Pulse Oximeter and the evolution from the hospital to home monitoring
A Pulse oximeter is a medical and health device that has been used in the medical field for decades. The first pulse oximeter devices were used in the hospitals and the clinical settings. These were the large bulky devices that were quite expensive. They were truly the first devices that were able to measure the pulse rate and the blood oxygen saturation of an individual continuously. You simply had to put the index finger of a patient in a probe that was connected to a large oximeter machine. The device would instantly calculate the pulse rate and the blood oxygen saturation of the patient within seconds. The great thing about the device is that it would operate on a continuous basis and thus would allow the physician or clinician to be able to gauge the health of the patient and take any necessary actions if necessary. These devices were used for many years but they did have some major drawbacks. The main drawback is the fact that individual patients who were in the hospital at one point or another have to go home. While in the home they would still need to be monitored however there really was no way to take a pulse oximeter from the hospital home. These were very expensive devices that were primarily meant for the hospital setting. They were not able to be taken from room to room very easily as these are large bulky devices. However change was coming.
With the advent of new chip technology the pulse oximeter devices took a leap in technological advancement and affordability. The first thing that occurred with the advent of the new chip technology is that the device became significantly smaller than the previous generations. The device instead of being the size of a microwave was not smaller than the size of a cell phone. In fact the true size of a portable pulse oximeter is only a fraction of the smallest cell phone on the market. This portability allows individuals to monitor their health whether they are at home or elsewhere. So for those people for example with asthma, now they can monitor their asthma wherever they desire to go. Whether they want to go biking or skiing, they simply take along their pulse oximeter device and simply place their finger inside the device. Within seconds they get a reading of their blood oxygen saturation and thus can determine whether they require supplement oxygen. These devices also have proved to be very useful for those that live with COPD. COPD is also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. It is absolutely critical for these people to monitor their health wherever they go and especially their oxygen levels. Because of their health condition a pulse oximeter is necessary to gauage their oxygen levels to ensure that their body is getting enough oxygen and is operating at healthy levels. The second advantage of the new chip technology is the price. The new portable pulse oximeters are extremely affordable as opposed to their previous versions and can be bought just about by anyone.
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