CO-oximeter

A co-oximeter is a special tool that helps doctors figure out how much oxygen is in your blood. You know how you breathe in air and your body uses the oxygen in the air to give you energy? Well, your blood carries that oxygen around your body to all your organs and muscles so they can use it.

When you go to the doctor, a nurse will put a little clip on your finger or toe that measures something called your oxygen saturation (which is how much oxygen your blood is carrying). But a co-oximeter is even more special than that. It uses special lights to look inside your blood and see how much of the oxygen in it is really bound to hemoglobin (which is a part of your blood that carries oxygen) and how much is just floating around on its own.

Knowing this information is really important for doctors, especially when someone is very sick or has a serious health condition, because it can give them clues about how well their organs are working and if they need extra help getting enough oxygen.