Pulse-oximetry method for un-biased assessment of arterial saturation

/ ABSTRACT Optical finger pulse-oximetry does not fully account for individual-specific anatomy or hemodynamics, leading to possible inequalities in care due to skin-tone biases. Specifically, there is growing evidence that conventional pulse-oximetry methods have a positive bias for dark versus lighter-skinned patients, mean- ing an incorrectly high oxygen saturation will be recorded for dark-skinned patients. This type of bias is dangerous since it may lead to occult hypoxemia, where low blood oxygen levels are missed, and the proper treatment isn’t prescribed. This research project aims to pioneer a noninvasive and auto-calibrated pulse-oximetry method that more accurately and unbiasedly determines a person’s arterial oxygen sat- uration than conventional pulse-oximetry. The project will be achieved by completing the project aims of theoretical development of the proposed person-specific pulse-oximetry method, device prototyping and fabrication, and finally, device testing in a clinical environment. Theoretical development will entail two activities: developing an inverse model to recover person-specific finger optical properties from an auto-calibrated dual-ratio measurement and spatial mapping of pulsatile hemodynamics in the finger to determine which tissue should be targeted for the proposed pulse-oximetry technique. Then, a custom wearable device will be designed and fabricated to implement this person-specific pulse-oximetry method. Finally, the device and method will be tested in the clinic, where gold-standard measurements of arterial saturation are routinely made so that a gold-standard comparison can be made with the proposed pulse- oximetry method. The positive impact of this technique will be an equitable and non-biased noninvasive assessment of one’s arterial oxygen saturation, a ubiquitous and clinically relevant measure of oxygen perfusion. Throughout the work on this project, the principal investigator, Giles Blaney, PhD, will complete career development activities to enable him to be a successful faculty candidate. The potential for career development in this project is significant. By undertaking device prototyping and fabrication, Dr. Blaney will gain valuable electronic device design and fabrication skills, while during the theoretical development stage, Dr. Blaney will gain experience in mathematical inverse modeling. Additionally, this project will also serve to develop Dr. Blaney’s writing and mentoring skills. Overall, this project aims to address a bias in current pulse-oximetry methods and foster the career development of the principal investigator, Dr. Blaney. Project Number: 1K99HL181290-01 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | Principal Investigator: Giles Blaney | Institution: TUFTS UNIVERSITY MEDFORD, Boston, MA | Award Amount: $134,537 | Activity Code: K99 | Study Section: NHLBI Mentored Transition to Independence Study Section[MTI (MA)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/1K99HL18129001