Technology of oxygen

Oxygen bars are found in a surprising variety of businesses, says Cullin Cameron, owner and founder of Oasis, a major supplier of oxygen bar equipment based in Sarasota, Fla.

The technology works like this: a gray metal box on the floor generates oxygenated air through a clay filter that uses a process called pressure swing adsorption, Cameron said.

Normal air, which contains about 21 percent oxygen and 78 percent nitrogen, is stripped of unwanted gases until a 92 to 95 percent pure stream of oxygen flows. Small vats of FDA-approved flavor liquid bubble as the oxygen rises through, absorbing the fresh scent.

The oxygen then is sent up the expectant customer’s nose through a personal tube. The flow is preset and timed, though customers can adjust flavor flow.