Written by Mike Price, OT
In 2001, a beloved grandmother named Mae inspired three students at the University of California Santa Barbara to make innovations in the field of portable oxygen. The company they founded, Inogen, has changed the oxygen therapy industry with its revolutionary developments for portable oxygen concentrators.
Alison Bauerlein, Brenton Taylor, and Byron Myers founded Inogen after their successful development of the Inogen One, which received first place honors in a business plan competition sponsored by the Technology Management Program. They created the Inogen One based on input from Mae, who had been prescribed supplemental oxygen in 2000 to help her live with COPD. She couldn’t accept the current oxygen therapy solutions available at that time, and provided the trio candid observations about the challenges she had using supplemental oxygen.
Bauerlein, Taylor, and Myers carefully listened to her complaints about how restrictive conventional methods of oxygen therapy could be, with having to replace the conserver, switching heavy tanks, and the necessity of having to transport multiple tanks or bottles for a simple excursion outside the home. When they had Mae try the first Inogen One in 2004, implementing design aspects that solved all of her complaints, she said it was “better than anything I could have ever hoped for.”
Unlike other portable oxygen systems that use liquid systems, tanks, and home fill services requiring refills, and/or heavy cylinders and canisters, the portable oxygen systems from Inogen eliminate the hassles, and enable folks to travel with confidence and ease.
Operating on a rechargeable battery, Inogen’s portable oxygen concentrators are quiet and long-lasting, running conveniently on one battery charge for between 5 and 10 hours of operation depending on the battery you select. Customers can choose from an included 8-cell or 16-cell battery, and more batteries can be ordered separately for longer excursions without charging. However, the concentrator also offers the added versatility to run with an AC or DC power source as well.
Inogen’s oxygen concentrators undergo thorough, rigid, and peer-reviewed testing to ensure they deliver consistent, dependable oxygen therapy to their users with every single inhalation. They have completed and published more clinical data for their products than any other portable oxygen equipment to date, and have even demonstrated that their Inogen One POCs can be clinically equivalent to continuous flow oxygen devices, which are not portable.
Inogen is well-known for producing portable oxygen systems that are not only highly effective and comfortable to use, but they're also incredibly lightweight and compact.
The Inogen One G3 Portable Oxygen Concentrator weighs less than 5 pounds, and includes a discreet and convenient carrying case for simple portability. Five different flow settings easily meet the oxygen demands of most users, and the quietly-running device can be selected with an included 8-cell or 16-cell lithium-ion battery to provide between 4.7 to 10 hours of operation, respectively.
Weighing only 2.8 pounds, the Inogen One G4 Portable Oxygen Concentrator is one of the lightest and smallest concentrator devices on the market. Also ultra-quiet, this innovative system utilizes Inogen’s proprietary Intelligent Oxygen Delivery System that releases oxygen only when the user inhales, unlike the continuous flow most concentrators and oxygen tanks provide. Efficient and convenient, the G4 also includes a discreet carrying case for protection and easy portability.
For people who mainly use their oxygen therapy at home, the Inogen At Home Stationary Oxygen Concentrator provides a lighter, more compact design that’s easy to move around the house as needed. Including five continuous flow modes to suit varying oxygen requirements, this concentrator also delivers energy efficiency, requiring very little power to operate. Little to no sound output encourages a good night’s sleep, and no distractions or headaches during the day. Its slim, 18-pound design also takes up very little room, making it a good choice for smaller homes.
“I have lung cancer & COPD. I purchased my Inogen over a year ago & I truly do not know what I would do without it. I am able to go anywhere without hardly any time restrictions.” - Shirley B.
“With the use of the Inogen One G3, I am now able to enjoy my favorite past times once again; fishing on the Long Beach piers and golfing.” - Nick S.
“Thank you Inogen for giving me my life back. "Santa" gave me my Inogen a week before Christmas and we flew to New Jersey to see my grandchildren. So glad I got the double battery for added time between charges. No cumbersome tanks to slow me down, so we're out to dinner, at the movies and walking our dog anytime we want! Best of all, I'm working out again and on my way to the new me!” - Sharon H.
“I received my Inogen G4, I can't contain my excitement to freedom. This product was so easy to assemble, and it only weighs 2.8 lbs. Finally, I will be able to travel, go to upcoming fall festivals, and more. No longer am I using heavy tanks, or have the worry that goes along with other systems.” - Sharon K.
Mae still serves as an inspiration for the Inogen company, as like her, they refuse to settle for the mediocre. Instead of hindering the lives of users, Inogen believes their oxygen therapy products should be improving them.
Today’s Inogen team is a cohesive blend of technologists, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and home healthcare specialists devoted to the development of innovative oxygen therapy solutions to respiratory challenges. Their focus is on making products that help increase freedom and independence for oxygen therapy users, resulting in some of the most lightweight, portable, and effective oxygen concentrators on the market today.
Engineered to provide people with the capability to get their oxygen anytime, anywhere, Inogen’s portable oxygen concentrators never run out of oxygen, as they pull continuously from the surrounding atmosphere, indoors and outside. They enable users to remain active and independent, allowing them to participate in social, business, and recreational events away from home without having to worry about running out of oxygen.
Inogen and their state-of-the-art portable oxygen concentrator designs have won multiple awards, including the 2015 Company of the Year Award from South Coast Business & Technology Awards, the 2011 Frost & Sullivan Oxygen Therapy Product of the Year Award, the Gold Award from the Medical Design Excellence Awards, and the Industrial Designers of America’s Design of the Decade award.
They’re also a Nationwide Accredited Homecare provider, specializing in oxygen therapy, and are ISO-13485 certified, maintaining the highest quality standards and practices accordant with Medical Devices Quality Management.
If you’re ready to reclaim your freedom and independence, browse our catalog to learn more about how Inogen’s innovative portable oxygen concentrators can help you, too! And check out more assistive tools and tips for living and remaining active and independent at Caregiver University.
Co-Founder of Rehabmart and an Occupational Therapist since 1993. Mike has spent his professional career working in multiple areas of Occupational Therapy, including pediatrics, geriatrics, hand therapy, ergonomics and inpatient / outpatient rehabilitation. Mike enjoys writing articles that help people solve complex therapeutic problems and make better product choices.
