequence is that they have felt tired and even nauseous. Other reports include ear pain, slight difficulty in breathing and effects on their vision.

Having said that these side effects go away after a short period of time.

Hyperbaric therapy can cause oxygen toxicity which in extreme cases can provoke pulmonary problems or disorders in the central nervous system. There can be psychological effects such as claustrophobia as the patient is located inside a chamber during therapy.  A very important note of warning is for COPD patients on home oxygen therapy . As they receive their oxygen therapy at home or during their normal day to day activities (with the help of portable oxygen), the have the ability to modify the oxygen settings and flow. This would be self medicating. In other words changing the flow because they think they are getting to much or too little oxygen.

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