BALL GROUND, Ga. (August 21, 2018)—CAIRE Inc., manufacturers of oxygen therapy devices including the AirSep, SeQual and HELiOS brands, announced the official debut of the new portable oxygen concentrator, the FreeStyle Comfort, at their global manufacturing headquarters and respiratory Center of Excellence in Georgia this week.
Following a quiet, controlled launch in January with select CAIRE partners, the company is officially putting the spotlight on the new 5-pulse-setting model featuring an innovative comfort curve and weighing only 5 pounds.
“We are proud to introduce the latest in a long line of leading oxygen therapy equipment. The FreeStyle Comfort blends together durability, clinical efficacy and comfort for its user. We remain focused on providing our DME/HME providers, clinicians and their patients the products and services they need to provide the best of care,” said Earl Lawson, president of the BioMedical Group at Chart Industries, Inc.
One of the things users will notice on the FreeStyle Comfort is the shell of the device features a comfort curve that is designed to skim the natural curve of the body and make it a comfortable device to wear.
“Today’s launch is the culmination of a lot of hard work and innovation,” said George Coppola, CAIRE director of marketing. “Our team has taken the development of this project extremely personal from the technological aspects to ergonomics. We pushed ourselves on all of the details. Is it comfortable? Where is the center of gravity? Can it be worn with or without a bag? We ultimately want the oxygen user to live their life to the fullest and maximize their comfort as they do it.”
Operational via wall outlet (AC) power, motor vehicle (DC) power, or by rechargeable battery power, the device is designed for travel including its FAA approval for use on commercial air flights. The FreeStyle Comfort offers an easy-to-use interface with glow-in-the-dark buttons and LCD display screen that shows prescribed flow setting and remaining battery charge. User-replaceable battery packs come in two sizes, 8-cell and 16-cell, and can operate up to 4 and 8 hours, respectively, at pulse setting 2, extending the user’s time away from electrical power.
The FreeStyle Comfort delivers up 1050 milliliters of oxygen per minute and is equipped with CAIRE’s UltraSense technology, ensuring a pulse of oxygen is delivered quickly in the early stages of the breath, reducing skipped breaths. Should a no-breath alarm occur, the device will deliver oxygen therapy rapidly at its current setting at a rate of 20 breaths per minute until this alarm condition has been resolved.
As a smart portable oxygen concentrator, the FreeStyle Comfort comes with wireless connectivity capabilities for providers to periodically monitor location and usage through CAIRE’s telehealth solution, CAIREview powered by SynsorMed. This helpful mobile application can provide a critical link between the patient and the provider, dedicated to supporting their respiratory health care needs.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 12 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with COPD, and there are an additional 12 million adults in the U.S. who are thought to have undiagnosed COPD. Oxygen therapy is often prescribed for the treatment of COPD and to encourage its user to maintain an active lifestyle.
Visit cairemedical.com for more information.
