How to measure oxygen saturation in the blood?

Measurement of oxygen saturation is particularly important for patients with health conditions that can reduce the level of oxygen in the blood. These conditions include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, anemia, heart failure, heart attack, and other cardiopulmonary disorders.

   
The most common method of measuring oxygen saturation is pulse oximetry. It is an easy, painless, non-invasive method wherein a probe is placed on the fingertip or earlobe to measure the oxygen saturation indirectly.

The probe uses 2 light sources, red light, and infrared light, which are absorbed by the blood. Higher absorption of infrared light indicates good oxygen saturation, whereas a higher absorption of red light indicates poor saturation. Readings obtained from a pulse oximeter are expressed in percentage.

A blood gas test is another approach to accurately measure the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. For the test, the blood can be collected from the wrist (arterial blood gas test) or earlobe (capillary blood gas test). This test is mainly used to determine if the lungs are fully functional to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide effectively.

For the test, a small amount of blood is taken from the patient and analyzed in a portable blood gas analyzer, which provides information on oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels in the blood. A patient with COPD will have reduced oxygen and pH levels and increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood.

Shenzhen Best Electronics Co.,Ltd is a professional manufacturer of spo2 sensor more than 13 years with CE and ISO 13485 Certificates.