Novel wearable and wireless ring-type pulse oximeter with multi-detectors

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Sensing
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Pulse oximetry is crucial for monitoring arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2).
• Current fingertip pulse oximeters face limitations in long-term and motion-prone monitoring.
• Wearable pulse oximeters, like finger base-type devices, are needed to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of a ring-type pulse oximeter using optical human tissue simulation.
• To determine the optimal design for a ring-type pulse oximeter for efficient SpO2 measurement.
• To compare the efficiency of single-detector versus multi-detector ring-type pulse oximeters.

Main Methods:

• Optical human tissue simulation was employed to analyze light source and detector placement effects.
• Ring-type pulse oximeter designs with single and multiple detectors were simulated and evaluated.
• A wearable, wireless ring-type pulse oximeter prototype was developed and tested.

Main Results:

• The study identified optimal configurations for ring-type pulse oximeters for SpO2 measurement.
• Multi-detector designs showed potential for improved efficiency in SpO2 monitoring.
• The implemented wearable prototype validated simulation findings and performed comparably to commercial fingertip devices.

Conclusions:

• A ring-type pulse oximeter is a practical wearable alternative for SpO2 monitoring.
• Optimized optical design and multi-detector configurations enhance measurement efficiency.
• Wearable ring-type pulse oximeters offer a viable solution for continuous and motion-resistant SpO2 tracking.