Using Pulse Oximetry Measurements for Disease Monitoring

Abstract

Chronic diseases are diagnosed using medical devices, which are essential for good and quick detection. Generally, those devices are expensive. This chapter offers a global vision of both respiratory diseases, cardiac diseases, and other types of diseases in which the heart and respiratory system are involved. It also discusses the pulse oximeter and its functions, as well as the plethysmographic curve and the information provided by the dicrotic fissure, the ascending and descending branches of the graph. Characterizing the curve both quantitatively and qualitatively, they can obtain the oxygen saturation values, vasodilation values, vasoconstriction, anemia, and so on. This device gained relevance in 2020 due to SARS-CoV2 pandemic. It is used as a first screening when the patient arrives at the hospital. Finally, the authors show a low-cost pulse oximeter proposal based on different sensors. Thanks to the development of low-cost devices, more people can be monitored without the need to go to medical consultations, thus reducing the collapse in hospitals and avoiding unnecessary patient travel.