Compact laser spectroscopic sensor head prototype for time-resolved breath oxygen monitoring.

A small and lightweight optical sensor head prototype with a disposable airway adapter for continuous mainstream monitoring of oxygen at high sampling rate is designed and tested on an optical benchtop. In terms of its size and functionality, the sensor head design is similar to current capnography systems from leading medical equipment manufacturers, and it has been designed within constraints of potential applications in direct breath oxygen monitoring that require direct interaction with the gas inside a breathing tube. The measurement precision of 0.1% O 2 with a 10 ms integration time are well within the performance required for breath O 2 monitoring applications.