What oxygen technology is used in ventilators and neonatal incubators?
Where oxygen measurement has been required in critical care ventilators and neonatal incubators, manufacturers have preferred to use electrochemical sensors. Electrochemical technology is now well established, its low cost appearing to outweigh its numerous performance issues. In particular, its short life has produced a sizeable after-market for replacement sensors. Paramagnetic oxygen sensors offer considerable advantages over electrochemical sensors. Until recently, the high cost of paramagnetic technology has limited its use to high-end anaesthesia gas monitors. The new Paracube has made paramagnetic technology accessible to those applications where the low cost of ownership of equipment is an important factor.
