Finger blood content, light transmission, and pulse oximetry errors.

Craft, T M; Lawson, R A; Young, J D · Anaesthesia · 1992

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Abstract

The changes in light emitting diode current necessary to maintain a constant level of light incident upon a photodetector were measured in 20 volunteers at the two wavelengths employed by pulse oximeters. Three states of finger blood content were assessed; exsanguinated, hyperaemic, and normal. The changes in light emitting diode current with changes in finger blood content were small and are not thought to represent a significant source of error in saturation as measured by pulse oximetry.

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