About The Smart Nasal Cannula®

To say that we need oxygen to exist is as obvious as saying we need water. But as we all know, water can also be a destructive force. The key, of course, is to having the right amount in the right place at the right time. That is just as important for oxygen, especially for those who require supplementary oxygen.

An essential component to this remedy is a flow meter to ensure that the right amount of oxygen is being delivered, and just as important that it is being delivered at all. Regardless of the use of an oxymeter to measure blood gas, Oxyview provides vital information related to functionality of the cannula and all of the oxygen equipment. If something is wrong with the cannula or equipment, the Oxyview will show you immediately. This is usually achieved by a pneumatic flow meter, but most that are currently on the market are expensive, attach at the tank, and are gravity-operated, which means that they only work in the vertical position with or without the cannula attached at the delivery source. In contrast, Oxyview is sold already attached to a high quality soft-tip cannula and it measures oxygen flow close to the patient where oxygen matters the most.

Gravity-operated devices are also inconvenient for the patient since they must keep the tanks within sight to check the gauges for flow rate. If the tank is tilted, even slightly, the gravity-operated flow meter becomes even more inaccurate and may even cease functioning because friction is too great. One alternative is a digital flow meter, but these may be prohibitively expensive.

This is why the Oxyview flow meter is a significant advance in the technology. When first launched in November 2007, it represented a new generation of pneumatic real-time safety devices. It has some notable features: accurate to within +/- 3% and versatile enough to work with all respiratory equipment - CPAP, concentrators, liquid and gas cylinders, on-demand conservers and more. It is not gravity-dependent and so can be placed at any point in the tubing, even by the patients themselves who purchase the reusable stand alone Oxyview that is easy to attach to their cannula and is sold with a life-time warranty.

Having the device close by for easy viewing allows the patient assurance and confidence, knowing that there is a flow of oxygen at the correct level. They are also able to quickly see if the regulator or concentrator is not working properly.

Ingen Technologies manufactures both the reusable Oxyview device that retails for $24.95 and comes with a life-time warranty, and the new disposable Oxyview� Nasal Cannula for adults, children and infants. This novel device sells for only $5.75 and is a quality soft-tip cannula. The infant device measures either from 0-6 liters/minute or from 0-3 liters/minute in increments of one-quarter.

The significance of this new device is that it encompasses the flow device within a cannula - the flow meter cannot be removed and the entire assembly is ultimately disposable. Yet the cost is comparable to the cost of a conventional cannula, but with all the benefits of Oxyview.

Although budget constraints are hitting everybody hard, the disposable The Smart Nasal Cannula® should greatly decrease unnecessary service calls. So the investment made in the cost of the devices can be recovered by not incurring the expense of those unnecessary calls. It is a straightforward financial justification.

And most important of all is the response from patients. They are very pleased with the Oxyview and not surprisingly, report that it meets their need to be reassured that oxygen is being supplied when and where it matters most. That is the ultimate benefit.

We all need oxygen in the right place at the right time and at the right concentration. For those requiring supplemental oxygen, these criteria are even more critical. The Oxyview� not only allows the patient to be reassured about delivery and flow of oxygen, but also does so with considerable economic benefits to the supplier. Everyone benefits from this simple, elegant and effective device!