Against the backdrop of increasing global health awareness, a portable medical device—pulse oximeter—has rapidly emerged as a new favorite in the field of home healthcare. With its high accuracy, ease of operation, and affordable price, the pulse oximeter has become an essential tool for monitoring individual health status.
A pulse oximeter, short for pulse oximetry saturation monitor, is primarily used to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood. This parameter is crucial for assessing individual cardiovascular function. Especially in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring oxygen saturation plays a pivotal role in early detection of hypoxemia caused by COVID-19 viral infection.
The working principle of a pulse oximeter is based on photoplethysmography technology, which emits light of different wavelengths through the user’s fingertip, measures the changes in light intensity passing through blood and non-blood tissues, and calculates the oxygen saturation. Most pulse oximeters can also simultaneously display the pulse rate, while some high-end models can even monitor conditions such as arrhythmia.
With technological advancements, modern pulse oximeters are not only smaller in size and more accurate but also come with the added functionality of connecting to smartphone apps, enabling long-term recording of users’ oxygen saturation and pulse rate variations for easy health management and analysis by users and healthcare professionals.
Experts remind that while pulse oximeters are extremely useful health monitoring tools, they cannot replace professional medical diagnosis. If users find that their oxygen saturation remains consistently below the normal range (typically 95% to 100%), they should seek medical attention promptly to rule out potential health issues.
In the current era of increasingly popular health devices, the emergence of pulse oximeters undoubtedly provides a convenient, quick, and effective means of health monitoring for the general public.
Post time: Mar-18-2024
