How to Use an Oxygen Flow Meter

Oxygen flow meters are used on portable oxygen tanks and stationary oxygen concentrators to measure the amount of oxygen reaching the patient or oxygen tank user. Oxygen flow meters are most commonly found in hospitals but are also used by scuba divers and fire fighters.

Instructions

• 1

  Turn on your oxygen tank or concentrator. Tanks and concentrators should already have an oxygen flow meter on them, because they are necessary when using oxygen. Your flow meter will either be a vertical line or a circle. Oxygen concentrators, which are commonly used for at home care, will usually have a built-in flow meter.

• 2

  Look at the silver ball on a vertical flow meter or the arrow on a circle flow meter. The ball will move up and the arrow will move up and to the right. When the measuring device stops, look at the number next to it. This number equals the number of oxygen liters per minute that is reaching the oxygen user.

• 3

  Turn the knob on your flow meter or on the oxygen tank to change the liters per minute being released from the tank or concentrator. When you turn the knob, watch the ball or arrow on your flow meter to adjust the oxygen to the correct level. It is important to set your flow meter properly because too little oxygen or too much oxygen can be harmful to the person using it.