$200 pulse oximeter for monitoring your oxygen saturation [Archive]

COLIN LAMB

November 11th 04, 12:41 AM

Hello Stefan:

Since I do not live on top of a cliff, I need to launch my sailplane. One
of the methods I use is self-launch, in which case I have an engine in front
of me. It is only when the engine is on that I have any concern about
carbon monoxide. And, I might even have the heater on.

Not wishing to be unsportsmanlike, though, I have a policy of turning the
engine off during periods of sink. And, I make sure that I never smile when
the engine is on.

Colin N12HS

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Larry Goddard

November 11th 04, 03:19 AM

Ray, just a thought, but the warmth from your hand might keep it well
above that temperature... even though your fingers sometimes feel like
they are going to break off.

Ray Lovinggood wrote:

> I've not flown in wave, yet, but I would guess the
> cockpit could get rather cold. The spec sheet for
> this oximeter shows the operating range from 39 degrees
> F to 109 degrees F.
>
> Can cockpit temps drop lower than 39 F at oxygen altitudes?
>
> Ray Lovinggood
> Carrboro, North Carolina USA

Bill Daniels

November 11th 04, 04:05 AM

Pulse oxymeters need warm fingers with a good blood flow to get a reading.
Clip on units like this require that you remove a glove to use it - not a
good idea in a wave. I'd pass.

I use a unit that has a sensor on a cord. The sensor and cord can go under
a glove. The display unit attaches to my arm with a Velcro strap. How cold
can it get in a wave? I've seen -55F.

Bill Daniels

"Larry Goddard" > wrote in message
...
> Ray, just a thought, but the warmth from your hand might keep it well
> above that temperature... even though your fingers sometimes feel like
> they are going to break off.
>
> Ray Lovinggood wrote:
>
> > I've not flown in wave, yet, but I would guess the
> > cockpit could get rather cold. The spec sheet for
> > this oximeter shows the operating range from 39 degrees
> > F to 109 degrees F.
> >
> > Can cockpit temps drop lower than 39 F at oxygen altitudes?
> >
> > Ray Lovinggood
> > Carrboro, North Carolina USA
>

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 04:16 AM

Ray Lovinggood wrote:
> I've not flown in wave, yet, but I would guess the
> cockpit could get rather cold. The spec sheet for
> this oximeter shows the operating range from 39 degrees
> F to 109 degrees F.
>
> Can cockpit temps drop lower than 39 F at oxygen altitudes?

They can, and I've 10F or so inside when it's -20 outside. I'm sure it
will work at least 10 degrees below it's spec, or more, as is common for
electronic equipment. My Ipaq is rated to 32F, and it was working fine
in that 10F cockpit I mentioned, but you can't count on everything doing
that well. Thus the hope someone had experience with these.

Of course, most of my oxygen flying isn't in temperatures that cold, so
it would be useful the majority of the time.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 04:22 AM

Bill Daniels wrote:

> Pulse oxymeters need warm fingers with a good blood flow to get a reading.
> Clip on units like this require that you remove a glove to use it - not a
> good idea in a wave. I'd pass.

I don't mind doing that occasionally, as I already stick a fingertip out
of my mitten to change the radio or poke the Ipaq.
>
> I use a unit that has a sensor on a cord. The sensor and cord can go under
> a glove. The display unit attaches to my arm with a Velcro strap.

Which unit are you using, and which unit do you wish you had? I've seen
the Minolta Pulsox-3, which looks ideal except for costing 2.5 times as
much.

How cold
> can it get in a wave? I've seen -55F.

Not me. I like to stop around 0F, though I'll occasionally splurge and
go as high as -20F outside (it's warmer inside, of course). Even that
makes my feet cold and gets me worrying about the gel coat.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 04:34 AM

COLIN LAMB wrote:

> Question - will the reading of the pulse oximeter discriminate against
> carbon monoxide?
>
> In other words, does the use of a pulse oximeter reduce the need of a carbon
> monoxide detector? If carbon monoxide replaces oxygen, then the % of oxygen
> would decrease and the oximeter would drop substantially when carbon
> monoxide is present? Right?

I've never seen anything discussing the issue at all, so I'm guessing it
doesn't (not so much an issue for my ASH 26 E). Jim Skydell had an
article in Soaring about oximeters earlier, so you might check with him.
He's much more knowledgeable about them than I am.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Tim Traynor

November 11th 04, 04:38 AM

> The best thing when wave flying is to breath oxygen for a hour before the
> flight or going above 8000 ft thus saturating your body with oxygen.

Great flight Mal! I'd love to have a wave flight like that sometime.

However, your body only has a tenuous ability to "store" oxygen, and that is
when it is bound to hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Given that your
cardiac output is about 5 liters/min and your blood volume is about 10
liters you can, theoretically, "saturate" your oxygen stores in about 2
minutes. Furthermore, if you are breathing normally, don't have pulmonary
disease, and are not launching from a significant altitude, your blood is
already leaving your lungs very nearly oxygen saturated. What I am saying is
that it is not nescessary to go on oxygen an hour before a wave flight
because you can't store oxygen or "saturate your body" - do you think being
on 100% oxygen for an hour would allow you to hold your breath significantly
longer?.

As we all know, blood oxygenation levels can change very quickly with the
limiting factors for a healthy pilot being partial pressure of oxygen in the
lung (altitude) and type of breathing (normal full breath vs shallow
breathing vs hyperventilating). This is why a pulse-ox meter can be so
valuable, you may have a false sense of security if you are breathing 100%
O2 but your respiratory rate and depth is slow and shallow resulting in a
surprising hypoxia.

Just stuff to think about. My real pet peave is athletes rushing to the
sideline to get their O2 fix, the trainers or sports docs providing that
must have flunked physiology.

Tim

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 04:59 AM

Mal wrote:

> http://www.craggyaero.com/Oxygen.htm
>
> Looks smaller at flight level 240 it was minus 24 C and I had gloves on it
> was bloody cold I do not think I would take the gloves or glove off to see
> my saturation.
>
> The best thing when wave flying is to breath oxygen for a hour before the
> flight or going above 8000 ft thus saturating your body with oxygen.
>
> It worked for me http://www.mals.net/bunyan04/pages/Picture%20001.htm

My understanding is pre-breathing is mainly to reduce the nitrogen
levels in your blood, not increase the oxygen. It does help a lot of
pilots to turn on the oxygen early on the way up, to compensate for
reduced lung function due to age, smoking, and other factors. Some
pilots don't get full saturation just standing on the ground!

An oximeter will let you determine this, and perhaps alert you to
inadequate oxygen in flight, whether due to those factors already
mentioned, or equipment problems like a leak, kinked hose, bad
regulator, low pressure in the bottle, and so on.

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Bill Daniels

November 11th 04, 05:00 AM

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...

> Which unit are you using, and which unit do you wish you had? I've seen
> the Minolta Pulsox-3, which looks ideal except for costing 2.5 times as
> much.
>
I've been using the Palco Labs "Aero" for the last 5 years and I wouldn't
change.

Bill Daniels

John Giddy

November 11th 04, 05:19 AM

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 04:38:35 GMT, Tim Traynor wrote:

>> The best thing when wave flying is to breath oxygen for a hour before the
>> flight or going above 8000 ft thus saturating your body with oxygen.
>
> Great flight Mal! I'd love to have a wave flight like that sometime.
>
> However, your body only has a tenuous ability to "store" oxygen, and that is
> when it is bound to hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Given that your
> cardiac output is about 5 liters/min and your blood volume is about 10
> liters you can, theoretically, "saturate" your oxygen stores in about 2
> minutes. Furthermore, if you are breathing normally, don't have pulmonary
> disease, and are not launching from a significant altitude, your blood is
> already leaving your lungs very nearly oxygen saturated. What I am saying is
> that it is not nescessary to go on oxygen an hour before a wave flight
> because you can't store oxygen or "saturate your body" - do you think being
> on 100% oxygen for an hour would allow you to hold your breath significantly
> longer?.
>
> As we all know, blood oxygenation levels can change very quickly with the
> limiting factors for a healthy pilot being partial pressure of oxygen in the
> lung (altitude) and type of breathing (normal full breath vs shallow
> breathing vs hyperventilating). This is why a pulse-ox meter can be so
> valuable, you may have a false sense of security if you are breathing 100%
> O2 but your respiratory rate and depth is slow and shallow resulting in a
> surprising hypoxia.
>
> Just stuff to think about. My real pet peave is athletes rushing to the
> sideline to get their O2 fix, the trainers or sports docs providing that
> must have flunked physiology.
>
> Tim

Tim,
We were taught during an altitude chamber run with the RAAF (Ozzie
Airforce), that breathing 100% Ox for a while before going to a lower
pressure environment reduces the amount of dissolved nitrogen in your
blood, so makes it less likely you will suffer "the bends" at high
altitude.
No mention was made of "being able to store the oxygen for future
use", and I agree with you on this aspect of the discussion.
Maybe some people have heard about the 100% Ox breathing for a half
hour from people who have done a chamber run, but have not understood
the reason for the pre-exposure.
Cheers, John G.

Jim Skydell

November 11th 04, 05:20 AM

COLIN LAMB wrote:

> Question - will the reading of the pulse oximeter discriminate against
> carbon monoxide?

Great question Colin. The answer is NO. I had to look it up (from an article in the
medical literature by Neil B. Hampson):

"Presently available pulse oximeters overestimate arterial oxygenation in patients with
severe CO [carbon monoxide] poisoning. An elevated COHb [carbon monoxide bound to
hemoglobin] level falsely elevates the [level of oxygen in the blood] as measured [by]
pulse oximetry, (CHEST 1998; 114:1036-1041)"

What this means is that carbon monoxide, when attached to a hemoglobin molecule (which
carries oxygen within red blood cells) fools pulse oximeters into thinking there is more
oxygen in the blood than there really is. This is not surprising, since oximetry
basically does an analysis of blood color (the redder the blood, the more oxygen it
should be carrying). One way to guess that a patient has carbon monoxide poisoning is
that their skin and lips frequently look very red.

> In other words, does the use of a pulse oximeter reduce the need of a carbon
> monoxide detector? If carbon monoxide replaces oxygen, then the % of oxygen
> would decrease and the oximeter would drop substantially when carbon
> monoxide is present? Right?

Wrong. Although carbon monoxide does replace oxygen on the hemoglobin molecule, it fools
the oximeter in thinking there is more oxygen, when there really is less.

Regards,
Jim Skydell

Tim Traynor

November 11th 04, 05:48 AM

"John Giddy" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 04:38:35 GMT, Tim Traynor wrote:
>
>>> The best thing when wave flying is to breath oxygen for a hour before
>>> the
>>> flight or going above 8000 ft thus saturating your body with oxygen.
>>
>> Great flight Mal! I'd love to have a wave flight like that sometime.
>>
>> However, your body only has a tenuous ability to "store" oxygen, and that
>> is
>> when it is bound to hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Given that your
>> cardiac output is about 5 liters/min and your blood volume is about 10
>> liters you can, theoretically, "saturate" your oxygen stores in about 2
>> minutes. Furthermore, if you are breathing normally, don't have pulmonary
>> disease, and are not launching from a significant altitude, your blood is
>> already leaving your lungs very nearly oxygen saturated. What I am saying
>> is
>> that it is not nescessary to go on oxygen an hour before a wave flight
>> because you can't store oxygen or "saturate your body" - do you think
>> being
>> on 100% oxygen for an hour would allow you to hold your breath
>> significantly
>> longer?.
>>
>> As we all know, blood oxygenation levels can change very quickly with the
>> limiting factors for a healthy pilot being partial pressure of oxygen in
>> the
>> lung (altitude) and type of breathing (normal full breath vs shallow
>> breathing vs hyperventilating). This is why a pulse-ox meter can be so
>> valuable, you may have a false sense of security if you are breathing
>> 100%
>> O2 but your respiratory rate and depth is slow and shallow resulting in a
>> surprising hypoxia.
>>
>> Just stuff to think about. My real pet peave is athletes rushing to the
>> sideline to get their O2 fix, the trainers or sports docs providing that
>> must have flunked physiology.
>>
>> Tim
>
> Tim,
> We were taught during an altitude chamber run with the RAAF (Ozzie
> Airforce), that breathing 100% Ox for a while before going to a lower
> pressure environment reduces the amount of dissolved nitrogen in your
> blood, so makes it less likely you will suffer "the bends" at high
> altitude.
> No mention was made of "being able to store the oxygen for future
> use", and I agree with you on this aspect of the discussion.
> Maybe some people have heard about the 100% Ox breathing for a half
> hour from people who have done a chamber run, but have not understood
> the reason for the pre-exposure.
> Cheers, John G.

John and Eric are right about pre-breathing preventing decompression
sickness (precipitation of N2 in fluids and joints due to decreased
solubility at altitude) but it does not prevent hypoxia, this is an
important distinction and one I left out of my discussion. I have heard
pilots mention using pre-breathing as a method to prevent hypoxia and I have
worried that such a pilot may not be as diligent in hypoxia monitoring if
they feel pre-breathing will protect them. This is what I infered with Mal's
statement.

Tim

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 06:59 AM

tango4

November 11th 04, 07:39 AM

"COLIN LAMB" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> Question - will the reading of the pulse oximeter discriminate against
> carbon monoxide?
>
> In other words, does the use of a pulse oximeter reduce the need of a
> carbon
> monoxide detector? If carbon monoxide replaces oxygen, then the % of
> oxygen
> would decrease and the oximeter would drop substantially when carbon
> monoxide is present? Right?
>
> Colin N12HS
>
>
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> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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>
>

Pulse oximetry cannot distinguish between different forms of haemoglobin.
Carbo-xyhaemoglobin (haemoglobin combined with carbon monoxide) is
registered as 90% oxygenated haemoglobin and 10% desaturated haemoglobin -
therefore the oximeter will overestimate the saturation. The presence of
methaemoglobin will prevent the oximeter working accurately and the readings
will tend towards 85%, regardless of the true saturation.

So the answer to your question is - you still need a CO monitor if there's
an engine about.

Ian

tango4

November 11th 04, 07:58 AM

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...
> Bill Daniels wrote:
>
>> Pulse oxymeters need warm fingers with a good blood flow to get a
>> reading.
>> Clip on units like this require that you remove a glove to use it - not a
>> good idea in a wave. I'd pass.
>

I use a Nonin earlobe clip on a flylead connected to a panel mounted unit.
The sensor can be worn under a hat or balaclava so the sensor and my ears
stay warm. Less interference with controls and can 'fit and forget' for the
whole flight.

Ian

Stefan

November 11th 04, 12:14 PM

Tim Traynor wrote:

> John and Eric are right about pre-breathing preventing decompression
> sickness (precipitation of N2 in fluids and joints due to decreased
> solubility at altitude) but it does not prevent hypoxia,

Even worse: Pure oxygen is poisonous at atmospheric pressure and should
not be breathed over an extended time. You'll find more about this in
advanced scuba diving books.

Stefan

Stefan

November 11th 04, 12:16 PM

COLIN LAMB wrote:

> Since I do not live on top of a cliff, I need to launch my sailplane. One
> of the methods I use is self-launch, in which case I have an engine in front
> of me.

Nothing beats one of those small, cheap CO indicators which you can
stick on the panel, then.

Stefan

Tim Mara

November 11th 04, 03:48 PM

First off, let me say I think the Pulse oximiter can be a useful tool to
anyone who is flying at altitudes and using supplemental oxygen....I also
looked into these low cost Pulse Oximiters. What I am finding with more
checking is that some have popped up on the market that have been reported
as poor quality knock-offs, typically, made in China and may not be totally
accurate with their readings...Nonin, the company that produces the Finger
Pulse Oximiters that I do offer I have also been told has a lawsuit out on
one of these companies that is producing an exact knock-off in China and
even has the Nonin name on it....
just to note of caution..
tim
www.wingsandwheels.com

"Ray Lovinggood" > wrote in message
...
> I've not flown in wave, yet, but I would guess the
> cockpit could get rather cold. The spec sheet for
> this oximeter shows the operating range from 39 degrees
> F to 109 degrees F.
>
> Can cockpit temps drop lower than 39 F at oxygen altitudes?
>
> Ray Lovinggood
> Carrboro, North Carolina USA
>
>
>
>

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 06:44 PM

tango4 wrote:
> "Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Bill Daniels wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Pulse oxymeters need warm fingers with a good blood flow to get a
>>>reading.
>>>Clip on units like this require that you remove a glove to use it - not a
>>>good idea in a wave. I'd pass.
>>
>
> I use a Nonin earlobe clip on a flylead connected to a panel mounted unit.
> The sensor can be worn under a hat or balaclava so the sensor and my ears
> stay warm. Less interference with controls and can 'fit and forget' for the
> whole flight.

This sounds very interesting - what model is it? Does the clip ever
become uncomfortable during a 5 or 6 hour flight? I've had couple
warnings about this possibily from health workers that use them on patients.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 07:04 PM

Tim Mara wrote:

> First off, let me say I think the Pulse oximiter can be a useful tool to
> anyone who is flying at altitudes and using supplemental oxygen....I also
> looked into these low cost Pulse Oximiters. What I am finding with more
> checking is that some have popped up on the market that have been reported
> as poor quality knock-offs, typically, made in China and may not be totally
> accurate with their readings...Nonin, the company that produces the Finger
> Pulse Oximiters that I do offer I have also been told has a lawsuit out on
> one of these companies that is producing an exact knock-off in China and
> even has the Nonin name on it....
> just to note of caution..

The one I mentioned is approved by the FDA and requires a prescription
to purchase. Counterfeits are a concern for any brand, as Tim points
out, so I would suggest buying your oximeter (Nonin or whatever brand)
from a well-known dealer, and not on eBay!

As far as the prescription is concerned, most of us can easily get one
from a physician friend, I think, or they might even be willing to
purchase it for you, as they can sometimes get a discount. The Nonin
units like Tim sells are not approved for medical use, which is why it
doesn't require a prescription.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

tango4

November 11th 04, 07:55 PM

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...

> This sounds very interesting - what model is it? Does the clip ever become
> uncomfortable during a 5 or 6 hour flight? I've had couple warnings about
> this possibily from health workers that use them on patients.
>
>
> --
> Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> Eric Greenwell
> Washington State
> USA

I'm using a Nonin OEM system which talks to an 8 bit microprocessor. The
micro mixes the PulseOX and Pulserate data with the data from my
LX1600/Colibri combination into a new NMEA stream so that it is available to
my PDA. The PDA can then display O2 levels and raise an alarm if it gets
low. I can also log the data to a file.
I'm hoping to talk the Mobile SeeYou team into supporting the data stream
too. The clip does get a little uncomfortable occasionally but it's simple
to move it a little or even change ears!

A 2 line 8 character display also displays data. and LEDs indicate brakes
unlocked and wheel down.

This winter I'm adding flap position sense and display and an electronic
Flap drag meter to the instrument.

Ian

Raphael Warshaw

November 11th 04, 09:27 PM

Ian:

Neat! Do you have a picture of the OEM oximeter module installation and how
the probe cable is routed. I've been looking at the Nonin Bluetooth device
and a Bluetooth enabled PDA as a way of doing the same thing without the
cable. An added benefit would be that the module could be inside the
clothing, which solves the temperature issue.

Add a cheap digital pressure sensor and you could monitor your O2 supply as
well as the saturation.

Ray Warshaw
1LK

>
> I'm using a Nonin OEM system which talks to an 8 bit microprocessor. The
> micro mixes the PulseOX and Pulserate data with the data from my
> LX1600/Colibri combination into a new NMEA stream so that it is available
> to my PDA. The PDA can then display O2 levels and raise an alarm if it
> gets low. I can also log the data to a file.
>

Eric Greenwell

November 11th 04, 11:15 PM

Raphael Warshaw wrote:
>>I'm using a Nonin OEM system which talks to an 8 bit microprocessor.
>>The
>>micro mixes the PulseOX and Pulserate data with the data from my
>>LX1600/Colibri combination into a new NMEA stream so that it is
available
>>to my PDA. The PDA can then display O2 levels and raise an alarm if it
>>gets low. I can also log the data to a file.
>>
>
>
> Ian:
>
> Neat! Do you have a picture of the OEM oximeter module installation and how
> the probe cable is routed. I've been looking at the Nonin Bluetooth device
> and a Bluetooth enabled PDA as a way of doing the same thing without the
> cable. An added benefit would be that the module could be inside the
> clothing, which solves the temperature issue.
>
> Add a cheap digital pressure sensor and you could monitor your O2 supply as
> well as the saturation.

SPO Medical lists a Bluetooth oximeter to connect with a PDA on their
web site, but I'm unable to find a vendor or much information for it.

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USA

Tim Traynor

November 11th 04, 11:54 PM

>> John and Eric are right about pre-breathing preventing decompression
>> sickness (precipitation of N2 in fluids and joints due to decreased
>> solubility at altitude) but it does not prevent hypoxia,
>
> Even worse: Pure oxygen is poisonous at atmospheric pressure and should
> not be breathed over an extended time. You'll find more about this in
> advanced scuba diving books.
>
> Stefan

Yes, when I was in school there was a lab in my department that showed a
hyperoxic environment (100% O2 for 24 hrs) can induce severe airway
epithelial damage and used such a model to study how the epithelium responds
to injury.

Tim

Vaughn

November 12th 04, 12:58 AM

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...
> Tim Mara wrote:
> The Nonin
> units like Tim sells are not approved for medical use, which is why it
> doesn't require a prescription.

But it is apparently the same unit that they DO sell for medical use, the
only difference being the label and the intended use. I have seen the aviation
and medical versions of the Nonin instrument side-by-side and they look and
operate exactly the same.

We purchased our Nonin Flitestat (AKA Onyx) primarily for non-aviation use,
and find it to be an amazing device. I have only tried it in the cockpit once,
but was disappointed in the difficulty/impossibility of reading the LED display
in bright sunlight. Are you old enough to remember LED wris****ches? Same
deal. The same unit with an LCD display would be much better for soaring use.

Vaughn

Eric Greenwell

November 12th 04, 03:23 AM

Vaughn wrote:

> "Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Tim Mara wrote: The Nonin units like Tim sells are not approved for
>> medical use, which is why it doesn't require a prescription.
>
>
> But it is apparently the same unit that they DO sell for medical use,
> the only difference being the label and the intended use. I have
> seen the aviation and medical versions of the Nonin instrument
> side-by-side and they look and operate exactly the same.

I'm sure you are right. I mentioned it because the SPO model I referred
to doesn't appear to have an aviation or sports clone like the Nonins,
and I didn't want people to avoid it just for that reason.

>
> We purchased our Nonin Flitestat (AKA Onyx) primarily for
> non-aviation use, and find it to be an amazing device. I have only
> tried it in the cockpit once, but was disappointed in the
> difficulty/impossibility of reading the LED display in bright
> sunlight. Are you old enough to remember LED wris****ches? Same
> deal. The same unit with an LCD display would be much better for
> soaring use.

The SPO 5500's LCD readout and much longer battery life (1000 hours
versus 18 hours) are also reasons to prefer it. It's not just the low
price that attracted me.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell

November 12th 04, 05:38 AM

Bill Daniels wrote:
> "Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>>Which unit are you using, and which unit do you wish you had? I've seen
>>the Minolta Pulsox-3, which looks ideal except for costing 2.5 times as
>>much.
>>
>
> I've been using the Palco Labs "Aero" for the last 5 years and I wouldn't
> change.

Palco doesn't make oximeters any more, and the company that bought their
line (Mediaid) offers one called the "Aero-Oxy" (but it says Aero on the
front panel). Is this what you have?

http://www.marvgolden.com/health-safety/aero-oxy.htm
Mediaid Aero-Oxy High Performance Pulse Oximeter

The price is pretty good at $325, but a short 6 hour battery life.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Bill Daniels

November 12th 04, 03:03 PM

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...
> Bill Daniels wrote:
> > "Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >
> >>Which unit are you using, and which unit do you wish you had? I've seen
> >>the Minolta Pulsox-3, which looks ideal except for costing 2.5 times as
> >>much.
> >>
> >
> > I've been using the Palco Labs "Aero" for the last 5 years and I
wouldn't
> > change.
>
> Palco doesn't make oximeters any more, and the company that bought their
> line (Mediaid) offers one called the "Aero-Oxy" (but it says Aero on the
> front panel). Is this what you have?
>
> http://www.marvgolden.com/health-safety/aero-oxy.htm
> Mediaid Aero-Oxy High Performance Pulse Oximeter
>
> The price is pretty good at $325, but a short 6 hour battery life.
>
>
> --
> Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> Eric Greenwell
> Washington State
> USA

You are right. Palco sold off their oximeter business after I bought mine.
Mine looks just like the one you pointed out but it uses an AAA battery and
it lasts far longer than 6 hours. The Minolta looks like a great unit.
That's probably what I would buy now.

Bill Daniels