Solar-Powered Pulse Oximeter

Pulse oximetry is the standard clinical method for monitoring patients’ blood oxygen saturation and pulse rates, yet it is not easily available in low-resource settings. The under-five child mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa is 142 per 1000 live births with acute respiratory infections being one of the leading causes of deaths. Pulse oximetry has the potential to indicate various hypoxemic conditions before the onset of apparent signs and symptoms including pneumonia and other acute respiratory infections, neonatal illness, particularly sepsis and low birthweight in children. The inclusion of pulse oximetry into surgical procedures can improve health outcomes, for instance in obstructed labour, and hemorrhagic operations which are causes of preventable maternal deaths. Cost of procurement and maintenance along with electricity fluctuations and frequent power cuts in resource-limited settings hinder widespread use and uptake of technology. We have developed a low cost, highly robust, user-friendly, solar-powered pulse oximeter that is yet to be introduced into the global market. We are currently in the process of field-testing this oximeter.

Recent News:

LEED device is finalist for BU ITEC’s $50K Business Plan Competition

LEED Lab Solar Powered Pulse Oximeter Wins top prize at BU BME Senior Design Conference