Design of an automated oxygen flow control system for hypoxemic patients

Abstract

Abstract Hypoxemia is a condition for which there is a lack of sufficient oxygen in the blood. Which might range from minor issues like dizziness and shortness of breath to more severe problems like interfering with heart and brain functions. The amount of oxygen in a person’s blood indicates how efficiently the body transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells. The present research aims to design continuously monitor the blood oxygen level and to regulate the opening and closing of the oxygen flow meter valve using a servo motor. If the blood oxygen level is normal, the valve remains closed. If the blood oxygen level falls below the normal range, the valve is opened. The system employs a SpO2 sensor for monitoring the heart rate and oxygen saturation. The output of the sensor is sent to the microcontroller that comes up with an in-built analog to digital converter. Servo motor is utilized to control the flow meter valve to deliver the required oxygen to the patient during abnormal detection of blood oxygen saturation level. When the blood oxygen level falls below 94%, the oxygen valve is opened to allowing for oxygen flow. The blood oxygen level detected as normal that is 97% and hence the oxygen flow is at off state. The output is sent to an LCD unit, which keeps track of the SpO2 level. This microcontroller-based oxygen supply control device can prevent the adverse effects of hypoxemia. The present research reduces the time and a caretaker requirement to oxygenate the patient by providing controlled delivery system.