Zen-O - Portable Oxygen Concentrator - Dual Battery

Pulse dose releases a measured burst of oxygen when the device senses you starting to breathe in. Continuous flow runs at a steady rate whether you are breathing in or out. Pulse is far more efficient, which is why it gives you so much more run time from the same battery, but some prescriptions call for continuous. Your clinician decides which one applies to you. The Zen-O is one of the few portable units that does both, so you are not locked into the wrong mode if your prescription changes.

At pulse setting 2 and 18 breaths per minute, GCE publish 4 hours on one battery and 8 hours on two. Run time drops as the setting rises, and continuous flow is much harder on the batteries: at continuous 2.0 you get 45 minutes on one battery and an hour and a half on two. The full table is on this page. Real figures shift with your breathing rate, the age of the batteries and the temperature, so leave yourself margin.

GCE state in the user manual that the Zen-O meets all acceptance criteria of the United States Federal Aviation Administration. Australian airlines then run their own process on top of that. Qantas keeps a list of accepted medical devices and needs an approved Travel Clearance Form submitted at least five days before you fly, and you can be refused boarding without it. Virgin Australia asks for a medical clearance and a call around five days ahead. We have written a fuller guide on travelling with an oxygen concentrator in Australia.

Ask your clinician before you rely on it overnight. Pulse dose devices are not generally recommended for sleep, because they may not reliably detect shallow breathing. The Zen-O does have a continuous flow mode, which changes that conversation, but continuous flow drains the batteries quickly, so overnight use realistically means running from mains power. Your clinician should confirm both the mode and the setting.

Three things the device does on its own. Rate Response Therapy watches your breath rate and increases the oxygen delivered when you start breathing faster, rather than holding a fixed dose. Eco Mode switches that off in favour of a fixed minute volume, which stretches the batteries further. Auto Mode kicks in after 60 seconds with no breath detected and pulses at 18 breaths per minute, so you keep receiving oxygen if the cannula slips out.

Yes. We dispatch the Zen-O once we have verified a valid prescription, or proof of professional or business status for clinics, aged care providers and other business buyers. The Zen-O runs pulse dose (settings 1 to 6) and continuous flow (0.5 to 2 L/min). Your prescription should state which mode you need and the setting, and list each separately if your rest, activity and sleep settings differ. A pulse setting needs to be tested by your healthcare provider on the device.

GCE rate it at 38 dB(A) on pulse setting 2, tested to ISO 3744. That is below a quiet office and among the quieter portable units we stock. It rises to 46 dB(A) at pulse setting 6 and 52 dB(A) on continuous setting 2, so if you run continuous flow most of the day, expect it to be audible in a quiet room.

Yes. A car charger is included, rated 11.5 to 16V in, for a standard vehicle outlet. Take the AC supply with you as well so you can recharge at your destination.

Both are supplied. The Zen-O comes with a carry bag and a pull cart, so you can sling it over a shoulder for short trips or wheel it behind you for longer ones. At 4.66 kg without the bag and cart it is heavier than a pulse-only unit, which is the trade you make for continuous flow in a portable. If weight is the priority and your prescription is pulse only, the Kingon P2-E7 is 1.98 kg.

Very little day to day. The sieve beds are designed to be replaced by most homecare providers without sending the device back to the distributor, which keeps it out of service for far less time than units that have to go back to the manufacturer. Our technical services team handles servicing here in Australia, so call us on 1300 881 824 rather than shipping it overseas.

A cylinder holds a fixed volume of oxygen and runs out, so the week gets planned around refills and deliveries. A concentrator draws in the air around you, strips out the nitrogen and delivers oxygen at therapeutic purity, so it only stops when the power does. There is nothing to refill and nothing to return.