Design of a finger base-type pulse oximeter

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Design
• Optical Sensing Technologies

Background:

• Fingertip pulse oximeters are standard for noninvasive arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring.
• Current fingertip devices present inconvenience for long-term monitoring, particularly during motion.
• Need for improved wearable SpO2 monitoring solutions is evident.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a wearable, wireless finger base-type pulse oximeter.
• To determine optimal optical configurations for accurate SpO2 measurement using simulation.
• To compare the performance of the novel finger base oximeter against commercial fingertip devices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized tissue optical simulation and the Monte Carlo method for design optimization.
• Investigated optimal placement of light sources and detectors on the finger base.
• Developed and experimentally validated a prototype wearable and wireless finger base pulse oximeter.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal light source placement (135°-165°) and detector placement (75°-90° or 90°-105°) for SpO2 measurement.
• The implemented finger base-type pulse oximeter demonstrated precise SpO2 measurement capabilities.
• Experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed optimal design.

Conclusions:

• The developed wearable and wireless finger base-type pulse oximeter provides a viable alternative to traditional fingertip devices.
• Optimal optical component placement is crucial for achieving accurate SpO2 readings in a finger base configuration.
• This novel design enhances the convenience and precision of long-term SpO2 monitoring, especially under motion conditions.