Fingertip Pulse Oximeters: the favourite, all-in-one unit for Home Use

As pulse oximetry technology has become smaller, cheaper and easier to use, so many manufacturers have developed models aimed at the Home Healthcare market.

The majority of patients wanting their own personal pulse oximeter prefer the self-contained fingertip oximeter to the larger handheld or tabletop units. This isn’t just a financial preference, although certainly the finger oximeters are generally lower priced than a handheld oximeter with comparable features. No, one of the most popular benefits is the sheer convenience they provide. They’re not bulky, heavy or cumbersome and have no complicated controls.

You simply
1. Place a finger inside the oximeter (which has either a soft, flexible rubber sleeved opening or gently sprung hinged opening)
2. Switch it on (assuming it hasn’t automatically switched on)
3. Wait for the readings on the screen to appear.

The first fingertip oximeters were originally designed for intensive, professional use by hospital departments, emergency medics, military doctors and mountain rescue teams. As the technology has become cheaper, these rugged, dependable units have become more affordable and thus a popular choice for home use applications.

Since 2005, several new, low-cost fingertip oximeter units have been launched specifically to address the growing demand for home healthcare oximetry monitoring as well as non-medical applications, such as pilots and mountaineers wanting to check for hypoxia (altitude sickness).