FAQ

 

Useful Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is OxiKit Medical Grade

FDA approved products require being created from approved facilities and with the DIY open-source nature of OxiKit, we don’t fall under that category. OxiKit in no way tries to compete with any hospital services - rather, we want to fill the gaps in supply and help save lives. 

 

Zeolite Inquiries

Our Zeolite SDS sheet is included in our product pages. Here's a link for your reference.

 

Arduino Code

Please check out our homepage to download our Arduino Code and documentation (includes BOM). Simply connect your assembled brain to your computer via USB and install the arduino code. 

 

Synthetic Zeolites

Since synthetic zeolites (what we are using in our design) have larger pore size with two-times higher sorption capacities compared to natural zeolites, you will need to make adjustments on the configuration to achieve the same results. 

 

OxiKit Bundle vs Fully Assembled OxiKit

The bundles have items we have plenty of stock of and other items we refer to 3rd party websites.  Whether with compressor or without, you will need to build your own frame and assemble everything yourself. 

The Fully Assembled Oxikit on the other hand is already fully assembled onto the frame, tested and fully optimized before we ship it out to you. It will be ready to use. 

 

I want to collaborate with you

We will definitely love to share ideas with you. If you are using WhatsApp, please join our PillarTribe and meet other innovators. Since this is an open source project, most of our PillarTribe members pitch in to share ideas and answer everyone's questions. 

We are working with plenty of folks in there from all over the world but specially from India. Together, we are trying to pool knowledge, resources and connections to help alleviate the situation.

 

What is the recommended Oxygen level for Covid-19 patients?

Medically recommended range is between 10 to 15 liters per minute starting at 92% concentration. 

 

How Many Liters per Minute can OxiKit produce?

We are able to produce up to 24 LPM at 92% concentration. If you are building your own OxiKit, please watch the Build Videos we created to help you with step-by-step instructions on how to build your own OxiKit. 

 

What are your payment methods? 

Our website is currently accepting all major credit cards. 

 

How is the moisture separated from the process? Shouldn’t there be a dehumidifier?

In high humidity areas, it would be helpful to create a desiccant canister to capture the humidity, the placement of the canister would be between the cooling coil and the input pressure regulator, you can use silica gel, or activated alumina as the desiccant.

Many commercial concentrators don't have desiccant in them, and they are designed with slightly oversized Sieves so the first few layers of the zeolite act as a desiccant so this is one of the variables that goes into calculating the functional lifetime of the device, which is what our chief engineer did with our OxiKit design. He has added about 20% additional volume to the Sieves for this purpose.

 

Do the bundles include zeolite or do I need to buy separately?

Zeolite will be included in bundles - no need to buy separately.

 

What is the maximum LPM that can be produced with this bundle?

We are able to achieve 24 LPM with the 2.4hp compressor and 20LPM with the 2HP Compressor. With 92% concentration

 

Specification of the compressor

Please see information here: https://oxikit.com/collections/all-products/products/oxikit-2hp-1500w-50hz-oil-free-air-compressor-motor-ultra-quiet

 

What is the current shipping lead time?

Due to the massive demand in supply, lead time can take between 1 to 4 weeks depending on availability at the time of purchase. We are processing orders on a first in, first out basis.

 

Can I use my own freight account?

Unfortunately, we don't offer this option at this time. However,  we are getting discounted shipping rates and are passing on the discounted rates to our customers. 

 

Noise Level

Our compressors' noise levels are estimated to be between 68db to 75db. To reduce noise, we can recommend using sound dampening foams as has been done by many of our collaborators.  

 

 

What are main components of this Oxygen concentrator?

The main components of this oxygen concentrator are Air Compressor (Oil free) with min 24 hours of continuous operations (refer ratings), Zeolite Sieve Cannister, Zeolite (imported), cooling coils, silica bed dryer, IC Control unit OR Arduino Uno Board (Electronic circuit), solenoid valves, fittings, pressure gauges and oxygen flow meter.

Can I use any compressor for this concentrator?

You must select Oil Free (DENTAL Air Compressor) for this concentrator. It is suggested to use only compressor heads to reduce cost and overall weight of the equipment.

What is the maximum concentration of oxygen that can be achieved with the concentrator?

Up to 90 – 94.6%

Are all components used in this concentrator are available locally?

All components used this concentrator are available locally and are made in India components except for Zeolite Sieves. You may contact ARKEMA Nitroxy5 (0.4 mm Sodium Zeolite) which was Zeolite used in this concentrator. Other brands that may be explored UOP-Honeywell, ZeoChem etc

Is specification of main components available?

Please refer BOM giving specifications of main components. TCE oxygen concentrator Proto BOM

Is assembly of this concentrator complex?

No. Assembly is very simple but needs planning, careful process adherence and basic knowledge of mechanical and electronic assembly. Refer animation file showing assembly of 3D model. TCE Prototype - 3D Model Drawing

Is Silica bed dryer necessary?

You can use any suitable dryer in the circuit. The dryer is necessary to confirm flow of dry air which will help in achieving desired O2 concentration, as Zeolite performance is sensitive to pressure, temperature, and humidity. Silica bed air dryer is used due to its low cost and ease of availability.

 

Can I use any Zeolite for this concentrator?

NO the Zeolite must be for Medical Grade Zeolite (ZMS) only from reputed global brands. The Zeolte used in our prototype was 13X Sodium based zeolite of 0.3 – 0.6 mm grade (diameter). Higher grade (diameter) SHOULD NOT be used for this concentrator. Lithium Zeolite of similar size may be explored, but it is scarce and expensive.

 

Is use of Arduino Uno Board for electronics compulsory ? And related Code?

Concentrator uses simple electronic circuit required to open and close solenoid valves. These may be locally fabricated and use such electronic control units. Arduino Uno Board open source boards are also easily available. The valve timing code may be downloaded from OxiKit website – but will need to be refined aligned with your device / pressure / volume rate / ambient conditions – minor tweaking required

 

Can you supply these concentrators?

Please note that we do not fabricate any equipment, we have built working prototype using local available parts as mentioned above. For actual supply of the unit, you will need to contact Component suppliers and fabricate at your end.

 

What are the Precautions during usage of the oxygen concentrator?

Some of the precautions to be considered are: Refer guidelines

• The concentrator should be placed as far away from the window as possible to avoid dust and moisture
• It should be kept far away from open flames

What are the enhancements aligned to Indian ambient conditions

Following enhancement were done by TCE team for the prototype

1. Addition and Use of low-cost silica gel Desiccant dryer to improve oxygen concentration
2. Approx double length of cooling coils used. 2 nos. of cooling coils used.
3. Addition of non return valves (NRV)
4. Use of Arkema 0.4 mm Nitroxy-5 zeolite
5. Use of 3 compressor of 1 HP in parallel (Power: 2.25KW/3HP ; Voltage: 240V/50Hz, Exhaust Volume: 405L/Min / 14.3 CFM, Maximum Working Pressure: 8 Bar / 116 Psi)
6. Zeolite packaging in the adsorption containers must be done carefully / and to ensure better packaging of zeolite proper spring selection is needed
7. Other than above exact specifications, dimensions and design has been carefully adhered to from standard oxikit specification.
8. Output of 20-22 LPM @ 92-95% Oxygen concentration is at 25 PSI (1.7 bar)
9. Note that this design is for Oxygen Concentration output from 7-22 LPM for 92-95% Oxygen concentration. Any range outside of this 7-22 LPM may result in reduction of Oxygen Concentration.

Can you provide details of spring used?

Spring details are given below (Refer attached image for complete details) OD = 70mm ; ID = 64mm ; Mean Diameter = 67mm Spring Index = 22.33

 

What are details of Silica dryer?

Details of Silica dryer are given below OD = 80mm ; ID = 40mm ; Total Length of canister = 410mm (End to End) Quantity of Silica used = approx. 2 kg

 

Any suggestions for preparation of Zeolite Sieve beds?

1. Suggestive steps for preparation of Zeolite bed are given below:
2. Assemble all parts of the Canister and conduct dry run using air to check for any leakages from joints.
3. Ensure that 13X Sodium/ Lithium based zeolite sieves of 0.3 – 0.6 mm grade (diameter) is used.
4. Prepare assembly of canister without Zeolite. Remove top end cap assembly (including spring/SS mesh/mesh cap etc.) and do marking of level upto which Zeolite should be filled.
5. Start filling Canister with small quantities of Zeolite. Vibrate canister after every 2-3 filling using hand vibrating machines (low intensity). Take appropriate care while using vibrator so as not damage PVC pipes.
6. Fill Canister with Zeolite upto marking.
7. Vibrate Canister using hand vibrating machines (low intensity) 5-6 times. Repeat this step after 5-10 mins.
8.  Fill the Zeolite into Canister till it reaches marking. This will ensure proper height of Zeolite bed in the canister
9. Assemble End cap including spring/SS mesh/mesh cap etc.
10. Keep Canister filled with Zeolite for settling for 15-30 mins.

Any other suggestions or modifications in canister carried out?

Canister design is slightly modified considering availability of parts in local market. Please refer images given below showing all necessary details. Refer 3D model for more details.

 Modified Sieve Design

OXYGEN Generation using O2 Concentrator: Rollout of an Opensource Oxygen concentrator design for use by start-ups, entrepreneurs and MSME across India.

Prototype leveraging opensource design (www.oxikit.com), has been accomplished in less than five (05) working days, with complete local parts as available in India (except Zeolite) and with benchmark results of 20-22 LPM of 94-95% Oxygen concentration.

• Critical design changes and process refinements were incorporated to ensure benchmarked results under Indian conditions
• We have used Sodium Zeolite and avoided Lithium-Zeolite keeping in mind the Indian ambient conditions, Zeolite availability, and to ensure a competitive price point advantage.
• Our refined prototype uses 3.2 Kg (7 pounds) Sodium Zeolite (0.4mm) to produce 20+ LPM of 94-95% Oxygen concentration.
• Except the Zeolite, we have used locally available Indian parts for the prototype. v. With patients requiring between 10-20 LPM and keeping in mind need for such devices in villages and interior parts of the country, we have kept the specification at 20 LPM and above.
• We have calculated (pure material cost approx. 50-60k) and a benchmarked competitive price of INR 75k (+/- 10%) for the specification designed, which can be further optimized based on mass-manufacturing and bulk procurement strategies.

Are main components of this Oxygen concentrator prototype readily available?

As mentioned earlier main components of this prototype oxygen concentrator are Oil free Air Compressor (Oil free & suitable for min 24 hours of continuous operations, refer ratings), Zeolite (imported) and Arduino Uno Board (Electronic circuit) etc. MSMEs/ Manufacturers should set up their own supply chain for availability of these components mainly Oil free air compressor and Zeolite.

 

Can we use any Zeolite or locally available Zeolite for this concentrator?

We have used ARKEMA Nitroxy5 0.4 -0.8 mm Sodium based Zeolite in this concentrator and hence it is suggested to use 0.4-0.8 mm Sodium ZMS equivalent to ARKEMA Nitroxy5 such as OXYSIV 5XP or OXYSIV HP 5XP supplied by reputed global firms.

Is the Bill of Materials and their specifications are as per IS standards?

At present there are no IS standards for O2 concentrators BOM. This prototype is built based OxiKit open-source design as per BOM and specifications mentioned in OxiKit design documentation.

Is this prototype full proven, frozen & functionally/clinically tested as per the Bureau of Indian/ International standards?

Please note that the intention was to build prototype with local available parts in shortest possible time to assess performance of OxiKit design and share Technical knowhow with MSMEs/ Manufacturers. All regulatory, statutory, manufacturing setup approvals etc. must be ensured by MSMEs/ Manufacturers’. Also, it is suggested that few initial prototypes must be carefully tested for continuous operations for 5-10 days at different ambient conditions before final design is finalized.

 

Is it permitted to use the Arduino boards (Which is used in the TCE Design) for commercial/ Industrial grade systems?

Arduino board is used as we are developing prototype. It is suggested that MSMEs/ Manufacturers to use board suitable for commercial/ Industrial use compiling to any regulatory or statuary or certification requirement.

 

Is it necessary to develop more prototype say 5 nos of prototypes?

As mentioned earlier, this prototype was built based on Oxikit open-source design and performance was checked for continuous running for 3-6 hours. It was observed that O2 purity varies due to ambient conditions. Hence, considering varying Indian ambient conditions it is suggested to build few prototypes which shall be carefully tested for continuous operations (24 Hrs) for 5-10 days before finalising design for mass manufacturing.

Can we use any other connectors than specified in BOM?

Connectors are generally available in market. However, you can use suitable connectors having pressure rating as specified.

Any suggestion for Testing of this concentrator?

It is observed that O2 purity varies due to ambient conditions such as temperature / humidity etc. Hence, it is suggested to test your prototype/s for continuous operations (24 Hrs) for 5-10 days in ambient conditions and not in controlled conditions.

Any precautions to be taken while preparation of ZMS canister?

As we are aware that adsorption capabilities of Zeolite may be affected by ambient conditions and particularly in moist environment. Hence, it is suggested that the ZMS canister assembly shall be carried out in dry environment to avoid moisture contact with ZMS. Also, it is suggested to use hand gloves while ZMS canister assembly and store Zeolite in dry condition.

 

Any key points to be considered or suggestions while working on the prototype or for mass manufacture of this concentrator ?

We suggest to consider following points while working on the prototype or for mass manufacture of this concentrator

1. It was observed that O2 purity varies due to ambient conditions. Hence, considering varying Indian ambient conditions it is suggested to build prototype/s which shall be carefully tested for continuous operations (24 Hrs) for 5-10 days before finalising design for mass manufacturing. It is suggested that testing of prototype/s for continuous operations (24 Hrs) for 5-10 days shall involve events such as abrupt switching OFF & ON (power failure), switching OFF for machine cool down/ compressor overheating/ high ambient temperature/ cyclonic conditions/ heavy rains-thunderstorms with lightening etc. In such events provision for auxiliary Oxygen cylinder or capacity of surge tank shall be evaluated for ensuring continuous Oxygen supply to patient/s. Please note that events mentioned above are for guidance only and MSMEs/ Manufacturers must prepare their comprehensive test plan for testing prototype/s, for finalsing assembly procedures, for finalising packaging & transportation schemes etc. before finalising design for mass manufacturing
2. MSMEs/ Manufacturers keen to mass manufacture must ensure all approvals and clearances if any
3. MSMEs/ Manufacturers must carefully study and align themselves with required advisory or guidance issued from time to time by GOI related to oxygen concentrators.
4. MSMEs/ Manufacturers must carefully evaluate and ensure proper sourcing, manufacturing, testing, quality control and after sales service aligned with their planned business and market strategy.
5. It is also suggested to study and establish source for zeolite of correct grade, size and quality for ensuring continuous supply

Can we position Silica bed dryer at the Compressor inlet instead as shown in the process diagram?

As we are aware that Silica gel is an amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide that adsorb moisture . It is nontoxic, inert and stable . We have positioned Silica bed dryer after cooling coils to adsorb more moisture from the air considering Indian ambient conditions like temperature/ relative humidity . The psychometric chart prepared for two potions (at the inlet of the compressor & after cooling coil) of Silica bed dryer to assess its performance is given herewith for your ready reference . MSMEs/ Manufacturers should take decision based on such studies .

 

What are dimensional details of Orifice?

Can you provide any supplier list for this Orifice? Answer: Dimension details for the Orifice are given below. This orifice is manufactured in house by machining operation. MSMEs/ Manufacturers to develop their suppliers for supplying this Orifice