# Blood oxygen content detector?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-oxygen-content-detector/306985>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 5, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-oxygen-content-detector/306985 "2005-06-05T07:08:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-oxygen-content-detector/306985/1 "2005-06-05T07:08:07Z")

</div>

Man, if you ever want to cut in line at the ER, just say “_chest pains_.” I did that Thursday afternoon, and in about three minutes the ER crew had stripped off my shirt and had me on a gurney with about a dozen electrodes planted on my torso, oxygen in place, an IV insert, a shot of morphine and various other control measures instituted. Nitro tabs under the tongue - Yum, yum.

One of the many instruments they used was a device that they clipped on my index finger. When asked, the nurses told me that it measured the oxygen content of my blood. It appeared to use UV light.

How does this device work?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-oxygen-content-detector/306985/2 "2005-06-05T07:10:58Z")

</div>

[Pulse oximetry.](http://www.oximeter.org/pulseox/principles.htm)