Pulse Oximeters

Pulse oximeters are a piece of medical equipment that is used to monitor the levels of oxygen saturation in the patient's bloodstream. Originally designed in the 1940's, the portable finger pulse oximeter has been widely adopted in the USA since the 1980's, allowing patients to monitor their blood oxygen levels and blood volume at home.

How Do Pulse Oximeters Work?

The great thing about pulse oximeters is that they are a non-invasive way of monitoring and displaying the percentage of arterial hemoglobin in a patients body. The typical pulse oximeter will have a pair of light emitting diodes which will face a photodiode.

The light is passed through a translucent part of the body, generally the air or fingertip. The two diodes are red and infrared, and the absorption of the wavelengths can be used to calculate the oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin levels. For more information on the functionality of these devices, see our resource list at the bottom of this page.

Hand held pulse oximeters can be used in a wide range of medical scenarios where blood oxygenation is not stable. They are typically used in intensive care departments and hospital wards, determining the need for oxygen therapy in emergency situations, and also to detect abnormalities in ventilation. In maternity wards, pediatric pulse oximeters are used to monitor the oxygen levels of new born and premature babies. It is in this area that pulse oximeters have been very useful to sleep apnea sufferers who require cpap therapy with a cpap breathing machine.

One of the obvious effects of sleep apnea is the low levels of oxygen in the blood that are caused my the constant apnea episodes, where the sleeper ceases breathing for prolonged periods of time. This can cause all sorts of physiological problems. When using cpap therapy, the blood oxygenation should remain stable all night long, never dropping below the safe 90% limit. The fingertip pulse oximeter allows you to quickly and effectively monitor your levels of oxygen saturation.

Some of the advanced pulse oximeters allow you to record your readings for a whole night whilst you sleep. This is a fantastic way to get an evaluation of your cpap treatment, and to allow you to customize your cpap therapy with your doctor. If you don't use cpap at the moment, but suffer from sleep apnea, this handy device will allow you to monitor your general health and wellbeing.

Where To Buy Fingertip Pulse Oximeters

Many of the cpap stores online, or even your local pharmacy may be able to offer you a good range of portable pulse oximeters for home use. We have found some of the best buys on a massive range of pulse oximeters and pulse oximeter reviews at the Amazon online store. They are offering huge savings, with the CMS50DL Fingertip Pulse Oximeter currently selling for a mere $22.26

This portable fingertip pulse oximeter is an amazing product for such a low price. It features include

More than 30 hours of monitoring with a pair of AAA battery, and a powerful LED display
Integrated spO2 probe and processing display module
Low battery indicator, automatic power off after five secs
Low power consumption
Resists interference from ambient light

Pulse oximetry is a great medical development, allowing both medica lstaff and home users to gain reliable information about their health and the health of their patients. Whether you have a medical condition or just want to monitor your wellbeing, hed online and check out these amazing pulse oximeters.

Pulse Oximeters - An Overview

Where To Buy Fingertip Pulse Oximeters