Book Review Design of Pulse Oximeters, edited by John G. Webster. Bris- tol, U.K.: IOP Publishing, 1997, 244 pp., ISBN: 0 7503 04677, $99.00. Pulse oximeters represent a relatively recent innovation in non- invasive oxygen monitoring and are widely used in a number of medical disciplines including intensive care and surgery. This book presents a clear and in-depth analysis of pulse oximeters with an emphasis on design. The book is well writ- ten and provides a smooth progression from principles through instrumentation, control, signal processing, calibration tech- niques, accuracy, and user interface. A wealth of design data is provided. The first two chapters discuss oxygen transport in normal and pathological conditions, and the need for measuring oxy- gen partial pressure. The third chapter describes various tech- niques to measure Po2, and presents an introduction to pulse oximetry. Principles of light absorbency in blood and tissue and the principles of pulse oximeters are described in detail in chapter four including the effects of scattering. The relevant equations are systematically developed. Characteristics of light-emitting diodes LEDs and the problems with the use of LEDs are discussed in the next chap- ter, including a LED driver circuit. Characteristics of photode- tectors and amplifiers are discussed in Chap. 6 along with LED and photodiode packaging. Next, the assembly of the probe of the pulse oximeter is described. The typical probe consists of two LEDs and a de- tector photodiode. Construction of both the transmittance-type probe and the reflectance-type probe are discussed, as well as reusable and disposable probes. Also, sensor placement, distor- tion due to optical shunting, and other important features are presented. Techniques for electronic instrumentation control in- cluding the microprocessor-based system, analog signal pro- cessing, ECG detection, power supply, and analog-to-digital conversion are described in detail in chapter eight. The ninth chapter presents various signal processing algo- rithms in detail. ECG synchronization algorithms are also dis- cussed with the pertinent equations developed from basics. Flow charts and examples presented in the chapter make it very easy to understand the material. The next chapter describes calibration and bench testing techniques. Accuracy and error analysis are discussed in Chap. 11 and human interface aspects are discussed in Chap. 12. The last chapter describes the ap- plication of pulse oximeters in various medical disciplines and clinical situations. Overall, this is an excellent, easy to read, and comprehen- sive book with numerous illustrations, block diagrams, and flow diagrams. It is a must for biomedical engineers, students, and designers interested in pulse oximetry. In addition, the book can serve as a textbook for a course on the design of pulse oximeters or could be a great reference book for a course on medical devices. Narender P. Reddy, PhD Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Akron Akron, OH 44325-0302 npreddy@brain.biomed.uakron.edu Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 27, pp. 414–414, 1999 0090-6964/99/273/414/1/$15.00 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society 414