Medical oxygen cylinders are used for a wide range of needs:
- Supporting mobility – Lightweight composite cylinders are ideal for outdoor mobility, especially when additional oxygen is only needed occasionally and for short periods, for example during car journeys.
- For temporary extra oxygen needs – Cylinders are used in situations where more oxygen is temporarily needed to support breathing – for example in an ambulance or other emergency situations.
- Treatment of seizures – Medicated acid bottles are the primary means of administering medicated acid for the treatment of serial headache attacks.
- As a fallback – They act as back-up oxygen in case of power cuts or technical failures of oxygen equipment, ensuring continuity of treatment in case of disruptions.
Sufficiency of the medical cylinder
The sufficiency of a cylinder of medicated oxygen depends on the size of the bottle and how much oxygen you use per minute.
The table shows the estimated operating times for oxygen cylinders of different sizes and pressures (200 bar) at different flow rates. We assume that the flow rate remains the same throughout the service life and the cylinder is full at the beginning. These times are indicative, but will give you an idea of how long the oxygen will last at each flow setting.
| Flow rate (l/min) | 2 l bottle | 3 l bottle | 5 l bottle | 7 l bottle | 10 l bottle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 l/min | 6 h | 10 h | 15 h | 22 h | 30 h |
| 2 l/min | 3 h | 5 h | 8 h | 11 h | 16 h |
| 3 l/min | 2 h | 3 h | 5 h | 7 h | 10 h |
| 4 l/min | 1 h 30 min | 2 h 20 min | 4 h | 5 h | 8 h |
| 5 l/min | 1 h | 1 h 50 min | 3 h | 4 h | 6 h |
| 10 l/min | 30 min | 50 min | 1 h 30 min | 2 h | 3 h |
| 15 l/min | 20 min | 30 min | 1 h | 1 h 20 min | 2 h |
Weights of full medical cylinders
Safety bottles are either traditional carbon steel or a lighter composite with an aluminium interior.
Composite safety bottles are also referred to as composite bottles. The weights of the cylinders in the table may vary depending on the safety valve model, the valve protection collar and the cylinder manufacturer.
Weights of safety bottles
2 l bottle: 6 kg
5 l bottle: 11 kg
10 l bottle: 16 kg
20 l bottle: 30-40 kg
Weights of composite safety bottles
2 l bottle: 3,7 kg
3 l bottle: 4,7 kg
7 l bottle: 8,2 kg
