[Equipment] Pulse oximeter with alarm

[garyhibb]

Hello, my wife and I are new to CPAP (she has a Resmed Airsense 11, I have mild apnea and no CPAP as of yet.)  If someone could recommend a Wrist or Ring (but not finger) SpO2 monitor that has an alarm, it would be appreciated.  She woke up once with afib, and we think her oxygen level got too low.  Thank you!

[Crimson Nape]

Hi garyhibb!  -  
The most common oximeter to have an alarm is the Wellue devices.  You can find them at Supplier #40 on our Supplier List.  The SleepU is a wrist worn model with a finger sensor, thus distributing the weight mainly to the wrist and some to the finger.  The O2Ring contains the same electronics, but they are all contained within the finger probe.  Some users find this somewhat bulky and does add weight to the finger.    

You did mention not for the finger.  That is going to be a little more difficult to find.  Nothing comes to mind other than maybe the newer mega-buck Apple Watch.  I don't know if it has an alarm for this feature, though.

Good luck on your search.

- Red

[Jeff8356]

Gary, Welcome to Apnea Board!

Could you explain a little more what you mean by this:

... Wrist or Ring (but not finger) ...

As Red mentioned, most of the oximeters have some type of sensor that needs to be worn on a finger. Some are fingertip sensors (typical for your doctors office) and others go on like an actual ring (think wedding ring).
I use the Wellue SleepU (Supplier #40) and have rather chunky fingers. It is a wrist worn unit that has a sensor that goes on a finger like a ring. It's quite comfortable, and also compatible with OSCAR.

[AndyB]

Jeff,

I'm considering purchasing a Wellue SleepU or Checkme, but I've read enough negative reviews about the Wellue rings and wrist monitors that I'm uncertain whether to spend $160-200 for a device that may die in a few months or provides inconsistent or unreliable data. What has been your experience with the SleepU?

Thanks for any guidance or feedback you're willing to share,
AndyB

[garyhibb]

Thanks to everyone for your responses.  Kay and I will review these posts and check out the supplier list and try to find reviews and so forth.  

By "wrist or ring but not finger" I wasn't very clear, should have explained my wife doesn't like the feel of the fingertip oximeters, it tends to squash her finger and is uncomfortable after a whole night of use.  

From what I've learned recently, the wrist-worn models give less accurate readings than the fingertip models, which is why I'm researching ring models and trying to identify some of the best wrist models.

Thanks,
Gary

[Crimson Nape]

The Wellue models use a finger band as opposed to the old duckbill sensor. Instead of using the finger end for sensing, the Wellue's placement is at the base of the finger or thumb.

- Red

[Jeff8356]

Gary,

I have been using my SleepU for about 2.5 years now. Never had any problems with it. I have checked it several times against the one my Dr uses in his office and they both report the same #'s. I have pulmonary issues and need to keep a close eye on my SpO2 levels, especially overnight.
I use their software (O2 Insight Pro) on my Mac to get the data off the oximeter, then import it into OSCAR. Uses Bluetooth and works like a charm.

I never looked closely at the Checkme O2 but I think it's the big brother to the SleepU. The Ring was not for me, a bit too clunky but many people seem to like it.

Bottom line.... I would buy another SleepU or Checkme O2 if the need arises.

[garyhibb]

We went with the O2Ring and have been using it 3 nights so far. The O2Ring firmware version is 1.9.0 and we have ViHealth mobile app ver 2.74.53 to collect the data and forward it by email to a PC (in both .pdf and .csv format.)

The first two nights of data look accurate as it matches my wife's notes that she takes during the night whenever she wakes up (for example when the cpap starts leaking.) The third night, the data shows start and stop times that are about 1.5 hours earlier than the actual times. The duration of the recordings is correct though, so it seems to be the right data but just 1.5 hours off.

Has anyone else noticed issues with O2Ring or ViHealth timestamps?

[garyhibb]

We've been using the O2Ring for six nights now. The pdf reports are nice and it seems to be working ok except for the time of day getting off a few hours. The workaround for that is to reconnect with the app briefly before using the ring, which seems to correct the time issue. Would recommend this product in spite of the quirky time issue.

[withtao]

My 2 cents. I've had the Checkme O2 Max for several months.  The sensor is unnoticeable and the data integrates into OSCAR. Never has it fallen off.  I personally don't like the duckbill types as they have fallen off during a sleep study.

Best wishes