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Oximeter - So it actually does work?

J

Jimmy Higgins

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I spent a good deal in hospitals over the past few years, never for myself... too cheap ;).. And the one thing that always struck me as silly was the Oximeter, that thing they put on your finger to measure your pulse and your blood saturation. Yeah right... whatever... it probably just reports a random number between 95 and 100 for that. So anyway, a Youtube Channel that I watch vids on actually just did a video on the Oximeter and it is pretty cool how this piece of tech was created with little actual technology and works with pretty decent accuracy.

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pZZ5AEEmek[/YOUTUBE]

Just felt I had to share in case anyone else thought it was a "fake" bogus number like me. ;)
 
When my wife was in the hospital last year, I compared the cheap app that you can download on your smartphone to the readings of the oximeter, and they were usually +/- 1%, so it's apparently pretty simple technology to use and calibrate with nothing more than the bright light that is your phone's camera flash.
 
We can measure the amount of iron in a star that's waaaaaay over there, you're nonplussed at oxy-sat without a needle...
 
Keith&Co. said:
We can measure the amount of iron in a star that's waaaaaay over there, you're nonplussed at oxy-sat without a needle...
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Astronomers lie all the time! Like any of their claims can ever be shown wrong. Why do you think Tyson's catchphrase is "You''ve been there muthafucker?!"
 
No rocket science involved, although I'm surprised a smart phone can do it.
 
If a finger site is obstructed, it'll also work on a toe, and I've used the stick-on kind on earlobes and even stuck to the forehead.

And if you think that's weird, we can also get a continuous temperature readout from a fluff-ball stuck in your ear or a temperature sensing urinary catheter.
 
I suspect JH was kidding.

Oximeters are easy enough to test yourself, anyway. Put one on, hold your breath, watch the numbers drop. Hyperventilate and watch them pop up to 100%
 
Yes, they obviously work. It wouldn't be until later on when I would see it respond with a number below 95, and I'd be truly impressed. I never thought they were actually fake, but more that they worked via a lazy correlation. Again... how is this tiny little thing making with measuring something in the blood, from the outside. But then saw the lower number for the first time.

I still had no idea how it worked and was too lazy to look it up. I literally needed a video to fall from the sky onto my lap to learn about it. I still think the tool is pretty darn impressive.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
Shadowy Man said:
Why did you think it was fake?
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How in the heck can it measure the oxygen in your blood stream by putting on the tip of your finger. That is crazy talk.
Click to expand...

I can measure the oxygen in your car's exhaust with a rock and a wire. There are crazier things in this world than are dreampt of in your philosophies, Horatio.
 
blood color changes depending on oxygen level
You can easily distinguish between blood from artery and blood from vein.
 
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