What is an Oxygen Monitor?

An oxygen monitor is a special medical device which measures indirectly the arterial oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin (Hb) in the tissue capillaries. Also known as a pulse oximeter or a O2 monitor, this extremely useful invention is attached to the patient’s body, in a place with a good blood circulation. The finger, the ear lobe and the toe are considered best spots for measuring the blood oxygen levels. This method, also called Pulse Oximetry, is an advanced alternative to measuring oxygen levels in a blood sample.

In hospitals, oxygen monitors can be attached to larger medical monitors, so the patient’s blood oxygenation will be constantly visible. These monitors also show the heart rate.

At home, you can monitor your blood oxygen saturation with a portable oxygen monitor.

How does the oxygen monitor work?
The blood oxygen monitor measures the saturated hemoglobin by sending a light beam through the tissue to the receiver. It’s a very noninvasive measuring method, an extremely useful tool for screening the fundamental respiratory functions. It can be clipped on the fingertip or on the earlobe. The quantity of saturated hemoglobin affects the wavelength of the light beam, thus translating the analysis of the received light into an oxygen saturation percentage of the blood (SO2). Informally, it’s also known as pulse ox.

Oxygen monitors use red and infrared light for detecting the oxygen in the blood flow. The hemoglobin carrying the oxygen absorbs more the infrared light, allowing simple red light to pass through. And vice-versa, the hemoglobin without a high oxygen saturation level will absorb more red light, ignoring the infrared. After collecting and sending the information to the receiver, the monitor calculates the ratio of red to infrared light. This ratio is compared to a template and the results are determined. A good result ranges usually between 90 to 100 oxygen saturation.

The conventional, older blood oxygen monitors have some negative aspects. A poor blood flow or a sudden movement can alter the accuracy of the analysis. This problem can complicate the process of finding a correct diagnosis. Supplementary arterial blood gas tests are necessary most of the time to confirm the readings of the oxygen monitor.

However, the modern technological advances allowed the researchers to create the New Generation blood oxygen monitor. There are many types of sophisticated pulse oxygen monitors available on the online market. They improved considerably the capacity of reading the blood oxygen saturation level even in more complicated situations. The accuracy of these new devices is no longer affected by motion or poor blood circulation.