The pandemic has taught us a lot about our body and especially our respiratory system. So it has become really important to have the correct medical equipment for ourselves. It can help you to improve your condition.
Medical systems, such as ventilators and patient monitoring devices, necessitate efficient oxygen measurement equipment. Medical oxygen sensors are used in ventilators, anesthetic machines, incubators, oxygen analyzers, and oxygen monitors, among other medical devices.
The global market of medical sensors is expected to reach 1.7 Billion USD by the year 2025, at a 6.8% CAGR from 2020 to 2025. This blog will give you information about the three most frequently used medical sensors. In the medicine world, these oxygen sensors are very useful. Let’s see how they work.
3 Types of Medical Oxygen Sensors Widely Used
- Optical oxygen sensors
- Electro galvanic sensors
- Infrared oxygen sensors
Optical Oxygen Sensors
Optical oxygen sensors, sometimes known as “optochemical sensors,” work based on the concept of fluorescence quenching by oxygen. A light detector, a luminescent light-reactive substance, and, of course, a light source are all required for their functionality.
For years, scientists have researched the principle of oxygen’s fluorescence quenching. When exposed to light, some molecules or compounds will emit light energy (fluoresce). If oxygen molecules are detected, however, the light energy is quenched (or transferred to) those oxygen molecules, resulting in a decrease in fluorescence.
When utilizing a known light source, the amount of light energy detected decreases as the number of oxygen molecules present rises. The quantity of oxygen molecules is inversely proportional to the quantity of detected fluorescence according to this concept.
Electro Galvanic Sensors
An electro galvanic sensor is essentially a lead-oxidation-based fuel cell that produces an electrical output proportional to the sensor’s oxygen level. It continues to consume itself over months when it is exposed to additional oxygen, which is a characteristic shared by electro galvanic and electrochemical sensors.
These medical oxygen sensors are relatively reliable gadgets that can measure oxygen levels from 0 to 100%. They’re widely used for medical applications as per https://www.sensoronics.com/pages/what-is-a-medical-oxygen-sensor, and their application in hospital ventilators is high due to their inexpensive cost and excellent utility. Furthermore, they deliver exact readings—to the tenth of a percent of oxygen.
One disadvantage of electro galvanic oxygen sensors is their limited lifespan—they typically only last a few months before the accuracy of their measurements begin to deteriorate.
Fortunately, there is great variety in the field of oxygen sensors. You can see some general details about them on Infrared Oxygen Sensor Infrared pulse oximeters, also known as finger pulse oximeters or fingertip oximeters, are light-based oxygen sensors that measure the quantity of oxygen in the blood. They are most commonly used in the medical world, where they are used in low-cost earlobe or fingertip devices that measure oxygen saturation in the body.
Both red and infrared light is pulsed through a person’s skin and measured by a photodiode. Because the wavelengths of the two light sources differ, the quantity of hemoglobin in an individual’s arteries is proportional to the ratio of light absorption.
Infrared oxygen sensors have several advantages, including being cost-effective, noninvasive, very portable, and rapid to monitor blood oxygen levels. However, due to their low accuracy rate, some of the low-cost versions are not approved.
