What is the smallest portable oxygen system?
Lung or heart patients need oxygen constantly, pilots use oxygen for high altitudes in unpressurized aircraft and athletes need a boost for quick recovery. The smallest systems for one need might not suit another.Oxygen PatientsAn M2 cylinder is 8 inches tall, weighs less than 2 pounds and holds a four-hour supply. Liquid systems weigh less than 6 pounds and hold 20-hour supplies. A concentrator offers an unlimited supply, is 8 inches tall and weighs less than 5 pounds.PilotsFor pilots, a 2-1/2-inch diameter cylinder weighs less than 2 pounds and is good for four and a half hours.Extreme AthletesA hand-held unit provides 14 one-second breaths of 90 percent oxygen to athletes for competitive energy bursts or fast recovery between or after events.About the GasThe smallest portable system depends on needs. Doctor-prescribed oxygen must be pure and sufficient for long-term use. Pilots puff pure oxygen intermittently, keeping blood-saturation levels above 90 percent. Athletes use oxygen-enr
