iSpO2 Turns The iPhone, iPad, Or iPod Touch Into A Medical Instrument

There are huge number of people in the United States and around the world who have medical conditions that make it difficult for their body to extract oxygen from the air we all breathe. For these people it's often critical for their health to be able to accurately track how much oxygen is in their blood at any given time. This tracking of oxygen is typically done with a small instrument called a pulse oximeter.

The pulse oximeter is able to determine, without having to draw blood, exactly how much oxygen is dissolved in the blood. A company called Massimo has announced a new gadget for people who need to keep track of their blood oxygen levels that works in conjunction with the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch called the iSpo2. It requires a 30-pin connector.

That last caveat means that this device will not work with the iPhone 5 natively. It's unclear whether the accessory will work using the Apple adapter for 30-pin to the new port. The hardware accessory plugs into the Apple gadget and works in conjunction with an app that is available as a free download.

The hardware accessory has a sensor that you slip over your finger and results from the reading are displayed on the iPhone screen. In addition to showing the oxygen saturation, the device will also show the heart rate. The device is available right now on Amazon.com for $249. The app can also export readings to a text file for use in other programs and to share with doctors. The hardware accessory gets its power from the iPhone and needs no external power source.