The engineering of pulse oximeter did not start a few years ago. These devices have been in place for long now and were first made available for commercial purpose in 1970s. At this time, they were cumbersome and very bulky. To make matters worse, the price tag did not favor the majority of the population. The average retail price was somewhere in the range of $ 10,000. There has been however a drastic change over time and just with a few dollars one can get a very nice recording pulse oximeter.
The working of these devices relies on a very technical scientific principle. Oxygenated blood absorbs red light at 660nm while the deoxygenated blood absorbs infrared light at 940nm. As such, the pulse oximeters are made of two light emitting diodes (660nm and 940nm) and two light collecting sensors. The light emitted from LEDs passes through the tissues and are then collected by the sensors that then measures mount of infrared and red light in it. This allows for recording and reporting on oxygen saturation level. Most of the pulse oximeters are able to deliver data n pulse rate, the level of oxygen saturation and cardiac output.
Not all of these devices work in the same manner. It is therefore important to understand features of an ideal oximeter before setting off to buy one. The decisions should be based on the brand name or prices only, rather, focus on getting high quality devices at significantly lower price tag.
The first feature to consider is if the model is FDA certified. Pulse oximeter falls in the category of class II device and hence must be registered with FDA before it can be sold. Currently, most of them are FDA certified by it does not harm to run a check on it by going through the FDA Medical Device Data Base from where the manufacturer name is entered on the search field to access the required information.
The next and most important issue to consider is its accuracy and reliability. Given that its primary purpose is to measure oxygen saturation and the pulse rate, all efforts are focused on finding the device that is able to give the most accurate results in a consistent and reliable manner within its operation range. By comparing it with those used in medical centers, you should be able to select a better option.
Other than this, simplicity also matters. As much as possible, the user guide should be enough to guide you through without having to hire services from an expert which significantly increases expenses. What this means is that the ideal device is very easy to use, read and interpret data. Additionally, its size should also be comfortable to carry around and store as required.
In addition to these, there are several other features that go a long way in assisting you make the right choice. These include its memory, Ability to connect to a computer or phone to allow for data access and analysis. The devices that have multi-person memory status are also considered deal since data for more than one person.
Lastly, you should look at the battery life, the ease of storage, logbook, storage case and general appearance. This together with the software that it runs with matters a lot. If all measures are taken to select the best device, your health and that of family members will be better managed.
The working of these devices relies on a very technical scientific principle. Oxygenated blood absorbs red light at 660nm while the deoxygenated blood absorbs infrared light at 940nm. As such, the pulse oximeters are made of two light emitting diodes (660nm and 940nm) and two light collecting sensors. The light emitted from LEDs passes through the tissues and are then collected by the sensors that then measures mount of infrared and red light in it. This allows for recording and reporting on oxygen saturation level. Most of the pulse oximeters are able to deliver data n pulse rate, the level of oxygen saturation and cardiac output.
Not all of these devices work in the same manner. It is therefore important to understand features of an ideal oximeter before setting off to buy one. The decisions should be based on the brand name or prices only, rather, focus on getting high quality devices at significantly lower price tag.
The first feature to consider is if the model is FDA certified. Pulse oximeter falls in the category of class II device and hence must be registered with FDA before it can be sold. Currently, most of them are FDA certified by it does not harm to run a check on it by going through the FDA Medical Device Data Base from where the manufacturer name is entered on the search field to access the required information.
The next and most important issue to consider is its accuracy and reliability. Given that its primary purpose is to measure oxygen saturation and the pulse rate, all efforts are focused on finding the device that is able to give the most accurate results in a consistent and reliable manner within its operation range. By comparing it with those used in medical centers, you should be able to select a better option.
Other than this, simplicity also matters. As much as possible, the user guide should be enough to guide you through without having to hire services from an expert which significantly increases expenses. What this means is that the ideal device is very easy to use, read and interpret data. Additionally, its size should also be comfortable to carry around and store as required.
In addition to these, there are several other features that go a long way in assisting you make the right choice. These include its memory, Ability to connect to a computer or phone to allow for data access and analysis. The devices that have multi-person memory status are also considered deal since data for more than one person.
Lastly, you should look at the battery life, the ease of storage, logbook, storage case and general appearance. This together with the software that it runs with matters a lot. If all measures are taken to select the best device, your health and that of family members will be better managed.
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