Manufacturers of pulse oximeters are currently many and each claims that their products are the best in the market. These claims make it very hard to select the right product for personal use. This becomes even harder if one has no idea about the features the device should have. This article contains useful information concerning the features to ensure are available in CMS pulse oximeters before buying.

First, there are many reasons why it is useful to use a pulse oximetry device. One of the reasons is the immediacy with which one can check their heart rate and blood oxygen concentration. This is important especially during exercise or to pilots because normal brain functioning may be affected by changes in altitude and air pressure in some people. Patients with sleep apnea should also wear the device when going to sleep to determine the efficiency of CPAP therapy.

The recording function should be the first feature to check for. This function is responsible for maintenance of a list of values recorded over a specific period of time. Variations in measurements can be determined over time. By observing the record, one can tell the time when apnea activities take place during the night. This is because, during apnea activities, heart rates increase and oxygen concentration in blood drops.

The accuracy of values displayed by the device is also of great importance. Normally a certain error level is allowed in most readings. Low-end devices have the highest error margins hence caution should be exercised when buying them. Whatever the case an error margin of two percent should not be exceeded. Accuracy can be determined by comparing values from the gadget and those measured through other means.

One must also check the information shown and the kind of display it is displayed on. Normal LED displays are the commonest in low-end products. No other information besides heart beat and oxygen concentration are displayed by cheap devices. High quality commodities have superior displays that display extra information like menus, perfusion index value, battery level indicator, pulse waveform, and pulse meter apart from the 2 main parameters.

The gadget chosen should allow the user to set threshold values for the two parameters. Devices with this capability also incorporate alarm systems for alerting the user when the values of the two parameters go below or above the threshold. This way, preventive measures can be taken to avoid serious conditions if the patient under medical care. Alarms also warn when battery levels fall below a certain percentage.

A reasonable warranty period should accompany the oximeter purchased. Warranties normally last at least two years for these products. One should seek other options if the warranty does not run for at least two years especially in the high-end models. This protects the buyer from the negligence of the manufacturer.

Oximeters that use rechargeable lithium ion batteries should not have been on the shelves for over a year at the time of purchase. This is because too much discharging in these kinds of batteries damages them. Choosing a product that can use both rechargeable and alkaline batteries is an added advantage.