The Pulse Oximeter: A Life Saving Device at the Tip of Your Finger
- Blessing Amatemeso
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
In every delivery room, there’s a sound everyone eagerly waits to hear as the baby emerges: a cry.
That sound, the signal that all is well and we have a living, breathing child with functional lungs capable of drawing in Oxygen. If this doesn’t happen soon, the baby begins to turn blue and there’s scampering to resuscitate.
But turning blue doesn’t happen only in babies. Long before the term cyanosis was coined, in the biting cold of winter centuries ago, it was noticed that people who had collapsed turned faint with bluish discoloration especially around the lips, finger and toes – a visible clue that the body was starved of oxygen.
Today, cyanosis is one of the most important clinical signs in emergency and respiratory medicine.
However, we cannot rely on it alone because it is a late sign and might not be obvious in dark skinned people. Which is why every facility needs functional pulse oximeters
How It All Began
The quest to understand how much oxygen circulates in the human body began in the early 20th century. In the 1930s, researchers developed invasive techniques to measure arterial blood gases using direct blood sampling and complex laboratory equipment. This method—known as arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis—provided accurate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels but required needles, lab processing, and time, making it impractical for routine or emergency use. However ABG is still used today in critically ill people
Fast forward to the 1970s: Dr. Takuo Aoyagi, a Japanese bioengineer, revolutionized non-invasive monitoring by inventing the first pulse oximeter based on light absorption principles. The device used two wavelengths of light (red and infrared) to estimate the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood by passing light through the fingertip or earlobe. By the 1980s, pulse oximeters became widely used in operating rooms and intensive care units—and today, compact versions are available for home use.
How It Works
A pulse oximeter clips onto a fingertip and uses light sensors to detect oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and pulse rate. A normal SpO₂ reading typically ranges from 95% to 100%, indicating efficient oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues.
The pulse oximeter has become an essential tool in both clinical and home settings, especially with the rise of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It offers:
Early detection of hypoxia (low blood oxygen), even before visible symptoms like shortness of breath occur
Monitoring during surgeries, anesthesia, or in emergency care.
Tracking oxygen levels in chronic conditions such as asthma, sleep apnea, and heart failure
Reassurance for at-risk individuals at home, including the elderly or those recovering from respiratory infections
What once required invasive tests in hospital labs can now be done in seconds at home, thanks to the pulse oximeter. This small, affordable device empowers individuals to keep a closer eye on their respiratory health—and can literally be the difference between early intervention and a medical emergency. In today’s world, owning a pulse oximeter isn’t just smart—it’s essential.
It sure would make a wonderful gift for the class of 2025 of nursing school, don’t you think?
At Eustar & Gold, we supply advanced medical equipment and high-quality diagnostic imaging equipment tailored to healthcare facilities across Nigeria and beyond.
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