TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION REPORT - OBTAINING PULSE OXIMETER SIGNALS WHEN THE USUAL PROBE CANNOT BE USED

We studied the function of four different monitoring probes used with the Satlite(TM) pulse oximeter (Datex, Helsinki). The aim was to evalu ate ease of use and compare the function of the probes and their attac hment methods in different locations (finger, toe, ear, thumb web, ins tep, wrist, and ankle). Two similar pulse wave oximeters were used in the study. To select the best signal we determined the absolute height of the plethysmographic waveform for each probe. Probes were compared on awake normal adult volunteers (N=13), in anesthetized adult patien ts (N=12), and in neonates weighting 500-1000 g (N=8). In all the adul t trials, the clip-on finger probe was used as a reference, and probes taped or clipped onto the finger provided adequate signals in compari son. Taped-on probes gave also satisfactory results on the toe. It was difficult to get a quality signal from the ear or from the thumb web, however. In the neonates, taped-on probes were most satisfactory.