Oxygen Therapy Relies on Purified Oxygen

On earth oxygen occupies approximately 21% of the air in our atmosphere (the other 78% is nitrogen and 1% is argon, carbon dioxide and other gases).  In medical situations you may need a higher concentration of oxygen than what is available in our current living conditions.  This is where 13X molecular sieve and Lithium LSX are used, they purify oxygen.  13X and Lithium LSX do this by adsorbing nitrogen, argon, and the other gases from natural air leaving you with pure oxygen.

Oxygen is the third most common element found in the universe (only hydrogen and helium are more abundant) and it is the element that is most commonly associated with life on our planet.  Technology has allowed us to make oxygen industrially but it can also be used medically.  Higher purities of oxygen are needed in the medical world for both chronic conditions and emergency medical situations and 13X molecular sieve and Lithium SLX both play crucial roles in purifying oxygen so that they can be used medically.

Oxygen in the medical world is primarily used in oxygen therapy.  Oxygen therapy helps treat chronic conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with the most common COPD being emphysema.  Pure 100% oxygen has also been shown to be able to stop the onset of cluster headaches so long as pure oxygen is administered before the peak of the attack occurs.  Cluster headaches are medically believed to be one of the most painful experiences a human being can endure and pure oxygen can help release the tension of the blood vessels that are constricting the nerves, thus relieving a person from tremendous pain.

Oxygen therapy can be essential in saving lives during emergency medical situations and is frequently used during resuscitation. Oxygen tanks and liquid oxygen are usually used during these situations and the oxygen stored in these devices must be purified, which again is the responsibility of molecular sieve.

One of the most common devices used for medical oxygen purification is an oxygen concentrator, which is type of portable oxygen generator that can be used at home as well as in a hospital.  These devices use either 13X molecular sieve or Lithium LSX to purify their oxygen.  The difference between Lithium LSX and 13X is that the Low Sodium X in Lithium LSX has been lithium exchanged.  Both are used in portable oxygen generators but Lithium LSX is used in smaller generators while 13X is used in larger generators.

The oxygen generators range from 100 liter/minute to 3 liters/minute and can be found everywhere from hospitals to MASH units in Iraq or Afghanistan to someone afflicted with COPD. Technology in the medical world has improved to the point that some of these pressure swing units that purify the oxygen can be made so small that they can be worn on a belt, inside a backpack or be plugged into a 12 volt power source.  They can also run on lithium batteries or be plugged into a 120 volt source allowing them to run in a home, field hospital or a domestic hospital.

13X molecular sieve and Lithium LSX have improved our quality of life by allowing oxygen to be purified and used for various forms medical treatment.  This life saving technology is available due to the abilities of  molecular sieve and the scientists and engineers who continue to improve our way of life.