pulse oximetry
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Finger pulse oximeter
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A method of monitoring the heart rate
and the level of oxygen in the bloodstream.
Pulse oximetry is used mostly in hospitals but is gradually finding its
way into home use and becoming popular with family doctors. It uses optical
sensors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting light at different wavelengths
through a finger tip where the transmitted light is detected using an optical
sensor. Based on the principle of oxygenated hemoglobin
having a higher absorption coefficient for infrared
light than deoxygenated hemoglobin while deoxygenated hemoglobin absorbs
more red light, by taking the ratio of absorbed red light to infrared light,
the oxygen saturation level can be obtained.
Related
categories
• HEART
TOPICS
• HEALTH
AND DISEASE
• MEDICAL
TESTS
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