pulse oximeter
- noun
- /ˈpʌls ɑkˈsɪmətər/
- Specialized
- Vital signs remained stable: heart rate, 92; sinus rhythm; blood pressure, 110/76 mm Hg; spontaneous breathing at a rate of 16; and oxygen saturation, 100% via pulse oximeter.
- pulse oximeter reading
- pulse oximeter monitor
Examples
-
They started an IV, took some blood work, placed him on a pulse oximeter, and administered some Tylenol to help with his pain.
Blog text (24) -
The pulse oximeter measures oxygen saturation levels but does not provide information about carbon dioxide levels or possible acidosis.
Academic text (2012) -
This is a pulse oximeter device is a device that estimates the amount of oxygen in your blood.
-
Oxygen was delivered through a face mask, and oxygen saturation was monitored with a pulse oximeter.
Academic text (2007) -
The doctor attached a pulse oximeter to her fingertip to check her oxygen levels.
-
After the surgery, the nurse used a pulse oximeter to monitor the patient's blood oxygen saturation.
-
During the check-up, the physician explained how a pulse oximeter measures the oxygen in your blood.
Synonyms
A small clip that measures how much oxygen is in a person's blood
How Portable
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: an 'oximeter' is a device that measures oxygen levels and the modifier 'pulse' specifies the measurement method (via the pulse/fingertip). If a learner knows both constituents, they can infer it is a small device used to measure blood oxygen; similar compounds exist in many languages, so the logic is cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
Pulse oximeter comes from what the small device does: it clips to your fingertip and uses light to read your pulse, meaning your heartbeat, and how much oxygen is in your blood, while oximeter is the word for a tool that measures oxygen. So, the name means a small device that measures the oxygen in your blood without cutting the skin.