Although there are federal regulations for the use of oxygen when flying, many high altitude pilots and physicians recommend the use of oxygen at altitudes even lower than Federal Aviation Regulations require. Some pilots may begin to experience symptoms of hypoxia at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet. One of the biggest problems of detecting the onset of hypoxia is that a person usually isn’t aware of experiencing the symptoms until it’s too late.
Acutel has a solution for detecting this subtle, yet potentially dangerous, condition. Enter the OWL, which uses the noninvasive oximeter technology to detect blood oxygen concentration through the use of a small sensor placed on the tip of a finger. The oximeter determines if the oxygen concentration of the blood becomes too low and alerts the pilot of potential hypoxia conditions. At an oxygen saturation of 90%, the OWL will alert the pilot through the headset with an audible “caution” message. If the saturation should drop below 85%, the OWL will sound a “warning” message. As an added feature, the OWL will give saturation readings on demand at the push of a button.
For more information: Acutelinc.com.