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Oxygen is one of the most important
and abundant chemical species. It constitutes 20.9%
of the earth's atmosphere, and is essential for plant
and animal life. Without sufficient oxygen, a person
will fall unconscious within seconds, and will die within
minutes. At the same time, prolonged exposure to high
concentrations of oxygen can be harmful to one's health.
The use of oxygen is pervasive in
healthcare. It is used to treat trauma and shock, as
well as numerous cardiovascular and respiratory disorders
that result in hypoxia. Millions of people who suffer
from these disorders require supplemental oxygen at
home. Oxygen therapy also shortens recovery times from
surgery. Medical oxygen and oxygen analyzers are used
extensively in emergency and critical care situations.
Measuring inhaled and exhaled oxygen
provides insight into a person's physiology. The amount
of oxygen absorbed by the lungs per unit time, or VO2,
indicates the average power level of their metabolism.
A person's maximum rate of oxygen intake while exercising
strenuously, or VO2 Max, is a measure
of their overall cardiovascular fitness.
High purity oxygen is used for many
industrial purposes. Oxygen is required for combustion,
and is used in combustion applications such as steel-making
furnaces and welding. Liquid oxygen is used in rocket
engines. Oxygen also plays an important role in semiconductor
manufacturing, as silicon-oxides are used as insulating
layers in integrated circuits.
On the other hand, there are many
instances where the presence of oxygen is harmful. Oxygen
causes corrosion and rust. Its presence can be dangerous
when there are explosive or combustible materials present.
Certain chemical processes require an anoxic environment
to proceed properly. Oxygen can also be toxic to certain
anaerobic microbes that are used in fermentation. Therefore,
oxygen detection at both high and low concentrations
is critical for many industrial applications.
Fish need oxygen to live, and they
extract dissolved oxygen from the water that passes
through their gills. Low dissolved oxygen levels can
kill fish and other aquatic life. One of the most important
sources of water pollution is nitrogen-containing fertilizers,
which can cause algae blooms that deplete the levels
of dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen concentration
is therefore a key parameter in detecting pollution
and determining environmental water quality.
Oxygen detection and analysis are
used in a wide spectrum of applications ranging from
science and medicine to industrial processes and worker
safety. Applications include:
Respiratory Vital Signs Monitoring
Ventilators
Operating Room and Anesthesia Monitoring
Metabolic Rate Monitoring
Cardiac Output Cardiorespiratory Fitness Testing - VO2
Max
Home Oxygen Therapy
Confined Space Personnel Safety
Industrial Hygiene
Inerting, Blanketing, Purging, and Sparging
Indoor Air Quality
Diving Rebreather Equipment
Biological/Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Gas Mixing
Combustion Monitoring
Food and Beverage Packaging
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Packaging
Fermentation
Bioreactors
Water Quality Monitoring
Wastewater Treatment
Pollution Studies
Aquariums
Aquaculture
Copyright © 2008 Sensors for Medicine and Science, Inc.®
All rights reserved. Date of last update: 4/8/08.
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