FDA okays gas to liquid unit
By HME News Staff
Updated Tue May 31, 2005
DENVER, Colo. -- In-X Corporation in April received clearance from the FDA to begin marketing a liquefaction device that chills oxygen gas produced by a concentrator to liquid that can be toted in a 4.2-pound portable carrier.
In-X won't be ready to ship the new Home-Away System until early next year, but the April 510(k) clearance is a milestone for technology that's been trying to gain a toehold in the industry for years. In-X had received a 510(k) on an earlier version of the Home-Away, but that system was not "manufacturable," according to company president Doug Powell.
"So we changed a few of the materials and design," said Powell. "Now it's at the stage where it can be mass produced."
But not right away. In-X currently employs just three people -- Powell and two engineers. Now that he's got the green light from the FDA, Powell is turning his attention to raw materials and the establishment of a production line.
Like the Invacare's Venture HomeFill and CHAD's Total O2, the Home-Away is a transfilling unit. But where the HomeFill and Total O2 siphon excess oxygen from the concentrator to fill a gas tank, the Home-Away taps the gas to make liquid.
Currently, using any 5-liter concentrator with an oxygen sensor, the system can produce 1.25 liters of liquid oxygen in 24 hours. At 2 liters per minute, that translates into about three refills, each providing 6-8 hours of mobility. In-X uses Caire's Spirit 300 as its portable carrier system.
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