It has been three years since the outbreak of the epidemic, and the global research on the COVID-19 has become more and more in-depth. According to the research, the most common indicator of coronavirus patients is: low blood oxygen(Spo2） value. Before we start talking about smartwatch blood oxygen monitoring, let's know the basic knowledge of Spo2.
What is blood oxygen?
Blood oxygen refers to the level of oxygen in our blood. People breathe all the time. Oxygen enters our blood through the lungs and capillaries, and then the blood is mixed with oxygen to supply energy to our various organs.
Why blood oxygen is so important?
The blood oxygen value of normal healthy people is generally about 95% ~ 100%, and if it is lower than 90%, there may be a risk of hypoxia. If the oxygen content of blood is high, the body's metabolism will be good. If the oxygen content is low, it will lead to some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks. Therefore, understanding the oxygen carrying capacity of blood is helpful to one's overall health. Oxygen saturation has long been used as an important indicator of heart, lung and overall health. Especially during the recent covid-19 epidemic, blood oxygen saturation detection is also an important indicator to monitor the health of patients' lung function.
The dangers of hypoxia
Blood oxygen is the "oxygen supply bottle" in our body. Too low blood oxygen will affect our daily activities and even damage our bodily functions.
Insufficient physical energy. If the body is in a state of hypoxia, our organs will send a signal to rest to reduce oxygen consumption, so we will have a state of insufficient energy. Symptoms such as fatigue, slowed thinking, decreased concentration, and decreased resistance appear. When we yawn when we are tired, it is a process by which the body actively takes in more oxygen. If you often have symptoms of fatigue, also pay attention to whether it is caused by low blood oxygen saturation.
Damage the brain. The brain is our commander, and the nerves are sensitive and complex, so if there is a low oxygen situation, the brain will reflect it immediately. Sustained low blood oxygen saturation in brain cells can cause mental problems such as memory loss, personality changes, and even irreversible brain damage.
How to monitor Spo2?
There are two conventional ways to measure blood oxygen: blood oxygen measurement and fingertip photoelectric sensor measurement.
Blood oxygen measurement: The traditional blood oxygen saturation test method is to first collect blood from the human body, and then use a blood gas analyzer for electrochemical analysis to measure the blood oxygen partial pressure PO2 to calculate the blood oxygen concentration. This method requires a micro-invasive method. Blood draws, if serial measurements are required, are not feasible and are indeed terrifying for those who fear blood draws.
Finger tip photoelectric sensor for oxygen measurement: This is a non-invasive measurement of blood oxygen based on light wave sensing. The finger-sleeve photoelectric sensor is used. It only needs to set the sensor on the human finger and use the finger as a transparent container for hemoglobin to inject into the light source. The concentration of hemoglobin and oxygen saturation in blood can be calculated by measuring the light conduction intensity in the tissue bed. This method is commonly used in clinical practice, but it is inconvenient for ordinary people to carry a special oxygen meter if they need to continuously monitor their own blood oxygen on a daily basis.
Smart watch monitors Spo2
In recent years, smart health wearable products have been advancing rapidly in the market, and smart watches has developed into health care,which have gradually broken through the shackles of consumer electronics. Today, professional smart watch brands on the market such as Apple watch, Garmin and Veepoo RIG can realize the real-time blood oxygen monitoring function, which is smart and healthy when worn on the hand, and meets the daily testing and life requirements of the wearer.
