5 and 10 Liter Oxygen Concentrators

In Latin American online stores, a new stationary 5 liter oxygen concentrator costs roughly USD 430 to 2,060, and a 10 liter unit roughly USD 720 to 2,960 (October 2026). In Mexico, 5 liter units list for about MXN 7,900 to 22,900 and 10 liter units for about MXN 17,000 to 43,000.

Price depends on maximum flow, brand and service network, features such as purity alarms, and import costs. Portable concentrators cost more, and renting is a common alternative for short term use. Hospitals, homecare providers and distributors buying in volume can request a wholesale quote from SysMed USA.

The liter rating is the maximum flow the unit can deliver, in liters per minute (LPM). A 5 liter concentrator covers prescriptions from 1 to 5 LPM, which includes most home oxygen patients. A 10 liter concentrator reaches up to 10 LPM for patients who need higher flow.

The 10 liter unit is also larger and uses more power. For example, the O2 Tiger M50 (5 L) weighs 14.2 kg and draws 300 W, while the OT-Star 10 weighs 26 kg and draws up to 600 W. Choose the unit that covers the prescribed flow with some margin; the physician sets the flow.

An oxygen concentrator draws in room air, which is about 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen, filters it and compresses it through two beds of zeolite sieve material that trap nitrogen. The beds alternate under pressure in a process called pressure swing adsorption (PSA).

The result is a continuous flow of oxygen at roughly 93% purity, delivered through a nasal cannula at the rate the physician prescribes. The unit runs on electricity and never needs refilling. Stationary models such as the OT-Star 10 and the O2 Tiger M50 include a humidifier bottle for comfort.

For long term home oxygen therapy, a concentrator is usually more practical: it makes oxygen from room air for as long as it has power, so there are no refills, deliveries or empty tanks. An oxygen tank (cylinder) holds a finite supply but needs no electricity.

That is why many home programs use both: a stationary concentrator as the main source and a cylinder as backup for power outages or short trips. For homecare providers, concentrators also remove the cost and logistics of cylinder refill routes. The physician decides which source fits each patient.

Yes. Oxygen is treated as a medication, and home oxygen therapy should start only with a physician's prescription that sets the flow in liters per minute, the hours of use per day and the follow up plan. The physician also decides when to adjust or stop the therapy.

The import and sale of the device are regulated by each country's health authority, such as COFEPRIS in Mexico, INVIMA in Colombia, ISP in Chile, ANMAT in Argentina or DIGEMID in Peru. The OT-Star 10 and the O2 Tiger M50 are CE marked and manufactured under ISO 13485, and SysMed USA provides documentation to support registration.

It depends on the model and the flow setting. A 5 liter unit such as the O2 Tiger M50 draws 300 W, which is about 7.2 kWh per day, or 216 kWh per month, if it runs 24 hours a day. A 10 liter unit such as the OT-Star 10 draws up to 600 W, or up to 14.4 kWh per day at full load.

Multiply those figures by your local electricity rate to estimate the monthly cost. Because a concentrator stops when the power goes out, patients in areas with frequent outages usually keep a backup cylinder as their physician advises, and institutions should plan for voltage protection.

Routine care is simple. Wash the air intake filter as the user manual directs, use only distilled water in the humidifier bottle and clean the bottle regularly, and replace the nasal cannula and tubing on the schedule set by the manufacturer or your provider. Keep the unit away from walls and curtains so it can ventilate, and away from heat sources or open flames.

Internal filters and sieve beds are serviced by a trained technician following the manufacturer's service schedule, and homecare providers should log each service by serial number. Each SysMed USA unit ships with a humidifier bottle, a nasal cannula and a user manual in English and Spanish.