Selecting The Appropriate Recording Pulse Oximeter

By Tracie Knight


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 gadgets depends on scientific principles commonly used. Oxygenated blood usually absorbs red light about 660nm while the deoxygenated blood absorbs infrared light at 940nm. The oximeters are thus designed with two LEDs at 660nm and 960nm and two sensors to gather the same. Once emitted, the LED lights go through tissues from where given amount is absorbed depends on oxygen levels in the blood. The rest is detected by sensors that process it into readable data. Some of the information made available from the device include pulse rate, oxygen absorption rate and the cardiovascular data.

Each device may slightly vary in its working and it is therefore advisable to consider several features when selecting the best device for the job. If possible, the brand and the prices should not be the main determinants but rather, it is better to look for a device that work best for your situation at the lowest price possible.

To start with, the model must be FDA approved. Given that pulse oximeter falls in the class II classification of medical gadgets, it must have FDA approval before it can be sold to the public. Presently, the greater part of them have FDA approval, but just for confirmation, it is advisable to run through the FDA medical Device Database, enter the model name or manufacturer name and get details regarding its approvals.

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.

The device should also be relatively easy to use. If possible, it should be used by all family members without having to struggle. In fact, the user manual alone should be enough to guide you through without having to involve an expert. It should also be of the size that comfortably work for the targeted end user, be it children or adults.

In addition the above mentioned features, there are several other features to look for in an oximeter. This includes its memory capacity, the possibility to connect with computers or phones for data processing. More so, the devices that have multi-person memory (store data for more than one person) are also considered superior.

The other issues include its battery life span, storage case, the logbook, its ease of storage, the general appearance and the software program in it. All these in addition to many other features can help select the best oximeter from the store.




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