Pulse oximeter is a device designed to measure the oxygen level of the blood. Typically, pulse oximeter clips onto the end of the finger, over the nail, and measures the hemoglobin saturation. The oximeter measures the difference in light absorption between the oxygenated hemoglobin molecule and the deoxygenated version. The pulse oximeter measures the saturation of the blood in relation to normal levels, considered to be from 95 to 100% saturation. There are a few things that you should look for when you are shopping for a pulse oximeter to measure your pulse and oxygen saturation.


Steps

1. Select the appropriate type of pulse oximeter that fits your needs. There are several different styles of pulse oximeters available. Large models are mostly used in hospitals, handheld pulse oximeters and portable fingertip pulse oximeters are perfect choice for all medical, home and sport/fitness applications.
2. Figure out how much money you have available to spend on your pulse oximeter. The price of pulse oximeters can range from less than a hundred dollars to a couple of thousand. Remember that a higher price doesn't equal higher quality. You need a device that will give you accurate, reliable oxygen saturation readings and pulse rates.
3. Find a pulse oximeter that is easy to use. If you will be operating the device yourself, you want to be able to use it. Of course, most of these devices do not take a rocket scientist to figure out, you will want the place that sells it to you to explain the way you use the machine so when you get it home, you will be able to get the most out of it, without getting aggravated.
4. Test the pulse oximeter against someone who can manually take your pulse and oxygen saturation measurements if you have this opportunity. This way you can compare readings, and be sure that you choose the device that is the most accurate.
5. Make sure that you can return the pulse oximeter for a full refund if you are not happy with the results. This way you can test it out to see how accurate it is, and know that you are not wasting money if it proves to be really inaccurate.

Tips

• If buying online, find out which web sites offer the best warranties, have the best reputation for providing affordable prices, quick shipping and excellent customer service.
• If you are buying a pulse oximeter for medical use, make sure it is FDA approved. Many of the oximeters that sell for less than $100 are not.
• Read the reviews that others who have tried and tested any particular pulse oximeter have written
• Read about Finapres and Finometer, hospital clinical and research unit - use Google to find and read NIH acceptance review, check DotMed.com, and even Ebay - there are legit sources there (by default because of their enormous reach) and significant savings available on certified, warranteed equipment from MRIs to sphygmomanometer cuffs.
• eBay does not allow the sale of medical-use oximeters on its site.