The pressure swing adsorption process for a PSA oxygen generator is essentially the same as that of a nitrogen generator with one major distinction. The adsorptive material inside its molecular sieve is made of zeolite rather than carbon found in a nitrogen PSA device.

During a routine operation, compressed air channeled through the oxygen generator will be separated into its component gases. The zeolite molecular sieve will selectively adsorb nitrogen that meets it while allowing high purity oxygen gas to flow onwards to a product gas outlet.

A unique feature of zeolite that makes it ideal for an oxygen generator is its ability to released retained nitrogen gas once the pressure within the generator is eased. This makes it quite easy to regenerate the medium for a further cycle of oxygen generation.