An oxygen (O2) sensor senses the percentage of oxygen in the air being delivered to an oxygen therapy patient. Oxygen sensors are placed in in oxygen concentrators to ensure proper creation and delivery of oxygen. The Inogen One G4 is equipped with an internal oxygen sensor that will alarm should the O2 concentration go below a therapeutic range.[1] Why should the O2 concentration delivered to the patient be kept at a therapeutic range? Let’s have a look and see!
One of the most important characteristics of an oxygen concentrator is the purity of oxygen it’s able to deliver to a patient. After all, when purchasing an oxygen concentrator, you trust it will be able to maintain a specific level of oxygen purity, at a certain setting, to deliver the precise amount of oxygen you need to preserve your health. Of course, the exact amount of oxygen you need is determined by your doctor or lung specialist, who prescribed it to you, to compensate for the amount of oxygen your lungs aren’t able to take in.[2]
It’s fairly easy to check the purity of your oxygen concentrator to ensure you’re receiving the proper amount of oxygen. In addition, maintaining and caring for your oxygen concentrator on a regular basis will ensure that your concentrator will continue to deliver oxygen at the highest purity level possible.2
Please note: if you ever start to feel bad and you know you’re not having an exacerbation (flare-up) of your medical condition, it could mean that the purity of the oxygen in your concentrator has declined which is when you’d want to put it to the test. Find out how to do that in the following section. 2
If you’re ready to test the oxygen purity of your Inogen One G4, take the following steps:[3]
There are several reasons why an oxygen sensor would alarm causing an oxygen concentrator to register a low purity level:3
The Inogen One G4 comes equipped with a particle filter that needs to be cleaned weekly to ensure maximum ease of airflow. The particle filter should be washed in warm water with a mild dishwashing detergent such as Dawn. You should then rinse it in warm water and allow it to air dry before using it again. You can purchase additional Inogen One G4 particle filters through the Inogen website, here.3
Remember: if your oxygen sensor keeps alarming, it means the oxygen concentration in your unit has fallen below a therapeutic level. This could lead to low oxygen levels in the blood and other serious health problems. Make sure your oxygen concentrator is well-maintained so problems like this don’t arise unexpectedly.
[1] ServoFlo. Pressure and Oxygen Sensors in Oxygen Concentrators. Accessed February 28, 2018.
[2] Oxygen Concentrator Store. How to Check the Purity of Your Oxygen Concentrator. Accessed February 28, 2018.
[3] Inogen One. Testing O2 Purity. Accessed February 28, 2018.
In view of the recent wildfires in California (Nov 2018) and decline in air purity throughout Northern California, is there a way to attach a modified N95 air filter to the intake ports that can be handled by the portable device (G4)?
Dear J.L., The Inogen One G4 has a particle filter already attached to filter out impurities. The filter is recommended to be washed every week, but can be washed more frequently if there is a noticeable build up. If the quality of oxygen falls below medical grade the will be alerted. No additional filter is recommended to be attached since we have not tested the unit with additional filters. Thank you!
My husband’s inogen has a yellow light and the machine says “oxygen low” What is going on?
Hi Darla,
Please call us at 877-466-4364 and we can assist you with troubleshooting. There are also manuals in the resources section that you can review to help troubleshoot.
Thank you,
Inogen
My machine says sensor failed. Can I still use my machine? It is the only one I have. Thanks
Hi Judy,
Please call our customer support center so we can help troubleshoot this w/you. 877-466-4364.
Thank you!