Quite possibly one of the most important and prolific medical devices of our time is the modern pulse oximeter. This device has its applications that range from the hospital, clinic to the home settings as well as the military. How is it that such a small device has become such an important aspect of the health community? Well the answer to this question lies in exactly what this device does. It is a very useful device in that it accurately measures pulse rate, oxygen levels, as well as pulse strength. The way it does this is quite fascinating. It utilizes a an infrared light that actually passes through the individuals skin and measures the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood stream The light that passes through in no way harms the individual as it can be felt, but it plays a vital role in the actual measurement process. The pulse
oximeter device has gone through a remarkable transformation and evolution since its beginnings. The device was first utilized in the health care industry in the hospital and clinic setting. It was very large and had to typically stay in one particular room without the ability to easily move it from one room to another. This in essence was one of the major drawbacks of the mechanism as individuals really wanted that portability and the ability to move seamlessly from one room to another. The reason that the pulse oximeter lacked this was actually due to the lack of innovatio in chip technology which came many years later. After years of research and innovation finally a new generatio of chips were invented that actually allowed not only the oximeter to become smaller but also so that it became significantly less expensive. This opened the doors to typical home consumers that otherwise would not be able to afford the device to purchase them for themselves.
