Product Review- Helios 300 Portable Liquid Oxygen System

I was recently asked by a friend to take a look at a portable oxygen system, the system in question was called the Helios 300 Portable Liquid Oxygen system; quite a long title for this impressive, yet tiny life saver.

The helios 300 can be used for both home and portable oxygen needs. The package is designed to replace the concentrator as well as those systems that still use cylinders filled with compressed oxygen. This system is the lightest weight as well as the longest lasting of the currently available portable oxygen units. I was asked mainly to review its use as a portable system rather than in its being used in the stationary position attached to the main reservoir.

Some of the advantages of this great little unit is that it is easily filled from the reservoir and carried by the user wherever he or she may go. If the user has the unit on setting 2, the manufacturer states that there is sufficient oxygen held within the portable unit to last the user for 8-10 hours.

Whenever a refill is required it can simply be obtained from the reservoir, it only takes about 40 seconds to complete a refill of the unit. The portable unit can be comfortably worn by being strapped around the waist, it can also be carried over one shoulder or if you prefer comes readily equipped with a carrying handle. This unit can be used in any position; it will work in the upright position right through to its being laid flat on its back.

The manufacturer claims that with its low loss system in the reservoir that instead of requiring fresh deliveries every 7-10 days as is the case with many of its competitors you will need only to be resupplied through the reservoir every 5-6 weeks. The reservoir can be connected directly to your phone line, that way the oxygen provider is able to monitor how much oxygen is being used and when they are required to send out a resupply.

Some oxygen providers are only marketing this product as a portable unit; the system is compatible with other units including NPB and Caire top fill reservoirs. The Helios 300 is about the size of a small purse, it sits easily in the palm of your hand.

It holds the equivalent of 300 liters of oxygen in gas form, it delivers its supply of oxygen in a pulse mode and when fully filled it weighs in at a staggeringly light 3.6lbs.

It requires no batteries to operate the unit, it has a built in pneumatic conserver. By simply connecting the unit to the stationery reservoir by tubes, it is able to be used at night or whenever the user is close to the reservoir. The unit runs silently, and with no electricity used to power it can be a saving of around $30 per month.

The complete unit, the portable one as well as the stationery reservoir are not exactly cheap to buy at over $1000 each, one option is to rent if required, only a few areas are given this option but then it would still cost you around $300 per month, I guess if you are unfortunate enough to require one of these little life savers then you have to be equally rich enough to use one. The best advice I could give at this point is to check as to whether or not your insurance provider will cover this fee.