Oxygen Concentrators and CPAP Machines Difference

If you need both an oxygen concentrator and a continuous positive airway pressure (or CPAP) machine, you might be wondering: What is the difference? While these therapies seem similar and sometimes treat the same disease, they are different in many ways.

What is an Oxygen Concentrator?

An oxygen concentrator is a standalone or portable device that draws in ambient air, filters out the nitrogen, and expels the remaining oxygen as a concentrated gas. The primary function of an oxygen concentrator is to deliver more oxygen than what is available in the ambient air.

What is a CPAP Machine?

A CPAP machine is a standalone device that compresses ambient air to generate pressure for therapeutic purposes. It is widely used at home to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but it can also be used in emergency settings in a hospital by a respiratory therapist.

There are 2 main differences between an oxygen concentrator and a CPAP machine:

• The concentration of oxygen in the air flow
• The amount of pressure flowing through the tubing

The primary function of an oxygen concentrator is to increase the percentage of oxygen in the ambient air. A CPAP machine, however, will not increase the amount of oxygen in the airflow it generates.