Design and Development of a Novel System for Remote Control of Stationary Oxygen Concentrator Flow Rate

Abstract

Purpose

Long-term oxygen therapy involves utilizing stationary oxygen concentrators to allow patients with respiratory illnesses to attain sufficient blood oxygenation via supplemental oxygen. Disadvantages of these devices include their lack of remote adjustability and domiciliary accessibility. To adjust oxygen flow, patients typically walk across their homes – a physically taxing activity – to manually rotate the knob of the concentrator flowmeter. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a control system device that allows patients to remotely adjust the oxygen flow rates on their stationary oxygen concentrator.

Methods

The engineering design process was used to develop the novel FLO2 device. The two-part system is composed of 1) a smartphone application and 2) an adjustable concentrator attachment unit that mechanically interfaces with the stationary oxygen concentrator flowmeter.

Results

Product testing indicates that users successfully communicated to the concentrator attachment from a maximum distance of 41m in an open field, suggesting usability from anywhere inside a standard home. The calibration algorithm adjusted oxygen flow rates with an accuracy of ±0.019 LPM and a precision of ±0.042 LPM.

Conclusion

Initial design testing suggests the device as a reliable and accurate method of wirelessly adjusting oxygen flow on a stationary oxygen concentrator, but further testing should be performed on different stationary oxygen concentrator models.

Keywords:

• oxygen therapy
• respiratory disease
• flow meter
• wireless adjustment
• medical device

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Bucholz for her early guidance, Murad Maksumov for supplying tools and equipment, and Dr. Alejandro Piño for his clinical insights. This work was funded by the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering and the Duke Baquerizo Innovation Grant.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.