Patent ID: 6923180

Claim:
An apparatus for supplying oxygen-enriched gas to a patient and to a high pressure storage tank, comprising: a first compressor which receives ambient air; an oxygen concentrator which produces oxygen enriched gas, said oxygen concentrator having an inlet which receives air from said first compressor and an outlet which provides oxygen enriched gas to a product storage tank; a first outlet flow line which operatively delivers said oxygen enriched gas from said product tank to a patient, said flow line having a pressure from about 3 to about 10 psi; a second outlet flow line which operatively delivers said oxygen enriched gas from said product tank to a buffer tank at a pressure from about 12 to about 22 psi, said buffer tank operatively connected by a flow line to a radial compressor, said radial compressor being capable of compressing said oxygen enriched gas and transferring the oxygen enriched gas to a high pressure storage tank, and a prioritizing apparatus which terminates the operation of said radial compressor when the oxygen concentration of said oxygen enriched gas operatively delivered to said radial compressor falls below a predetermined value so that said oxygen enriched gas is continuously supplied to the patient.