Oximeters Compared - Wrist-worn styles

I only surface-compare three highly portable wrist-worn oximeters in this post. Pocket, pouch, table and rack-mount styles are not even considered.

I recently bought a Nonin 3100 Wristox and Profox Oximetry software for it -- an expensive proposition of over $1200.00 total cost. Of course, I bought the Profox Standard Oximetry Software which costs more than the oximeter brand-specific version of the Profox software.

The only reason I bought the Nonin Pulseox 3100 is because I didn’t find the Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i until after my purchase was delivered. Restocking fees to return the Nonin Pulseox 3100 would have been over $100.00, so I kept the oximeter. At least until I use-up the stock of N-cell batteries I bought for it at discount.


Here are some caveats on wrist-worn oximeters:

1. Currently I have only found three (3) brands of data-recording wrist-worn oximeters, which I personally think are more suitable for people who want to monitor their own persistent or sporadic oxygen deficiency during sleep or awake hours. Each stores data but requires special software for downloading and accessing the data on a computer. They are listed in order of least to most expensive for the meter and cables.

SPO Medical Pulseox 7500 – Includes - SPO Medical pulse oximetry software, VitaBase and VitaScore. After having seen the software I would opt for Profox Oximetry Software regardless of the additional cost.

Nonin Wristox 3100 -- Software Costs Extra - Nonin nVision oximetry software is available but rarely found for sale.

Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i – Software Costs Extra - Konica-Minolta DS5 oximetry software available but rarely found for sale.


2. Profox is the industry standard for oximetry software. It currently is more widely used than any other oximetry software.

NOTES: The Profox Oximetry software is a CPU hog -- using between 40-50% of the CPU even when the program is turned “ON” but doing no work. This is one program you only turn ON when you actually need it, and then turn it OFF. Also, the Profox Oximetry Software uses a USB dongle key as the “unlock” key in order to use the software each time. The software will not work unless the USB dongle key is in a USB port. Lose the “USB dongle key” and you’ll have to call Profox and pay for another.

Profox makes an oximeter brand-specific software version for each of the three above, and for every other oximeter their software is compatible with. Or you can pay a bit more and get the Profox Standard Oximetry Software which works with all three of the wrist-worn styles and many pocket, table and rack-mount models and styles of data-recording oximeters.

Usually software that is sold with an oximeter is an oximeter brand-specific version of Profox software when you buy one with software included or optional to the oximeter package. “Oximeter brand-specific” means that the software is limited to working only with one brand and one to only several models of that brand of oximeters.

Obviously, the more expensive Profox Standard Oximetry Software is the better choice for anyone who may change oximeters over time, or have two or more oximeters for use.

When purchasing an oximeter with Profox software included in the package deal or as an option you select, you must specifically request and pay more to get the Profox Standard Oximetry Software which works with a very broad range of oximeters.

If you are going to be using an oximeter over many years, whether daily, frequently or randomly you probably should opt to buy the Profox Standard Oximetry Software to allow greater flexibility among which oximeters you can use, and avoid extra software costs associated with a new oximeter later.

3. Most wrist-worn oximeters use special batteries that are expensive.

SPO Medical Pulseox 7500 – “1/2 AA” Lithium, needs 1 – Claimed to last about 300-hours of continuous use. Often it is seen for $6.00 to $21.00 each.

Nonin Pulseox 3100 – “N” batteries, needs 2 -- You’ll get about three (3) to four (4) eight-hour-nights of use before having to change-out the batteries. They often are found for sale at $1.00 or more each, and usually sold in pairs. They can be purchased in-bull online for as little as $0.54 each, delivered. Try http://www.batterywarehousedirect.com/1.html

Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i – “AAA” Alkaline, needs 1 – Claimed to yield about 30-hours of continuous-ON battery life -- Which equates to three (3) 10-hour nights of use per AAA battery. The AAA-cell is the easiest to find and cheapest battery of those in the three oximeters. And, I’d bet that an AAA rechargeable would work just fine in the oximeter. That makes the most expensive wrist-worn oximeter the cheapest to maintain in-use, at least for batteries.


4. Sensors

SPO Medical Pulseox 7500 – Integrated sensor. The sensor is integrated and cannot be replaced or changed to another style of sensor by the user. If the sensor gets wet or the cable or sensor suffer physical damage the entire oximeter is worthless unless it can be repaired at the factory at a reasonable cost.

Nonin Pulseox 3100 – Replaceable sensor – Nonin offers multiple sensor styles which can be changed at will by the user. None are inexpensive, but at least sensor or cable damage will not render the unit worthless.

Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i -- Replaceable sensor – Konica-Minolta offers multiple sensor styles which can be changed at will by the user. None are inexpensive, but at least sensor or cable damage will not render the unit worthless.


5. Capabilities

SPO Medical Pulseox 7500 – Claimed to be able to give accurate readings through fingernail polish of various thickness and colors. Claimed to hold 80-hours of patient data in non-volatile memory.

Nonin Pulseox 3100 – Is not claimed to be able to give accurate readings through fingernail polish of various thickness and colors. Claimed to hold 33-hours of patient data in non-volatile memory.

Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i -- Is not claimed to be able to give accurate readings through fingernail polish of various thickness and colors. Claimed to hold 300-hours of patient data in non-volatile memory.


6. Average Pricing

SPO Medical Pulseox 7500 – $459.00 to $696.00, ready to be fully utilized.

Nonin Pulseox 3100 – $649.00 w/o software to $1389 with cables and Profox Oximetry Software (oximeter brand-specific).

Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i -- $855.00 for oximeter only to about $1484.00 with all cables and Profox Oximetry Software (oximeter brand-specific).


7. Profox offers, among other items:

The Profox Oximetry Software is not the usual candy-coated Windows-style software that many people are comfortable with. It is utilitarian and flip-windowed, meaning that as you select a function in a window that window disappears as another quickly opens. No needless frills or graphics clutter the windows. It is very useful, usable and unfettered by excess.

It offers, among other things:

Save data as a “test” by patient name, for multiple named patients;

Each download is saved to a separate .pod patient file by patient name you select;

View and print by patient name, one record at a time;

Select which pages of reports to view or print, per view or print attempt;

Print to any printer listed in your Windows Printers and Faxes list in Control Panel;

Work by SaO2 or SpO2 data;

Allows access to oximeter functions not accessible from the oximeter;

Allows setting of oximeter hidden functions;

Allows clearing of oximeter data memory for a fresh start;

Allows synchronizing of oximeter clock to PC clock;

Allows editing of patient individual test data to weed out unnecessary data, and emphasize pertinent data;


PRICING:] Depending on whether you get Profox as part of an oximeter package deal or purchase it separately it can cost from about $325.00 to $579.00. Some sites list Profox for even more dollars. Shop around.

As I mentioned above, if you have two or more oximeters that record data to memory, or will need an oximeter over years to come the best purchase is the Profox Standard Oximetry Software. It allows any data recording oximeter that Profox will work with to be used with the one Profox purchase and installation.


Nodzy

Correction on the battery cost for the SPO 7500: RadioShack charges about $16 for one, Batteries Plus sells them for $7-$8 and you can search and shop online and find the battery for $5 or $6.

Slinky,

Thanks... I changed the original post. Obviously, I should have looked deeper into my oximeter notes before typing the post.

Nodzy

Nice write up!

And my apologies to you, too, Nodzy. Yours was an excellent post and I really should have acknowledged that in addition to the battery info. Can I use the excuse I spent several hours at a horse show today?? Daughter and both granddaughters did VERY WELL! But missed out on High Point in their Divisions. I held horses, scooped poop, hauled water, etc. It was just a 4H fun show fund-raiser for a light horse barn at our new fairgrounds but that meant it was more relaxed and more fun!! 4 hours is no where so tiring as an all-day show. And the weather was PERFECT!!!

I recently purchased an Oximeter (Nellcor 395) but my approach was a bit different. What I wanted from the unit was data that could be correlated with the data from my ResMed S8. So I began to look for the software first and being a frugal (cheap) person, I looked for a good price/performance product, which I found right here on CPAPTalk namely OxiDump by Riggins Enterprises which is free. From that I began to look for an Oximeter. My first choice would have been a wrist unit but all I looked at seemed to be a bit over priced for what I needed. My final choice was the Nellcor 385 which I bought on eBay, in my view the choice was a good one.

Shadowatcher

Slinky wrote:And my apologies to you, too, Nodzy. Yours was an excellent post and I really should have acknowledged that in addition to the battery info. Can I use the excuse I spent several hours at a horse show today?? Daughter and both granddaughters did VERY WELL! But missed out on High Point in their Divisions. I held horses, scooped poop, hauled water, etc. It was just a 4H fun show fund-raiser for a light horse barn at our new fairgrounds but that meant it was more relaxed and more fun!! 4 hours is no where so tiring as an all-day show. And the weather was PERFECT!!!

Slinky,

Thank you. You just offered another fine example of the thoughtfulness and good manners that are abundant on this board. Not meaning to belittle your effort, of course. I appreciate your kindness.

Horses? Hmmm… I haven’t had much to do with horses in the past 18-years, but had a few in the past. One in particular, my favorite, was a gorgeous red mare, an accomplished food and beverage thief, she was… preferring Coke over Pepsi, and ham sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and mayo on white bread. And she never broke a bottle when she finished guzzling the contents, always letting it drop to a soft landing. Yes, I remember well the barn and barnyard shoveling, hay raking, hay seasons and stowing 18,000 to 22,000 bales in the loft each year, stall repairs, fence mending and the many other chores that kept me fit on my stepfather’s farm in my limited spare time. I miss all of it. Well, I miss the riding too, but it was western from nose to tail -- parade showings and impromptu leisure rides mostly, and pleasure rides and longer rides with occasional overnight camp-outs before returning home. What I miss most is my custom West-Mex, black, highly-tooled, with silver Conchos show saddle with box stirrups and matching breast strap and bridle. It wasn’t too flashy, but a pleasure to see and tour on. I’m sorry that I sold it many years ago. <sigh> But not all of my youth was wasted on primping and touring on the four-footed Cadillacs.

I’m glad that you and the family had a wonderful afternoon in weather that was icing to the other rewards.

Nodzy

Ha! A VERY discerning mare w/excellent taste, Nodzy! None of that second-class Pepsi.

The show yesterday was all western, all speed and action. But I will say, we have a good group of 4H Leaders in this area that don't tolerate hot, out of control horses. They crack down on the kids who haven't properly trained their horses w/walking and trotting thru the patterns instead of constantly racing thru them. The kids MUST be able to dismount and lead their horses at a walk from the arena. Very few of the kids use poppers or the like to urge their horses on anymore. And it is good to see calm horses WALK into the box. A lot different from when my daughter started as a kid in 4H!!!

SHADOWATCHER!!! Thanks for that tip on OxiDump and the Nellcor!!! I'm a little more comfortable w/the hand-helds and Nellcor base type oximeters. The wrist techonology is so new and recent .....

Shadowatcher wrote:I recently purchased an Oximeter (Nellcor 395) but my approach was a bit different. What I wanted from the unit was data that could be correlated with the data from my ResMed S8. So I began to look for the software first and being a frugal (cheap) person, I looked for a good price/performance product, which I found right here on CPAPTalk namely OxiDump by Riggins Enterprises which is free. From that I began to look for an Oximeter. My first choice would have been a wrist unit but all I looked at seemed to be a bit over priced for what I needed. My final choice was the Nellcor 385 which I bought on eBay, in my view the choice was a good one.

Shadowatcher

Shadowatcher,

Thanks for the input. I certainly agree that "no cost" and “low cost” are extremely attractive. I often opt for them when the product or its benefits suffice. Most folks, though, don’t have the computer training or experience for anything other than basics. Logically so, most computer users are just Windows or MAC-licious spoiled with intuitive, 1,2,3 candy-coated programs.

I was aware of MyOxiDump and quickly realized that it was Nellcor based. That negated my using it since I needed and wanted a wrist-worn oximeter. However, I did try it with the Nonin Wristox 3100, and it could not communicate with the oximeter. I am certainly glad that you pieced together an economical setup that will suffice and work well for your needs.

For me, being in the process of recovering enough to lead an active life again, I wanted a highly portable data-recording oximeter, very small and lightweight, unobtrusive, easily stowed in pocket if that need arose when out and about and one that didn’t require a long dangling cable to deal with between me and the oximeter. The wrist-worn style fits from wrist to fingertip, and the very short sensor cable is easily managed to avoid snagging it on anything. There’s no having to strap the cable to the arm and tuck the cord up shirt-sleeves, or around the waist. It is ideal for one who tosses and turns during sleep, or who needs to wear it from time to time while being active around or outside of their home.

Too, I wanted software that most doctors, nurses, RT’s and EMT’s are at the least aware of in order that printouts and screen viewings of data would be familiar and easily readable for them -- a precautionary thing, more so. Profox spells it all out in plain English and simple graphics from within one very simple to use program. Too expensive, it surely is. But their liability insurance costs must be a staggering amount each year.

Nodzy

Nodzky,

Thanks for the extensive review! I thought I'd add a few comments about the SPO Medical PulseOx 7500, which I've been using for about five months. (I'm currently trying to adjust my positional therapy, which is much more effective for me than for the average apneic. Unfortunately, so far I'm doing this with little help, since the sleep docs I've consulted so far seem to consider an extended examination to consist of "hello cpap goodbye".)

What you wrote is mostly accurate. The following should not be considered as countering any point you made about the 7500 except where done explicitly.

You didn't like the VitaBase/VitaScore software. Did you evaluate the first or second (since late 2006) version? The later version is considerably streamlined. Neither version requires a dongle, and it does not chew up excess CPU time, which to me are very major disadvantages for ProFox. While I'm sure ProFox is better in other ways, and while I have some specific issues with Vitaxxx, Vitaxxx is certainly usable. $500 vs $1000 is a major difference!

A dongle would be a major problem for me, as I'm using a laptop with only two USB ports, very close together -- if it's a typical dongle which is wider than the USB port, then it will interfere with use of the other ports.

Though the 7500 does not require a dongle, it does use a serial-to-USB adaptor. This cable has a bulge containing electronics on the computer end. This does interfere with the use of the USB ports, and I have to unplug my mouse and use the trackpad while I have the unit connected.

So I'd be interested in knowing just why you found ProFox sufficiently superior to be worth the extra cost, especially for a beginning user who may never need anything more.

The PulseOx 7500 automatically turns on when you put the sensor on your finger, and turns off when you remove it, thus saving the battery and setting start/stop markers.

The silicone "thimble" sensor holder is supposed to work on a variety of fingers. The earlier model used tape or Velcro. When I switched (due to a warranty issue), I got much more consistent results. As a result, I would hesitate to trust any unit which depends on Velcro to hold the sensor on, unless adjusted by someone with experience.

The PulseOx 7500 sensor probably would not be damaged by water, though they say to avoid getting it wet. However, it's only clear that the wrist unit would actually be damaged by immersion. I imagine that none of the wrist units are waterproof. The cable seems to be strong and I haven't been concerned about damage to either part.

Technically the PulseOx 7500 does not claim to give accurate readings through fingernail polish, because it does not take readings through the fingernail at all. The light and sensor are both on the fingerpad. Thus it works even with black fingernail polish ... enjoy! "Operation is not impeded by fingernail polish" would be accurate.

The "up to 80 hours" claim is inflated, because it only applies to the ten-second sampling interval, which is generally considered inadequate. Most people I've talked with recommend one or two seconds. At two seconds it holds about 16 hours of data, enabling me to use it to gather two full nights of data before downloading.

The VitaBase/VitaScore software offers the multi-patient, printing, and faxing features which you mention for ProFox.

Other software features:

Like ProFox, the interface is basic and functional -- no eye candy.

Automatically separates periods of use on download. Thus if I use it for two nights and a nap in between, the software stores the downloaded data as three studies.

Works only by SpO2. (Personally I don't know the difference between SaO2 and SpO2.)

Automatically sets oximeter clock and clears memory when setting up a study.

Vitaxxx's print reporting appears to be inferior to ProFox's. However, all the charts are available on-screen, and the detailed graphs are easily examined in VitaScore.

My biggest objection to VitaScore has been the inability to enter any kind of notation. The program has this capability, but it's disabled in the version distributed with the 7500. I very much want to make notes on events that I see in the charts, because I certainly will not be able to remember midnight correlations days, much less months, later. This is far and away the biggest change I'd like to see.

Edward

Edward.

Thanks for a very enlightening post. I'll try to answer your queries.

You didn't like the VitaBase/VitaScore software. Did you evaluate the first or second (since late 2006) version? The later version is considerably streamlined. Neither version requires a dongle, and it does not chew up excess CPU time, which to me are very major disadvantages for ProFox. While I'm sure ProFox is better in other ways, and while I have some specific issues with Vitaxxx, Vitaxxx is certainly usable. $500 vs $1000 is a major difference!

I'm unsure of which version of the SPO Medical Oximetry Software I got hold of, but I did prefer Profox despite its exorbitant cost and necessity for the USB dongle key. I wasn’t aware of its inexplicable (idle mode) CPU hunger until after I purchased it and had it installed on my main desktop computer. I have all of the latest Microsoft updates on top of SP2 on XP-Pro, so I know that missing updates aren’t the problem.

A dongle would be a major problem for me, as I'm using a laptop with only two USB ports, very close together -- if it's a typical dongle which is wider than the USB port, then it will interfere with use of the other ports.

Though the 7500 does not require a dongle, it does use a serial-to-USB adaptor. This cable has a bulge containing electronics on the computer end. This does interfere with the use of the USB ports, and I have to unplug my mouse and use the trackpad while I have the unit connected.

I agree about the inconvenience of port clutter, though I surely understand about the copy-protect security that Profox tried to maintain with the USB dongle as the "unlock key" verses a typed-in security login and password.

So I'd be interested in knowing just why you found ProFox sufficiently superior to be worth the extra cost, especially for a beginning user who may never need anything more.

Profox Standard Oximetry Software, it being the "open" version, works with a multitude of oximeters from sixteen (16) oximeter manufacturers. Should I choose or have to change oximeters, or my DME provide one from time to time on doctor’s prescription, or my doctor provide one from his stock, it’ll likely be compatible with Profox. I can easily access and copy the data. Profox is more versatile over a long period of time in those respects for my needs.

The PulseOx 7500 automatically turns on when you put the sensor on your finger, and turns off when you remove it, thus saving the battery and setting start/stop markers.

The Nonin Wristox 3100 has the same features, and they work reliably. Also, the Wristox 3100 can be set to turn-ON when the sensor cable is plugged into the unit and turn-OFF when it is detached. Then, if no pulse is detected after 30-miutes it still shuts OFF to save conserve the batteries. Additionally, it can have three user changeable programmed sets of start and stop times and dates. I won't use that feature but it is built-in.

The silicone "thimble" sensor holder is supposed to work on a variety of fingers. The earlier model used tape or Velcro. When I switched (due to a warranty issue), I got much more consistent results. As a result, I would hesitate to trust any unit which depends on Velcro to hold the sensor on, unless adjusted by someone with experience.

I like the SPO Pulseox 7500 silicone thimble better than the basic clamshell-style sensor provided with the Wristox 3100. But I opted for easy sensor replacement capabilities, in knowing that the sensor is often the first piece to suffer damage or fail on many oximeters regardless of brand or model. I looked at long-term use/repair/cost probabilities and made a choice, whether wise or unwise. Buying a new $400 to $600 entire unit was unappealing compared to buying a $110 to $170 sensor replacement, if the need arose.

The PulseOx 7500 sensor probably would not be damaged by water, though they say to avoid getting it wet. However, it's only clear that the wrist unit would actually be damaged by immersion. I imagine that none of the wrist units are waterproof. The cable seems to be strong and I haven't been concerned about damage to either part.

Exactly, and none of wrist units are at minimum…. even very water-resistant. Though, I have heard from nurses that the Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i has more water-splash tolerance then the other two brands. Of course that unit with necessary data cables, sans software, is about $1,000.00.

Technically the PulseOx 7500 does not claim to give accurate readings through fingernail polish, because it does not take readings through the fingernail at all. The light and sensor are both on the fingerpad. Thus it works even with black fingernail polish ... enjoy! "Operation is not impeded by fingernail polish" would be accurate.

I was not aware that the Pulseox 7500 active sensor and light were both on the finger-pad side. But that does offer a benefit to gals and guys who shudder at removing a $10.00 or more per-nail paint job just to get a good SpO2 reading.

The "up to 80 hours" claim is inflated, because it only applies to the ten-second sampling interval, which is generally considered inadequate. Most people I've talked with recommend one or two seconds. At two seconds it holds about 16 hours of data, enabling me to use it to gather two full nights of data before downloading.

The Wristox 3100 offers user selectable 1, 2 and 4 second sampling rates. I leave it set at 4-seconds which is adequate since I'm nowhere close to critical on saturation levels when getting effective xPAP therapy. Were I to have to spend a night without xPAP I would surely switch to a 1-second or 2-second rate. Nonin claims a 4-second rate yields 33-hours of data storage, 2-second rate yields 16-hours of data storage and a 1-seond rate yields 8-hours of data storage.

As a note, the Konica-Minolta Pulsox 300i offers only a 1-second sampling rate -- no choices, but claims 300-hours of data storage in the memory. But, for a $1,000.00-plus oximeter I want to know from which port it dispenses the coffee and creamer.

The VitaBase/VitaScore software offers the multi-patient, printing, and faxing features which you mention for ProFox.

Other software features:

Like ProFox, the interface is basic and functional -- no eye candy.

Automatically separates periods of use on download. Thus if I use it for two nights and a nap in between, the software stores the downloaded data as three studies.

Works only by SpO2. (Personally I don't know the difference between SaO2 and SpO2.)

Automatically sets oximeter clock and clears memory when setting up a study.

Vitaxxx's print reporting appears to be inferior to ProFox's. However, all the charts are available on-screen, and the detailed graphs are easily examined in VitaScore.

My biggest objection to VitaScore has been the inability to enter any kind of notation. The program has this capability, but it's disabled in the version distributed with the 7500. I very much want to make notes on events that I see in the charts, because I certainly will not be able to remember midnight correlations days, much less months, later. This is far and away the biggest change I'd like to see.

The Wristox 3100 does not automatically synchronize the clock and clear memory. That is done in two manual steps by the user.

The Wristox 3100 and Profox offer each data session as separate patient downloads or any two or more can be combined when downloaded, like when one collects data, say, during two naps and a night of sleep and wants it all in one report/chart, or each can be kept separate.

Notes cannot be directly input onto the patient data charts, but can be placed at the report heading - what appears to be about a 120-character limit per report.

In Profox patient data can be edited, but only to the extent of marking and deleting historgram data that appears to not be pertinent or necessary to define a condition or event.

Edward, I hope that helped to answer your queries.

Nodzy

I did a fair amount of research before purchasing my Oximeter.....and the software I was to use became a key issue.

My purpose was to check my O2 levels while sleeping with CPAP....to be sure that my treatment was being effective.

Because I respect James Skinner, I asked him for his opinion on the various software packages available with Oximeters.......and his opinion was that the standard (Vitabase) software that came with the SPO 7500 was adequate.

Based on what I learned from James, I decided that the SPO 7500 was the best value for me......the machine that delivered the information I wanted at the lowest possible cost.

I purchased the 7500 from Turner Medical for $479.00 and the transaction went nicely. I've had it for about a month.

After about (25) nightly studies, the wrist unit went "dead"......even though the battery tested "good" when checked by a voltmeter....and the battery indicator on the wrist unit showed that the battery was "good".

I contacted "support" at SPO by email.....and "Eric" answered with the suggestion that the battery had probably finished its life. He explained that the characteristic of a Lithium battery was to deliver full voltage right up until the very end of its life......then die quickly. He explained that my check with a voltmeter was not done while the battery was "under load"......and was, therefore, probably not accurate.

I purchased a new battery brom Radio Shack at a cost of about $18.00, popped it into the wrist unit, tried to download the study that had been stored, and the Vitabase program promptly crashed.

Evidently, the "death" of the original battery corrupted the stored data from the last study the wrist unit had performed.....and the corrupted data crashed the program.

Once I cleared the memory in the wrist unit, I did a 10-minute O2 test to see that the SPO 7500 was working correctly (it was).....then, I prepared the unit for a full (nightly) test. The next morning, the download went perfectly and the 3-page print-out delivered the info I needed.

The gist of all this is that no product is going to be perfect ALL the time. There's a learning curve for everything. Now I know how long the battery will last when I'm using 2-second sampling. I also know that I can purchase batteries from Amazon at about 1/3 the price Radio Shack wants for the same thing. Next time I order books, I'll order (3) batteries.

Summing up, the SPO 7500 is doing exactly what I wanted it to do....I'm getting quality data presented in a professional manner.....the battery life is quite reasonable......and the support from SPO cannot be criticized.

If I had it to do over again, I'd still purchase the SPO 7500. It is delivering the value I anticipated. I'm VERY pleased.

Gerald

Gerald,
Thank you. That was an excellent assessment of the SPO Medical Pulseox 7500 and the VitaBase and VitaScore software it comes bundled with, for a very likeable price as compared to other wrist-worn oximeters. It is an economical package that would surely be sufficient for most people.

I had no doubt that the Pulseox 7500 would be reliable and capable, nor any doubts about its provided-in-the-price proprietary software providing the data accurately and in a professional layout. SPO Medical has a great reputation for quality and service.

My concerns and choices were personal and weighted with the obvious longevity and potential variances of my needs, and the limitations of my medical provider and DME among many other factors.

1. Due to my particular medical provider setup I am subject to having few choices. Though, I have recently reached a good working relationship with my DME’s RT.

2. My varied health conditions, being as they are, present the need and benefit for frequent O2 saturation monitoring. Especially during sleep or nap hours. Most of my health conditions were brought on, or minor existing ones deeply worsened by decades of untreated and later improperly diagnosed and treated OSA. Also, at this juncture in my health it would be unwise to not monitor my O2 saturation levels frequently during very strenuous work or exercise.

3. I wanted an oximeter that allowed easy replacement, or changing the style of sensor to suit my activity and comfort. Sensor damage or failure is a concern to me, and I surmised that a swapping out a $110.00 to $170.00 sensor to be more cost effective than replacing an oximeter that had a failed or damaged sensor. I often use the Nonin Wristox 3100 at times other than when sleeping. The Flexiwrap sensor works well for those times and is comfortable, very stable and highly reliable. It also allows for less restriction of hand use over the basic Wristox 3100 bulky, clamshell sensor.

4.I also wanted a wrist-worn oximeter that utilized moderate to low-cost batteries that would be easily obtainable. A package of forty-eight (48ea) Energizer N-cells from http://www.batterywarehousedirect.com/1.html is $28.32 and $4.95 for shipping. That’s $0.69 per battery, delivered. I get four (4) nights of use from a set of them in the Nonin Wristox 3100. So, the batteries cost me an average of $0.35 per night of use. That’s a tolerable cost.

5. I chose to add a volumetric exerciser to my regimen several months ago, to strengthen lung resiliency, capacity and overall pulmonary function. Nightly, and often daily, oximetry monitoring revealed that those efforts are generating benefit and will indicate when I have reached maximum benefit, or if it does little more to help. My goal is to improve, and surely to offset further premature decline. xPAP therapy is a definite benefit but it does not work the pulmonary system strenuously.

6. I recently provided sleep-time oximetry data to my doctor(s) and the RT, and they were “shocked.” That tells me that prior saturation data collected by them was not thoroughly reviewed, was inaccurate, was gathered during a fluke “good period” or was misplaced before being reviewed. They’re now discussing providing me with an oximeter because they need data collected by their instruments. When and for what duration or frequency of periods they will issue an oximeter to me is yet to be determined. Or, if they will ultimately provide one.

7. I purchased my own REMstar Auto-M A-Flex unit in July and recently presented all of that 92% successful-therapy data to the doctor(s) and RT. They immediately, without hesitation or another sleep study prescribed an Auto BIPAP w/BIFLEX for me, delivered just several days after my most recent appointment. They had forced me to endure grossly unsuccessful therapy with a straight CPAP for almost 6-years, and a CPAP with C-Flex for almost a year before I acted on my behalf and bought my own auto-titrating machine.

8. I need any data collected by their oximeter(s) because I value living, and have considerable distrust in doctor(s) assessment of my conditions being significantly accurate even 75% of the time. That’s not blind suspicion, but based on irrefutable facts. Profox Standard Oximetry Software will allow me to capture a copy of that data. Data cables for an oximeter they provide are not a problem – if they do not provide them I’ll obtain them. Profox Standard Oximetry Software PO-version currently works with sixteen (16) brands of oximeters, and as I counted, fifty-five (55) oximeter models of those brands. My DME’s RT has agreed to let me choose the oximeter model they may issue from their stock in order to ensure its compatibility with my Profox installation.

9. Yes, in order to best monitor my health over the duration of my life I found Profox to be a major benefit, and a necessity, in guarding against doctor and RT inefficiency and ineffectiveness in properly and promptly responding accurately to my respiratory health needs. They may not like patients like me, but my life and its quality depend on me being proactive to a high degree.

10. It is sad that I had to, at my cost, prove to them how inaccurate their assessment, diagnosis and prescribed treatment for me was. Not to mention being detrimental to my health by being, in actual fact, ineffective. But… the costs I incurred served to jolt them to action and attentiveness to my care. It was well with it.

11. Buck the system… it’s not always a bad ride.

Nodzy

Thanks for the followups. I think the discussion has helped clarify the very real differences which may make different choices appropriate for different people.

As for cost of batteries -- the battery for the 7500 is a lot more expensive per battery, but it looks like each battery is going to last even more than their estimated 300 hours. I bought four batteries for $27.25 including shipping from megabatteries.com. Even at 40 nights per battery, the daily cost is under $0.20, and it may turn out to be even lower. (Don't go by the life of the battery supplied with the unit. Mine came with a Tadiran battery -- dead. This problem may have been resolved; that battery was pre-installed, and they aren't pre-installing them any longer.)

Buck the system… it’s not always a bad ride.

Yeah, for sure! I came back here trying to get more ideas about finding a decent sleep doc. I may yet post about that (doesn't belong in this thread). But it's clearly not a mature field.

Edward

AMEN, Paleolith!!! It sure isn't!