Bottom Line: Choose the OBA-1 if you run oxygen and air and want a built-in absorber, an included wheeled case, and a 3-year warranty. Choose the VSO2 if you need nitrous oxide or want the lightest listed weight.
The table below covers the specs buyers ask about most. VSO2 figures come from Avante and DRE product materials, and where those sources disagree, both numbers appear. We sell the OBA-1, so read the VSO2 column as manufacturer-published information, not hands-on testing.
| FEATURE | INFINIUM OBA-1 | INTEGRA SP VSO2 (AVANTE / DRE) |
|---|---|---|
| Gases | Oxygen and medical air (two-gas) | Oxygen, nitrous oxide, and air (three-gas) |
| Flow range | 0–10 L/min for oxygen and air | 0–10 L/min for oxygen, air, and nitrous oxide (DRE brochure) |
| Oxygen protection features | Pneumatically powered oxygen failure warning | Mechanical anti-hypoxic device, air/N2O interlock, oxygen failure whistle and visual indicator |
| Weight | 35 lbs (15.7 kg) | 26–27 lbs without vaporizer (26 on Avante's page, 27 on DRE's) |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 15" × 16" × 9.5" | 14" × 16.5" × 10.5" (DRE product page) |
| CO2 absorber | Built into the system. ThermH2Osorb disposable cartridges, two prefilled canisters included | Optional absorber (DRE brochure). Infinium's sales team describes it as a swing arm extending from the system |
| Vaporizer | One Penlon Sigma Delta vaporizer included | Selectatec-compatible mount, holds one vaporizer |
| Ventilator options | Multiple, including the MRI-compatible Penlon Nuffield | DRE AV800, Ohmeda 7000, Ohmeda 7800, Penlon Nuffield (MRI-compatible) |
| MRI use | MRI-compatible configuration available (confirm on quote) | MRI-compatible ventilator option. Full-system MRI use not listed |
| Transport | Side handles. Wheeled carrying case included from MedShop Direct. Optional trolley with shelf | Retractable top handle. Hardshell case with casters optional. Trolley with shelf available |
| Warranty | 3 years (MedShop Direct listing) | N/A |
Weights aren't measured the same way. DRE lists the VSO2 without its vaporizer, and Infinium's spec sheet doesn't say what its 35 lb figure includes.
The OBA-1 has its CO2 absorber built into the machine. It uses ThermH2Osorb disposable cartridges that Infinium says change out in 10 to 15 seconds, and the unit ships with two prefilled canisters. Infinium designed it for one active cartridge and one backup.
DRE's VSO2 brochure lists an optional absorber. Infinium's sales team describes the VSO2's absorber as a swing arm that extends from the system, which they say creates a larger footprint and makes the machine harder to move from office to office. By their account, the OBA-1's built-in absorber is what keeps its footprint smaller. The Avante and DRE pages we reviewed don't use the term "swing arm," so this comparison comes from Infinium's side.
On paper, the published dimensions are close. The OBA-1 measures 15" H × 16" W × 9.5" D, and DRE's product page lists the VSO2 at 14" × 16.5" × 10.5". Neither VSO2 source says whether the absorber is included in that size, so spec sheets alone can't confirm the footprint difference. Set each machine up the way you'd actually use it, with absorber, hoses, and vaporizer attached, and measure the space it takes.
The OBA-1 is a two-gas system that delivers oxygen and medical air at 0 to 10 L/min each, from cylinders or pipeline at 45 to 55 PSI. It has a 50 L/min oxygen flush, a pneumatically powered oxygen failure warning, and an auxiliary oxygen flowmeter port.
The VSO2 is a three-gas system for oxygen, nitrous oxide, and air. DRE's product page describes a mechanical anti-hypoxic device with an air/N2O interlock that adjusts nitrous oxide flow when oxygen drops below safe levels. It also has an auxiliary oxygen flowmeter port, and DRE's brochure lists a 0 to 10 L/min range for each gas.
Which gases a practice needs is a clinical decision for the anesthesia provider. What the specs show is that nitrous oxide is part of the VSO2's design and not part of the OBA-1's.
On paper, the VSO2 is lighter. Avante's intro page lists it at 26 lbs, and DRE's product page lists 27 lbs without the vaporizer. The OBA-1 weighs 35 lbs (15.7 kg), which puts the VSO2 roughly 8 to 9 lbs lighter, though the two figures aren't measured the same way.
Both machines have carry features. The OBA-1 has integrated side handles and comes with a carrying case with a retractable handle and casters when purchased from MedShop Direct. The VSO2 has a retractable top handle, and its hardshell case with casters is optional. Both offer a mobile trolley with a shelf.
A lighter machine is easier to lift into a vehicle, and a smaller footprint is easier to fit on a crowded counter or cart. Which matters more depends on where your team spends most of its time.
The OBA-1 comes with one Penlon Sigma Delta vaporizer. The VSO2 has a Selectatec-compatible mount that holds one vaporizer, and the product pages we reviewed don't say whether a vaporizer ships with it.
For ventilators, Infinium lists multiple options for the OBA-1, including an MRI-compatible Penlon Nuffield ventilator. DRE lists the DRE AV800, Ohmeda 7000, Ohmeda 7800, and an MRI-compatible Penlon Nuffield ventilator for the VSO2.
On MRI use, Infinium offers an MRI-compatible OBA-1 configuration and says to confirm magnet class and placement rules on its quote. Its brochure says the MRI unit may be placed within the 5 gauss line and has been used with Picker, GE, and Siemens scanners from 0.2 to 3.0 tesla. DRE's product page mentions an MRI-compatible ventilator option for the VSO2 but doesn't publish full-system MRI specifications.
Avante says the VSO2 can be configured with a nasal hood for conscious sedation and a nasal cannula for oxygen delivery. The OBA-1 pages we reviewed list adult and pediatric breathing circuit support and don't mention a nasal hood setup.
Infinium describes the OBA-1 as "FDA 510(k) registered" in its announcement of the OBA-1 acquisition, and its sales team describes the VSO2 as the only other FDA-approved machine of this type. Neither Avante's nor DRE's VSO2 page states a 510(k) number. DRE's page does list "FDA Registered," but it labels that as facility and processes, which describes the company rather than the device.
A 510(k) is also not the same as FDA approval. The FDA describes it as a submission showing that a device is substantially equivalent to a legally marketed device that isn't subject to premarket approval, so "cleared" is the more precise word. Before you buy either machine, ask the seller for the 510(k) number and confirm it in the FDA's 510(k) database.
The OBA-1 listing at MedShop Direct states a 3-year warranty. For the VSO2, Avante lists a 2-year manufacturer's warranty on Integra SP systems, and DRE's product page describes 2 years of defective parts coverage.
The VSO2 shows up under two brand names: the Avante Integra SP VSO2 anesthesia system and the DRE VSO2. DRE Medical joined Avante in 2015 and adopted the Avante name in 2018. In November 2024, Ganim Medical announced it was acquiring DRE's business from Avante, and DRE's site now identifies itself as a GANIM/DRE company. Both sites list the Integra SP VSO2 with matching feature descriptions, so treat the Avante and DRE names as the same product line.
If you're buying a VSO2, get in writing which company sells it, who honors the warranty, and who supplies parts and service.
A portable anesthesia machine is one piece of the setup. A 2012 review of mobile anesthesia in the Avicenna Journal of Medicine focuses on disaster and field settings, and it makes the point that inhaled anesthesia still needs an anesthesia machine and ventilator, end-tidal monitoring, and a scavenging system for waste gas.
For offices, the American Society of Anesthesiologists' statement on office-based anesthesia (last amended October 2024) says a maintained anesthesia machine and a reliable waste-gas scavenging system must be available wherever inhaled anesthetics are given. It also calls for a reliable oxygen source with a backup, enough room to reach the patient, the machine, and the monitors, and equipment maintained to the manufacturer's specifications.
Neither product page lists built-in capnography or other patient monitoring, so decide up front what you'll pair with either machine. Space belongs on that checklist too, which is one more reason to measure the machine as you'd actually set it up.
MedShop Direct carries the OBA-1, and this is what comes with it.
The Infinium OBA-1 is a two-gas (oxygen and medical air) portable anesthesia machine with the CO2 absorber built in. It's designed for office-based surgery, dental practices, MRI suites, and ambulatory surgery centers, and it comes with a wheeled carrying case when purchased from MedShop Direct.
Key Specs
At 35 lbs with side handles and an included wheeled case, the machine moves as one self-contained unit from a vehicle to the procedure room.
Get this if your cases run on oxygen and air, you move between offices, and you want the absorber built in, a wheeled case included, and a 3-year warranty.
However the VSO2 vs OBA-1 decision lands for your practice, match the machine to your gases, your room, and how often it travels. Have a spec question about the OBA-1? The MedShop Direct team is at 833-499-4450.
The biggest differences are gas options and absorber design. The Infinium OBA-1 is a two-gas machine (oxygen and air) with its absorber built in, while the Avante Integra SP VSO2 is a three-gas machine (oxygen, nitrous oxide, and air) with an optional absorber that Infinium's sales team describes as a swing arm.
Avante and DRE list the Integra SP VSO2 with matching feature descriptions, so they are the same product line under two names. DRE joined Avante in 2015 and took the Avante name in 2018, and Ganim Medical announced in November 2024 that it was acquiring DRE's business from Avante.
The OBA-1 is a two-gas machine that delivers oxygen and medical air, and nitrous oxide is not part of the system. The VSO2 is the three-gas machine of the two.
The VSO2 is lighter on paper at 26 to 27 lbs without the vaporizer, versus 35 lbs for the OBA-1. Infinium's spec doesn't say whether the OBA-1's figure includes the vaporizer, so confirm that when you compare.
According to Infinium's sales team, the OBA-1 does, because its absorber is built into the machine. Published dimensions are close (OBA-1 at 15" × 16" × 9.5", VSO2 at 14" × 16.5" × 10.5" on DRE's page), so measure each machine with everything attached.
Infinium describes the OBA-1 as FDA 510(k) registered, and its sales team describes the VSO2 as FDA-approved. Ask each seller for the 510(k) number and confirm it in the FDA's database.
Infinium offers an MRI-compatible OBA-1 configuration, to be confirmed on the quote. DRE lists an MRI-compatible Penlon Nuffield ventilator option for the VSO2 but doesn't publish full-system MRI specifications on its product page.
The MedShop Direct listing for the OBA-1 states a 3-year warranty. Avante lists a 2-year manufacturer's warranty for the Integra SP VSO2, and DRE describes it as 2 years of defective parts coverage.
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