The Four Types Of Pulse Oximeters And Its Uses

There are four available types of these medical devices that can supply the various medical needs of different type of patients; these Pulse Oximeter models are tabletop, wrist, fingertip, and handheld models.

1. Fingertip Model – This model of pulse oximeter is attached to the finger of a patient and this model has a small computer and screen. This kind of oximeter is incredibly light and they are also handy that you can easily store them in your pocket or purse. The clip emanates lights from one part and determines the light on the other part. The computer that it has is also used in calculating the light over several pulses as well as giving out readout on the blood oxygen level of the patient. Simply place the pulse oximeter on the finger and after that, wait for the result to come into view on the monitor on the side of the fingertip pulse oximeter. This specific type of pulse oximeter is very simple to operate and is usually used at home. The lone disadvantage of fingertip pulse oximeter is it cannot give out a precise reading or it might not operate at all if the hand of the patient is hurt or the blood flow is very slow as a consequences of an injury or clot.

2. Wrist – Using this type of pulse oximeter device can be very cozy, for you can wear it just like a watch and its sensor can be put into a finger. A little wire joins the two components and this type of pulse oximeter model is normally utilized for an uninterrupted monitoring and is commonly seen in various sleep centers. The wrist pulse oximeter is capable of storing 24 hours of reading that you can also download in your computer afterward.

3. Handheld – This type of pulse oximeter is normally used in just about every hospital. This type of pulse oximeter can be compared to the fingertip model but with a more flexible clip that hooks up with a cord to the computer. Comparable to the fingertip Pulse Oximeter, the handheld device also uses light in calculating the blood’s hemoglobin and it is also placed on the patient’s earlobe or fingertip. In some events like emergency cases, the handheld pulse oximeter can be placed to the toe of the patient and various medical practitioners also advocate this.

4.The Tabletop Model – They are nothing like the other models for pulse oximeter because they are not portable however they have more features and sensors that is geared for continuous monitoring. It can also include other monitoring apparatus like blood pressure.

Why Having Your Own Pulse Oximeter At Home Can Be Very Useful

When you have a health condition that causes you to have difficulty in absorbing oxygen as much as you usually requires in your body, it is very important that you can monitor the oxygen level in your body from time to time. When we can’t get enough oxygen for our body, this can result to a more serious medical condition. By examining the oxygen level in your body occasionally, you will be forewarned if there is a little bit odd that might happen to you. And by doing just this, you will have enough time to seek medical assistance in advance and avoid a more serious problem.

The Pulse Oximeter is considered to be the easiest technique in monitoring your body’s oxygen percentage. This small medical device has the ability to give you the result almost at once. Other than providing you with an accurate reading for your body’s oxygen level, it can also provide you with your present heart rate. Whether you are confined in your home and is under some medical supervision or outside and getting pleasure from strolling around in your neighborhood, the pulse oximeter will assure you that you will know if something is amiss in your health condition.

There are various advantages if you are using a pulse oximeter to check your oxygen percentage as well as your heart rate. The first advantage is that it will not need a blood sample. Taking small blood samples from you continuously can be aggravating. On top of it, when a blood sample is extracted from you, it feels awful most of the time. But with the pulse oximeter, these things won’t bother you a bit. You can just put this oximeter in your finger and immediately obtain the reading. And because of this medical tool’s simplicity, it is so easy to use. When you need to use it, you will not have any problem on getting the work done. And because of its quick operation, you can save more precious time each day.

Even though pulse oximeters are small, they are not lacking of important features that you will be needing. Little power is all it takes to make this medical device work. You will not need to change the batteries from time to time. The minimal power consumption of this medical device also comes with another useful feature of shutting down automatically once it is not used.

A Pulse Oximeter lets you look after yourself and without worrying a thing the whole day. Despite the fact that this medical device is so advanced in terms of what it can do, the pulse oximeters are very affordable.

Pulse Oximeter’s Facts And Guidelines That You Need To Know

It is a non-invasive method that is indicated in any situation where monitoring arterial oxygenation is considered important. In critically ill patients, a number of clinical studies have shown that continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation with pulse oximetry is superior to periodic blood gas measurements for detecting episodes of significant disease like hypoxemia. When patients are in condition of depending on mechanical ventilation and oxygen support, Pulse Oximeter will pave the way of giving benefits to patients that are in oxygen and ventilation support. The principle of pulse oximetry is based on the red and infrared light absorption characteristics of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Percentage of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin will be the basis for oxygen saturation this oxygen in the blood is determined by spectral analysis. It is critical for medical caretakers to know this information in order to evaluate the respiratory condition of a patient. The finger is placed between a clip mechanism and they are used mostly when administering pulse oximetry.

Photon detectors are receiving the light from LEDs to get results from pulse oximetry; they are placed adjacent to each other. The sensing probe of pulse oximeter contains a light source and a receiving chamber; sensing probes attaches to the monitor by means of cable; light will pass through the tissue and blood vessels till results are displayed in the monitor. Self-check pulse oximeters machine will vary greatly on the brand of oximeter; fingertips and earlobes will be attached by a clipping mechanism from a sensing probe so they can see the volume and percentage of oxygen saturation.

Pulse oximeter will show in its monitor the readings if a patient is at normal or lower than normal level of oxygen saturation percentage; recognizing the patient if he or she has breathing problems is checked and usually, healthy patients have 95 to 100 percent oxygen saturation. Patients wearing nail polish and patients with dirty fingers are some of the problems why pulse oximeter cannot get an accurate analysis from patients; they are considered as limitations of this machine and specialists should avoid this.

There is no machine that is perfect, so specialist should perform and operate this medical device with proper knowledge and considerations on its limitations and capacities. The pulse oximetry is probably the most frequently used monitor of respiration in critically ill patients; despite its widespread use, there are still studies that show a number of care providers did not understand how a Pulse Oximeter work.

Poor connections are problems that needs troubleshooting for pulse oximeters; sensors must be properly aligned, wires are intact and machine is plugged properly; make sure that it is clean and dry without moist and residue.

Some Facts About Pulse Oximetry

Pulse oximetry detects some medical issues but not all of it; it is useful in identifying patients with hypoxia but cannot identify patients with hypercarbia; most emergency medical doctors often rely on pulse oximetry as it is known as the fifth vital sign. Arterial oxygen and fractional saturation can be approximated with a Pulse Oximeter, which is an indirect, noninvasive technique; saturation percentage of hemoglobin are measured by oximetery and device such as pulse oximeter. Pulse oximeter is a probe with a light-emitting diode connected by cable to an oximeter; oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin molecules reflects whatever light waves emitted by the LED, in which the oximeter calculates pulse oxygen saturation coming from the reflected light from LED. Mechanics of pulse oximetry can be explained in a way like a probe that is placed over a pulsating arterial bed such as finger and earlobe; there will be two LED lights that transmit red and infrared light through the body tissue to a photo detector on the other side of the probe.

Pulse oximetry records the percentage of hemoglobin that has been fully saturated with oxygen; the light that has been transmitted is absorbed by tissues and reports the results at the other end of the probe; the light is an important aspect, as the oxygen present in hemoglobin will give a difference in light absorption and it must be tested in a number of pulses. Portability is one of the main features of pulse oximeter nowadays, just a decade ago they were just used in special areas like intensive care units and operating rooms; it really gained popularity and it is crucial for hospital operation that is why it is more available today.

When invasive and non-invasive ventilation is transpiring, observing of pulse oximetry must be highly regarded; there are also instances like patient’s recovery and when patients are in general anesthesia. General types of pulse oximeters that are in modern use are transmission pulse oximeters and reflectance pulse oximeters; transmission pulse oximeters are widely and commonly use, it entails a pair of light emitting diodes with a photo detector placed on opposite sides of the interposed tissues, normally a finger or earlobe; sometimes foot and nose bridge are occasionally used.

The not so popular pulse oximetry is reflectance Pulse Oximeter; it involves a method in which photo waves from LEDs are bounced off in an appropriate surface, the reflected light then passes through the tissue like the forehead to reach the photo detector adjoining to the LEDs.

There are studies showing that there are significant decreases in mortality rate related to hypoxemia since pulse oximetry became accepted and used as a monitoring standard; it also helps in preventing anesthetic related morbidity and mortality; history shows that the acceptance of pulse oximetry as one of the standards for basic intra-operative monitoring is of great benefit.

Learn The Pulse Oximeter’s Function And Why Is It Important

Over the years, a lot of devices have been developed that have made a major impact in our daily lives. One of these devices that were invented is the Pulse Oximeter. In the field of health care, the pulse oximeter is deemed to be one of the finest medical breakthrough. Pulse oximeter is a medical gadget that can subtly monitor the oxygen saturation on the patient’s blood and the changes in their blood volume on the skin. This medical apparatus is typically positioned on the patient’s earlobe or in their fingertip. This will be affix in the medical monitor and the patient’s oxygenation will be observed at all times by the medical staff.

The first ever pulse oximeter was designed by Milliken way back in the 1940’s. The new and improved pulse oximeter was remodeled at Nihon Kohden by Aoyagi in 1972. The oximeter utilizes red to infrared light assimilation on the measuring site. Biox presented the pulse oximeter to the public in 1981.

A pulse oximeter has a screen for blood oxygen which can display the calculation of the patient’s arterial hemoglobin. The normal range that is acceptable is from 95 – 100 percent. This medical device is not invasive and it is also convenient with a pair of miniature light-emitting diodes or commonly known as LEDs that is facing photodiodes through the patient’s translucent part of the body such as fingertips, or earlobes. A substantial difference can be seen in the absorption involving the oxygenated hemoglobin to the deoxygenated form. The computation of the oxy/deoxyhemoglobin ratio will depend on the absorption ratio of the infrared light and the red light. While the light cross the earlobes or fingertips, the monitor indicator will bounce next to the heartbeat because of the expansion of the arterial blood vessels along with the contraction with every heartbeat.

As long as the patient’s oxygenation is compromised, you can use the Pulse Oximeter anywhere you want to. You can use it in the operating room, intensive care unit, emergency room, hospital wards, recovery room, as well as in a non-pressurized plane. This medical device will come in handy to individuals that is going through cardiac and respiratory problems, for instance, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

However, the pulse oximeter also has its share of restrictions. It doesn’t have the capability to check the metabolism of oxygen and the amount of oxygen that the patient uses. This only means that it will be essential to determine the level of carbon dioxide in the body. You also have to remember that pulse oximeter is not a comprehensive measure of circulatory and respiratory sufficiency.