Yet Another CMS50E story.

I had originally purchased an OxiPro Oximeter from OxiMD Vital Sign Solutions, because it seemed to offer the features I was looking for such as the ability to download a nights worth of data. Long story short, it was a nice unit but didn't do what they said it would. It took a few calls but I was issued a replacement Oxipulse Elite. Again, another nice unit but it did not include software for downloading data. There was a minor reference in the manual to use Medview software to view the captured data. I have seen prices as low as $58.00 to several hundred dollars for this software. I decided this was not the unit for me and got a refund. All of this happened before I had found this forum. Incidentally, the OxiPro does not appear to be part of their current offerings.

Recently I ordered a CMS50E “Contec Full-Colour OLED USB Finger Pulse Oximeter & Heart Rate Monitor “ from ProChoice Medical through Amazon. I figured if it was a lemon Amazon would take care of it. With free shipping the total was $84.99. I ordered 2/21/12 and received 2/24/12, shipped from TX to MA. I was happy. I was going to provide a link but it no longer appears to be available on Amazon. I guess I got lucky!

I charged the batteries and stumbled through setting up the unit for my first overnight session, turning off alarms and HR beeps and enabling the recording mode. When I woke Saturday it was still on my finger and active.

This is where the “fun” starts. As many who have tried this unit can attest it can be a hit or miss proposition. The included CD installed nicely on WIN7_64. But when the supplied cable was plugged into the unit there was no joy. Two hours later, after trying various drivers and applications found on http://www.pulseoxstore.com/ and having read a half dozen related threads on this site a realization hit me. Some of these units have the CP210x built-in the unit but others require a “special” cable with the CP210x in the cable. It you are using the the “special” cable and the unit has one built-in you are fubar'd! Substituting a standard USB cable for the “special” cable I was able to get info from the unit. Hazah!!!

So with WIN7_64 SP1 Home Premium, CMS50E Ver. 6.5, using Silicon Laboratories driver dated 9/28/2011, version 6.5.0.0 my unit works. A little more futzing with drivers and applications left me with SPO2 Review V1.2 rel and SPO2 Manager V1.2 rel as working applications. I never could get SPO2 Assistant, the application included on the CD, to work. Yesterday I was able to load data in to SleepyHead. This morning when I tried WinDoze decided I had plugged in a second mouse and was totally misinterpreting signals from the oximeter. The other two applications that were working yesterday still do so I am still happy.

Just for giggles I tried installing the software on the included CD on my XP box. Di'n't work there either.

Yet more useful info: AHI alone is not enough! I have long been suspicious of abnormal waveforms that the CPAP machine did not recognize as “events”. While attempting to correlate data from last night I realized that subtle changes in depth and frequency of breathing, coupled a slowed heart rate while dreaming; I desaturated to 88% a few times while the CPAP machine reported Normal Breathing. If you have good AHI and are still tired or have headaches there can be more relatively low cost data available that may explain why. What to do about it may be an issue but I feel a little better when I think I can explain it. Man is the rationalizing animal!

bdg