title: Wearable Pulse Oximetry Measurements on the Torso, Arms, and Legs: A Proof of Concept.
abstract: For decades pulse oximeters designed for use on the head, hands, or feet have provided invaluable estimates of oxygen saturation to medical personal attending to combat casualties. However, traditional placement sites are not ideal for the relatively new paradigm of continuous battlefield telemonitoring. To assess the feasibility of oximetry on nontraditional body sites, 42 healthy volunteers were enrolled, consented, and underwent an industry standard induced-hypoxia study. During the study volunteers used prototype wearable oximeters, designed for the torso, arms, and legs. Subsets (size n) of the volunteers had the wearables placed at the following body sites, and achieved accuracies (ARMS, root-mean-square difference) of the following: calf 1.7% (n = 26); bicep 3.1% (n = 12); forearm 3.4% (n = 11); pectoral 2.9% (n = 42); sternum 2.9% (n = 13). In keeping with regulatory guidance calibrations with an ARMSof less than 3.5% are acceptable for potential future development. Additionally, a new method was developed to enable accurate reporting of respiration rate from the pectoral oximeter, ARMSof 1.1 breaths per minute (n = 10). This study demonstrates the feasibility of monitoring oxygen saturation and respiration rate from nontraditional sites via a wearable pulse oximeter.
authors.affiliation: Nonin Medical, Inc., 13700 1st Avenue North, Plymouth MN 55441-5443.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Nonin Medical, Inc., 13700 1st Avenue North, Plymouth MN 55441-5443.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lobbestael
authors.affiliation: Nonin Medical, Inc., 13700 1st Avenue North, Plymouth MN 55441-5443.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barten
authors.affiliation: Nonin Medical, Inc., 13700 1st Avenue North, Plymouth MN 55441-5443.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eian
authors.affiliation: Nonin Medical, Inc., 13700 1st Avenue North, Plymouth MN 55441-5443.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rausch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D060726:Torso / Q000098:blood supply; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices / Q000592:standards*