What it does
Viral diseases like COVID-19 and influenza are increasingly frequent, overwhelming hospitals. Oxynizer provides 1.5-2 times the oxygen concentration of ambient air. It can be paired with pumps and compressors based on patient needs in resource-limited setting.
Your inspiration
Oxygen shortages claim lives every year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many experienced breathing difficulties and died due to lack of timely oxygen supply. Over 130,000 people in Africa died from not receiving oxygen in time. This issue extends beyond pandemics, with 25 million annual deaths due to inadequate oxygen treatment. To address this, substantial oxygen supply is needed, but developing countries lack the necessary medical infrastructure, especially electricity. Therefore, we developed the Oxynizer to provide quality oxygen to everyone.
How it works
The Oxynizer operates through three stages: compression, filtration, and refresh. In the compression stage, air is compressed through a hose structure. The compressed air is dried via silica gel and then filtered by zeolite, which removes nitrogen molecules from the air, increasing the oxygen concentration. The Oxynizer thus supplies patients with oxygen at a higher concentration than ambient air. In the refresh stage, accumulated nitrogen is released back into the atmosphere through a refresh valve, maintaining continuous operation.
Design process
The development of Oxynizer took five months, involving various experiments and verifications. Initially, we selected materials capable of maintaining target pressure with manual pump. We tested different diameters of materials, including pipes, 3D printed objects, cylinders, and urethane hoses. The 8mm urethane hose was the best for consistently maintaining stable pressure. Since the Oxynizer uses a manual pump and no electricity, a special structure was necessary. We used check valves to make each hose function like a pneumatic chamber. To prevent pressure reduction from leaks, we adopted a pneumatic fitting system to create a unique structure. We then conducted experiments to determine the appropriate amounts of silica gel and zeolite for the urethane hose to act as a filter. The size of silica gel particles, the amount of zeolite, and the hose length directly affected the oxygen concentration. These factors were verified through multiple tests. As a result, when atmospheric oxygen at 20.9% concentration was introduced into the Oxynizer, it could generate up to 54% oxygen. Additionally, after consulting with medical professionals, we confirmed its use in treating mild patients. We plan to add equipment like ventilators to expand its use in more comprehensive medical settings.
How it is different
Oxynizer is a portable oxygen generator that does not require electricity. Most oxygen generators available on the market can only be used in environments with sufficient electrical facilities. However, Oxynizer is unwired to an electrical outlet, allowing it to quickly provide oxygen to patients, both indoors and outdoors. Oxynizer is a universal oxygen generator. It consists of easily obtainable and replaceable components such as universal hoses, fittings, bicycle tire valves, and medical masks. Oxynizer is a sustainable oxygen generator. Zeolite is semi-permanent, and silica gel can be regenerated at high temperatures. Depending on the severity of the patient's condition, it can be paired with devices like a bike air pump, pedaling pump, or compressor to provide oxygen, suitable for various conditions from acute stress-related breathlessness to chronic respiratory diseases like COPD and ARDS.
Future plans
The current Oxynizer can generate up to 54% oxygen and can be used in situations of prolonged heat exposure, short exposure to toxic gas, respiratory diseases, allergic/drug reactions, extreme stress, and dizziness caused by excessive physical movement. However, to apply it to more extreme medical situations, a device that functions like a ventilator is needed to maintain a constant flow and concentration throughout the entire operation time. We are conducting additional research for this purpose and expect to implement more advanced features that can respond to various medical situations in the future.
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