Background The HCM 3000 has an innovative industrial design that is compact, low cost and portable for use in the home, hospital step-down units and clinics. Optical sensors are utilized for pulse, oxygen saturation and respiration monitoring. This data can be saved on disk or printed. Moreover, the monitor can be configured for a particular patient by using an interactive menu within the unit, or with the Windows software . The monitor is easy to use and only two buttons are required to operate the unit.
Vital information is provided quickly and clearly in large print on the display.
A light beam is directed onto a photo diode through a single optical fiber and measured. The fiber is partly coiled in an elasticized portion of a belt worn by the patient and, as respiration movements take place, the coiled fiber is flexed, modulating the amount of light transmitted. The photo diode senses these modulations at the respiration frequency of the patient and the signal is processed and displayed as respiration rate. Measuring the amount of light transmitted through the fiber senses correct tensioning of the belt. As light from the LEDs pass through perused tissue, some of it is absorbed and the remainder falls upon the photo diode, producing an electronic signal proportional to the intensity of the light received.