AUTOMATED OXYGEN FLOW RATE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FLOWMETER BASED ON REAL-TIME SPO2 MONITORING

Abstract

This study aims at contributing towards the development of an automatic oxygen flowmeter regulator a suitable intervention to overcome difficulties that come with controlling oxygen flow manually especially amid health crises like the current COVID 19. Some of the conditions, which include hypoxia that means low oxygen in tissues, hypoxemia that is low oxygen in the blood could be fatal if not treated with oxygen therapy immediately. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of adjusting oxygen flow with a regulator by hand was ineffective, delay prone, and even dangerous for the medical staff due to the contacts associated with virus transmission. These challenges, coupled with other diseases including SARS, MERS and influenza, other viral respiratory diseases. In the proposed system, MAX30102 SpO2 sensor is used for blood oxygen saturation, NEMA 17 stepper motor for the flowmeter valve and ESP32 microcontroller for the overall functionality. By monitoring SpO2 levels, the device sets the flow rate at a range of between 0 to 15 L/min. In this case, when SpO2 is greater than or equal to 95 percent, the flow is minimized or ceased to avoid excess flow, however, SpO2 below 95 percent increases oxygen delivery in a way that is proportional with the patient’s need. This sort of functionality reduces the time consumption and possible errors of the manual procedure as it directly adjusts the amount of oxygen administered and lessens the needed interaction from the healthcare workers. This helps to reduce spread of highly infectious diseases and brings about efficiency in risky conditions.