Pulse oximeters overestimate the oxygen saturation in people with higher melanin concentration limiting their ability to get care or coverage. Our research has identified the sources of error to be the relationship between oxygen saturation and red-to-infrared ratio and insufficient information about the contribution of skin pigmentation to the measurements. Our design addresses these sources of errors. Due to the racial inequities in data from existing clinical trials, we will initially use precisely designed optical phantoms, followed by in vitro tests. In this talk, we will be presenting the design, the challenges, and our approach to addressing them.
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