Alternative for oximeters? Kolkata startup develops app to track SpO2, pulse rate

The surge in Covid-19 cases in India pushed the purchases of a bite-sized medical device called oximeter to the point of it becoming an essential purchase for many. With affordability an issue for a considerable number of people, the device, used to check one’s Oxygen level, reportedly ran off the shelves in many parts of the country due to massive demand.

Meanwhile, CareNow Healthcare, a Kolkata-based health tech startup, released a smartphone application for Android and iOS devices – ‘CarePlix Vital’s’ – to perform the function of exactly what an Oximeter does – tracking the vitals such as SPO2 levels and respiration rate.

No wearables required, app measures vitals with rear camera and flashlight
Speaking to Jagran English, Subhabrata Paul, Co-founder, CareNow Healthcare said that the app CarePlix Vital’s doesn’t require any wearable or Oximeter like devices. Paul added that the app just requires a user to put a finger at the phone’s rear camera and turn the flashlight to measure the SPO2 levels and the respiration rate.

Asked if he sees the app as an alternative to Oximeters, Paul pointed out that not every person has the financial ability to order an Oximeter online. He further suggested that for people in rural areas where buying an Oximeter is sometimes not even an available option, the registration-based CarePlix Vital’s app, can be an effective alternative.

“Currently a lot many people do not have Oximeters and black marketers are already out to charge a huge amount for a single Oximeter. People in rural areas do not have an option to buy an Oximeter. Many people don’t know how to order it online or maybe the price is too much for them. With this app at least you can determine that ‘Okay, my oxygen saturation is dropping. I should definitely consult a doctor’,” Subhabrata told Jagran English.

Paul claimed that within a week of the app’s release, they recorded over one lakh downloads on respective app stores. The app CarePlix Vital has been reported to be 96 per cent accurate with heartbeats while 98 per cent accuracy in case of oxygen saturation. Jagran