Pulse Oximetry

Pulse Oximeters have become ubiquitous in virtually all clinical environments.  They are an essential tool used by healthcare professionals to assess a patient’s blood oxygen saturation in a non-invasive and inexpensive manner.  The physics behind pulse oximetry can be demonstrated in some visual and creative manners.  During the following short videos, students hear about how spectroscopy and Beer’s Law are applied in pulse oximetry to provide healthcare professionals with crucial information about their patients.  Homework and lab activities focus on the following topics:

In this YouTube video series, Dr. Bronson details the basics of pulse oximetry, its advantages, and its limitations.  He explains how despite its simplicity, it provides medical professionals with a lot of information about a patient’s health.  He also discusses methods that are used when more precise and detailed information about oxygen content and blood volume are desired.