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A member asked:
How do o2 monitors work by just sticking it on your finger?
5 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Oximetry: The device you are referring to is called a pulse oximeter. It measures the oxygen percentage in your blood flow into the fingertip which is recorded as an oxygen saturation percentage. It helps physicians determine the degree of impairment in oxygen.
Answered 1/16/2015
3.5k views
Good question!: Blood changes color depending on how much O2 is carried. The oximeter directs beams of red and infrared light through your finger and onto a photodetector on the opposite side. The photodetector calculates the ratio of red to infrared light. This ratio is compared against a table, unique to each specific pulse oximeter, which gives the O2 sat level.
Answered 1/16/2015
3.5k views
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