Investigating respiratory variation using a forehead reflectance pulse oximeter to identify airway obstruction for automated remote triage

An automated triage system called ARTEMIS has been developed in an effort to improve combat and multicasualty care within the battlefield or disaster zone. The status of airway, breathing, and circulation is critical in these types of situations. This preliminary study uses sleep apnea patients to determine whether certain features can be extracted from the photoplethysmograph of a Nonin® forehead reflectance pulse oximeter, which might be indicative of airway obstruction.