H Istory O Xm Case Study

H istory O f Pulse O xim etry
Reno Reddick

W hat is a Pulse O xim etry?
▪ Non-invasive method for monitoring a patient 's O2 saturation ▪ Also measures the patient 's heart rate
▪ instant results, rather than drawing blood from a patient and examining it in a lab.

H ow is it used?
▪ a sensor is placed on a thin part of the patient 's body
– Fingertip
– Earlobe
 Light of two wavelengths is passed through the patient to a photo detector
 changing absorbance at each of the wavelengths is measured, allowing determination of the absorbance 's due to the pulsing arterial blood alone

W ho m ade it?
▪ Made in 1935
▪ Karl Matthes (German physician 1905–1962)
▪ the first 2-wavelength ear O2 saturation meter with red and green filters

W ho w