Accuracy of Rhythm Diagnostic Systems’ MultiSense^® in Detection of Arterial Oxygen Saturation and Respiratory Rate During Hypoxia in Humans: Effects of Skin Color and Device Localization

Abstract

The continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation (SpO2) and respiratory rates (RRs) are major clinical issues in many cardio-respiratory diseases and have been of tremendous importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The early detection of hypoxemia was crucial since it precedes significant complications, and SpO2 follow-up allowed early hospital discharge in patients needing oxygen therapy. Nevertheless, fingertip devices showed some practical limitations. In this study, we investigated the reliability of the new Multisense® pulse oximetry system compared to a reference pulse oximeter (Vyntus CPX Pulse Oximeter) during hypoxia. In a population of sixteen healthy male subjects (mean age: 31.5 ± 7.0 years, BMI: 24.9 ± 3.6 kg/m², and 35% with darker skin tones), simultaneous SpO2 and RR measurements were collected over 12.4 h, during which FiO2 was progressively reduced from 21% to 10.5%. The average root mean square error (ARMS) of SpO2 for Multisense® placed on the back and chest was 2.94% and 2.98%, respectively, with permutation testing confirming a significant ARMS below 3.5% for both positions and no statistically significant difference in the ARMS between patch placements. Positive correlations and acceptable accuracy between devices were observed at both locations (r = 0.92, p p ® demonstrated robust accuracy in measuring SpO2 and RRs during hypoxia in humans comparable to standard hospital-grade equipment. The effectiveness of the findings suggests that this wearable device is a valuable tool for the continuous monitoring of SpO2 and RRs, potentially enhancing patient safety and optimizing hospital resource allocation. Nevertheless, to overcome study limitations and allow generalized use, further work on a larger population sample, including more subjects with a high phototype and desaturation below 80%, would be useful.

Keywords

• hypoxia
• sensors
• pulse oximeter
• pulse oxygen saturation
• SpO₂
• respiratory rate