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Edited By: Lauren Hamer
Lauren Hamer Sr. Editor
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The Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator from GCE Healthcare is designed for patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases like COPD to use at home and while on the go. GCE‘s Rate Responsive Therapy (RRT) technology automatically responds to breath rates, so you don’t have to change the settings. Many patients can use the Zen-O 24 hours a day, and the Zen-O is CPAP and BiPAP compatible.
GCE Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator from GCE Healthcare is designed for patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases, to use anywhere.
GCE Zen-O Portable Oxygen Concentrator Review
Most portable oxygen concentrators require the user to adjust the bolus rate if they engage in an activity that demands more oxygen. The bolus is the amount of oxygen in a puff of air administered from a POC. GCE Healthcare’s Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator automatically adjusts the bolus on demand, so there’s no stopping to change settings.
The Zen-O is designed to be used every day, at home, running errands, meeting friends or traveling. This POC is one of the most lightweight, reliable and convenient on the market.
Pros
Rate Responsive Therapy
Lightweight
Energy efficient
Pulse or continuous flow
Cons
You pay a higher price for better technology
GCE Health Designs Zen-O for Efficiency
The GCE Group is a leading worldwide company that has been manufacturing high-pressure gas equipment for nearly 100 years. GCE Health designs and produces Zen-O portable oxygen concentrators and Nuvo home oxygen concentrators. Zen-O portable oxygen concentrators stand out with RRT technology, efficient energy use and extended battery life.
Zen-O Rate Responsive Therapy
The most important feature the Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator offers is Rate Responsive Therapy. This POC provides a constant bolus of oxygen and automatically adjusts to varying breath rates. There’s no risk of skipping a dose when your activity level increases, and you don’t have to stop to change the setting. RRT ensures you always get the appropriate oxygen dose.
GCE Zen-O Breath Detection Technology
Each patient’s breathing patterns and oxygen needs vary, so GCE Healthcare builds Zen-O with very sensitive breath detection technology. Inhale, and the POC delivers the full oxygen dose within a half-second, no matter what setting you use. This feature ensures that even shallow-breathing patients get the oxygen they need when it’s needed.
Many other POCs feature fixed minute volume-to-delivery oxygen at a set pulse mode. When the patient’s breath rate increases, these POCs may not supply enough oxygen and can skip breaths altogether. You need to anticipate increased oxygen needs and change the settings on the device to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
Rate Responsive Therapy vs. Fixed Minute Volume
Rate Responsive Therapy
Fixed Minute Therapy
Automatically delivers a variable amount of oxygen on demand.
Delivers a fixed amount of oxygen each minute, regardless of breath rate.
Constant bolus size independent of breath rate, up to 40 breaths per minute.
Smaller bolus size at higher breath rates.
No skipped breaths.
May skip breaths at higher breath rates.
Maintains FiO2 levels with increased breath rate.
FiO2 level declines as breathing increases.
Delivers more or less oxygen automatically as breath rate changes.
Must increase pulse settings to maintain proper oxygen volume when more active.
GCE Zen-O Specifications
Measurements and Weight
This compact portable oxygen concentrator measures 12.3” high, 8.3” wide and 6.6” deep. This POC weighs 10.25 pounds with one battery, so the Zen-O is one of the most compact and light continuous flow POCs you can buy.
Control Panel
Zen-O’s control panel has an easy-to-read LCD. The display shows the remaining battery life and the current oxygen setting. Should an alarm sound, the LCD explains why. The control panel has large, clearly labeled buttons.
Power Requirements
The Zen-O POC runs on one or two batteries, AC or DC power. Pulse flow battery life on the number 2 setting lasts up to eight hours. Use the 2 liters per minute setting on continuous flow oxygen, and the battery holds a charge for 1.5 hours. Using two batteries roughly doubles the use time before charging.
Accessories for Zen-O POC
Zen-O comes with a carrying case and a small wheeled travel cart, one 12-cell battery, AC and DC power supplies, manual, quick start guide and US, EU and UK-compatible power cords. You can buy these accessories separately:
12-Cell Battery
AC Power Supply
DC Power Supply
External Battery Charger
Custom Carrying Case
Travel Cart
GCE Zen-O POC Cost and Warranty
With one battery, the Zen-O POC retails for just under $2,800. However, the average selling price is around $2,300. Buy a unit with dual batteries, and the retail cost goes up to $2,995, but we found prices as low as $2,495.
GCE Healthcare provides a warranty for three years or 15,000 hours of total use.
How to Buy GCE Zen-O POC
You can buy the Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator from authorized dealers. GCE Healthcare lists worldwide authorized dealers on the website. You need a doctor’s prescription to buy a portable oxygen concentrator. We recommend buying only from an authorized dealer to ensure you receive the full warranty.
GCE Zen-O Complaints
We found no Better Business Bureau rating for GCE, probably because the company headquarters are in the United Kingdom. We also found no negative reviews for the portable oxygen concentrator. One reviewer noted the Zen-O is reliable, with very few problems since entering the market in 2016.
GCE Zen-O Q&A
Does the GCE Zen-O adjust automatically only for heavy exertion?
Zen-O’s RRT adjusts automatically whether you just walk upstairs and need a quick boost of oxygen, or you do more strenuous activity. When your breath rate normalizes, the POC again adjusts almost immediately.
Can I sleep using the Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator?
Speak to your doctor to learn whether you can use Zen-O while you sleep. If you need oxygen at 2 LPM at night, you may be able to use this POC while sleeping.
Is the Zen-O POC approved for travel?
You can travel anywhere with GCE’s Zen-O. The product is FAA-approved for air travel.
How much do the batteries for the GCE Zen-O weigh?
Each battery weighs 652 grams or just under 23 ounces.
What maximum flow rate can I expect from the Zen-O portable oxygen concentrator?
GCE designed the Zen-O to deliver up to 2 liters of oxygen per minute, whether you use the pulse or continuous mode. The POC maintains oxygen purity levels of 87% to 96%.
Conclusion
The Zen-O from GCE is one of the most convenient portable oxygen concentrators available on the market. This POC is very lightweight, yet provides high-quality oxygen therapy. The Zen-O is expensive, but patients who can take advantage of around-the-clock use don’t have to buy a separate home oxygen concentrator.
For nine months the GCE ZEN-O has been worth every penny we paid for the machine. My wife used it in Cancun for 3 weeks (with power and battery) and most every day here in Florida. We purchased an extra battery for flight travel and it's worked well. We take it on every car trip and sometimes use it in the car. Although it's a stretch, it can fit between her legs in her scooter and we used it in Aruba for three weeks. We see it as a very fine machine and are glad to own it. I cannot believe all the negativity against this product.! Definitely a 5 star for us.
Dominic I.
Cocoa Beach, FL
September 29 2023 10:21PM
I am oxygen dependent after Covid. My daughters gave me this as a gift. They are still paying for it. This brand was recommended by the salesperson at Sprylife, although they were looking for a different brand. They asked about the bad reviews and they were told that that is why it was recommended to buy the lifetime warranty. The machine started beeping after only 3 months of use. It started shutting off. It was a mission to get a replacement for one month.
The new one started with the service09 at a trip only 8 months after. It was super scary. By surprise, we are now told that Sprylyfe is no longer the same company so 1st medical can only provide a replacement by a used machine. Just tricks to customers, because you still see the advertising from Sprylife. I have not been able to get a new one so the lifetime warranty is not true and on top We receive tons of calls trying to get us to purchase a new one Ayri which is a brand the same company sells.
How sad to learn that is all a game senior people have to live with and be mistreated by medical suppliers. I have the right to receive a new equipment from a different simply because ALL reviews we see state the same issue as it is the brands that has a problem NOT the customers as this 1st class medical tries to make it look. Today I was told they got a new system and all paperwork was missing. Very convenient.
Nestor T.
Miami, FL
May 30 2022 1:13AM
It's interesting to see the other recent reviews here. I'm now on my second unit that shuts down with the "09:Service!" error out of the box. The first one we could get to work sometimes by powering off and removing the batteries and waiting a while, but 2/3rds of the time it would give that error the first time I turned it on.
The place I got it from was great about sending a replacement but I'm pretty disappointed to see it's doing the exact same thing. GCE seems to have some problem with this unit right now.
Brian L.
Fremont, CA
February 28 2022 9:30PM
I bought the Zen-O oxygen concentrator not more than a year ago and it started having service light warnings coming in. I called the company that I got it from and they had me send it in. It took 2 months to get it back.
When I got the unit back a few weeks later the same service came on and this time the machine died and won’t not turn on. I call the rep and he was able to get me a replacement. I got the new unit this past Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
I took it to the supermarket with me that was 45 minutes from home. I needed to use the oxygen at the supermarket and the machine malfunction and did not work. I kept getting the alert and service light. Luckily I had a canister oxygen as a backup to get me home.
That was a scary situation to be in. Now I’m waiting to get a new machine, get a different product, or get my money back. This will be my third replacement if they don’t refund me.
I’ve read reviews on the SimplyGo and the that seems to be worst off. These company need to test their products better. These are medical equipment and lives are at stake.
Kai K.
Holland, MI
February 27 2022 7:02PM
When I bought my Zen-O I didn’t use it much since I only require oxygen as needed in extremely climates. When I needed it in the fall and winter the machine only work for a few months. I had the machine for less than a year and it stopped working.
When I turned it on the alert shows “Service!” and I would have to turn the machine off and wait a few minutes and turn it back on to get rid of the alert. I have used the Zeno for less 100 hours since I bought it.
The rep that I bought it with is great! I send in the unit for repairs which took over two months because of parts shortage. When I got the machine back had worst problems. A week after I got it back I was using it and an alert came on showing this “07: Service!” Then the machine turned off.
Every time I turned it back the same code and alert came on and the machine won’t work. I called my rep and he got the manufacture to replace the unit with a new one.
Well I got the new one and 15 minutes into using it the alert came on showing “09: Service!” and the machine stopped working while I was at the supermarket 45 minutes from home!
I made a video of all incident and sent it to the rep. He forwarded all my emails and videos to the manufacturer. Hope they inspect and test all their machines after production before sending it out to customers.
I’m waiting to hear if I will get a third replacement and we shall see if this one will be problem free. If I can get a refund that would be great so I can buy the Philips Respironics SimplyGo. Friends that have these seem to have no trouble with them.
I DON’T recommend the Zeno at all. The machine is unreliable as I’ve experienced twice with both new machines.
Kai C.
Holland, MI
September 21 2020 7:06PM
I have been using the GCE Zen-0 oxygen concentrator for almost a year, but usually only, at night. After about 5 to 6 months of night use (using it almost exclusively at night), the unit will alarm, "Low Flow" at cold start-up. It will "beep" all night if I leave it that way.
To remedy the situation, I have to shut the unit off, then re-start it. It works OK after that, but the process takes a minute, or two to solve this Low Flow alarm problem.
I was allowed to return my first unit, and received a second unit in exchange. Now, after several months of use, my latest unit is beginning to have the same Low Flow alarm problem.
Occasionally, I have used the unit in battery mode. The manufacturer's website says that the batteries will last 1.5 hours. From full charge, the unit's batteries usually last me about 45 minutes (at most), until it emits a "low battery" alarm.
At which time, I shut the unit off in an effort to prevent the batteries from becoming permanently damaged, and to stop the audible alarm.
My supplier is charging Medicare (by agreement), for two oxygen concentrators at the same time because the GCE Zen-0 has an AC power plug, but also, it can be operated on battery power (for a short time). So, the unit is billed as two machines.
