Blood oxygenation measurement by smartphone

We need oxygen for life. Oxygen enters the lungs and then is passed into the bloodstream. The blood carries the oxygen to the various organs in our body by means of hemoglobin (Hb) molecules. An important evaluation index is arterial blood oxygenation (SO
₂
%), defined as the percentage ratio of the concentration of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin to the total amount of hemoglobin. Normal values of blood oxygenation are in the range 95-100%. Values in the range 80-95% indicate that the patient is in hypoxemia and needs special care. Values below 80% indicate that a patient is in a life threatening condition. The blood oxygenation values are usually obtained by gas chromatography or use of a pulse oximeter. Both of these techniques have negative characteristics for the patient. This paper presents a comparative analysis of a proposed smartphone application for home use and self-monitoring as a valid alternative to the pulse oximeter and gas chromatograph and provides an emphasis on the accuracy of the experimental results.