October 7, 2010

Invacare Sponsors Second Annual Oxygen-Powered Bicycle Trip from Charleston to Key West

ELYRIA, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Invacare is sponsoring a bicycle expedition to raise awareness of COPD and inspire oxygen users to live active lives. The cyclist, Mark Junge, will be using the Invacare^® XPO₂^™ Portable Oxygen Concentrator and Invacare^® SOLO₂^® Transportable Oxygen Concentrator on his 792-mile trip. He will begin in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 8^th, 2010, and complete the trek in Key West, Florida, mid-November of 2010.

Mr. Junge, a retired historian, writer and photographer from Cheyenne, Wyoming, suffers from blood clots in his lungs which cause him to be oxygen-dependent. He uses supplementary oxygen daily to maintain his active lifestyle. This is his sixth bike trip to raise awareness of COPD.

“I hope this trip will encourage oxygen-dependent people to strive for mobility and achieve more fulfilling lives,” said Mr. Junge. “This bicycle tour will not only help educate the public about respiratory problems, but also demonstrate possible solutions such as the SOLO₂ and XPO₂Concentrators.”

In a trip spanning just over a month, Mark will visit South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Follow Mark’s journey at www.invacare.com/travel, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/o2biketour or on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/o2biketour/. To schedule an interview with Mark along his ride, call 307-286-0421 or email junges@bresnan.net.

“Invacare is pleased to once again support Mark’s voyage and raise awareness for the opportunities created by portable oxygen,” said John Lescher, director, Invacare respiratory group. “This trip shows that Invacare portable oxygen concentrators allow a user to go just about anywhere, including a bicycle tour down the east coast, without worrying about their oxygen supply.”

Introduced in May 2008, the XPO₂ portable concentrator combines the reliability and durability providers want with the clinical performance patients need to stay oxygenated during use. The XPO₂portable concentrator weighs only six pounds and incorporates Invacare^® Sensi-Pulse^™ technology, an innovative five-setting pulse dose oxygen delivery system that keeps oxygen patients saturated during all activities of daily living. It operates from battery, AC or DC power. The two-and-a-half hour battery duration (at setting 2) may be doubled to five hours through the use of an optional one-and-a-half pound supplemental battery that attaches easily to the carrying case. Other features include quiet, simple operation and a contemporary, non-medical look.

The Invacare SOLO₂transportable oxygen concentrator is the latest addition to Invacare’s proven line of oxygen therapy products. Like the XPO₂portable concentrator, the SOLO₂concentrator also features the state of the art Sensi-Pulse technology. The SOLO₂concentrator operates from battery, AC or DC power for added patient convenience. It is small, quiet and reliable, giving patients the freedom to go just about anywhere.

Invacare (NYSE: IVC), headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home and long-term care medical products that promote recovery and active lifestyles. The company has 6,100 associates and markets its products in 80 countries around the world. For more information about the company and its products, visit Invacare’s website at www.invacare.com.