Respironics enters POC revolution

MURRYSVILLE, Pa. - Respironics hit the market in April with the EverGo, the latest edition to the industry's growing cadre of portable oxygen concentrators. The EverGo's major selling point? "Undeniably" eight hours of battery life in a unit that weighs 10 pounds, said John Frank, the company's vice president, general manager of home respiratory care. For an even lighter load, patients can remove one of the unit's two 1.5-pound batteries. The EverGo represents Respironics second new concentrator this year. The company earlier released the EverFlo, a five-liter, 31-pound stationary concentrator that costs the same as a typical 50-pound unit. The company designed the EverFlo with both the patient and provider in mind. For the patient, it's less intrusive than larger units and has a style-friendly non-medical design. It's also quieter, requires less energy to operate and generates less heat than larger stationary concentrators, Frank said. "For the provider, we looked at several points," he said. "For starters, we put filters in these products that don't need to be changed for two years. By comparison, including our Millennium, they are out there changing filters every six months or so. So if we can help them avoid a trip to the home on this product, that is good for them." Additionally, the EverFlo's smaller size reduces shipping costs, storage cost and reduces the risk of injury--all big savings, Frank said. "These are not 'me too' products," he said of the EverGo and EverFlo. "They offer something new. That is our goal."