pulse oximeter
noun
plural pulse oximeters
: a noninvasive medical device that utilizes spectrophotometry to measure the oxygen saturation of circulating arterial blood in an individual by determining the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin pulsating through a network of blood capillaries by way of a sensor attached typically to a finger, toe, or earlobe
Your pulse oximeter will give you a numerical reading—a percentage that indicates the level of oxygen saturation in your blood.—
Tara Parker-Pope
Tara Parker-PopeExamples of pulse oximeter in a Sentence
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The draft guidance is not legally binding and applies only to pulse oximeters used in hospitals and other medical settings.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
But to measure colors accurately, devices like telescopes and pulse oximeters must be correctly calibrated, and that's where the Atomic Spectroscopy Group comes in.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025
This pulse oximeter from Amazon clips onto your finger to track pulse rate and blood oxygen levels and conveniently displays the information on a large digital LED display.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
Not all research on racial disparities of pulse oximeters is threatened.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 29 Jan. 2025
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Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
But to measure colors accurately, devices like telescopes and pulse oximeters must be correctly calibrated, and that's where the Atomic Spectroscopy Group comes in.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025
This pulse oximeter from Amazon clips onto your finger to track pulse rate and blood oxygen levels and conveniently displays the information on a large digital LED display.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
Not all research on racial disparities of pulse oximeters is threatened.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pulse oximeter
Cite this Entry
“Pulse oximeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulse%20oximeter. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pulse oximeter
noun
: a noninvasive medical device that utilizes spectrophotometry to measure the oxygen saturation of circulating arterial blood in an individual by determining the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin pulsating through a network of blood capillaries by way of a sensor attached typically to a finger, toe, or earlobe
Note: The pulse oximeter typically sounds an alarm if the blood saturation becomes less than optimal.
Pulse oximeters measure hemoglobin oxygen saturation via an external probe. The light of two varying wavelengths passes through the skin, and the difference in absorbance by arterial blood of these two wavelengths by the photodetector within the pulse oximeter is used to calculate the level of oxygenation.—Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports
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