Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry
Over the past ten years, there has been an increasing demand for reliable consumer wearables as users are inclined to monitor their health and fitness metrics in real-time, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflectance pulse oximeters in fitness trackers and smartwatches provide convenient, no...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/559 |
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| author | Raghda Al-Halawani Meha Qassem Panicos A. Kyriacou |
| author_facet | Raghda Al-Halawani Meha Qassem Panicos A. Kyriacou |
| author_sort | Raghda Al-Halawani |
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| description | Over the past ten years, there has been an increasing demand for reliable consumer wearables as users are inclined to monitor their health and fitness metrics in real-time, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflectance pulse oximeters in fitness trackers and smartwatches provide convenient, non-invasive SpO<sub>2</sub> measurements but face challenges in achieving medical-grade accuracy, particularly due to difficulties in capturing physiological signals, which may be affected by skin pigmentation. Hence, this study sets out to investigate the influence of skin pigmentation, particularly in individuals with darker skin, on the accuracy and reliability of SpO<sub>2</sub> measurement in consumer wearables that utilise reflectance pulse oximeters. A Monte Carlo model is developed to assess the effect on simulated reflectance pulse oximetry measurements across light, moderate, and dark skin types for oxygen saturation levels between 70 and 100%. The results indicate that a one-algorithm-fits-all calibration approach may be insufficient, and root mean square errors (RMSEs) of at least 0.3956%, 0.9132%, and 8.4111% for light, moderate, and dark skin are observed when compared to transmittance calibration algorithms. Further research is required to validate these findings and improve the performance of reflectance pulse oximeters in real-world applications, particularly in the context of consumer wearables. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bacc395168b94b2e9df1ffefa9f955d2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-bacc395168b94b2e9df1ffefa9f955d22025-01-24T13:49:21ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-01-0125255910.3390/s25020559Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse OximetryRaghda Al-Halawani0Meha Qassem1Panicos A. Kyriacou2Research Centre for Biomedical Engineering, City St George’s, University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, UKResearch Centre for Biomedical Engineering, City St George’s, University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, UKResearch Centre for Biomedical Engineering, City St George’s, University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, UKOver the past ten years, there has been an increasing demand for reliable consumer wearables as users are inclined to monitor their health and fitness metrics in real-time, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflectance pulse oximeters in fitness trackers and smartwatches provide convenient, non-invasive SpO<sub>2</sub> measurements but face challenges in achieving medical-grade accuracy, particularly due to difficulties in capturing physiological signals, which may be affected by skin pigmentation. Hence, this study sets out to investigate the influence of skin pigmentation, particularly in individuals with darker skin, on the accuracy and reliability of SpO<sub>2</sub> measurement in consumer wearables that utilise reflectance pulse oximeters. A Monte Carlo model is developed to assess the effect on simulated reflectance pulse oximetry measurements across light, moderate, and dark skin types for oxygen saturation levels between 70 and 100%. The results indicate that a one-algorithm-fits-all calibration approach may be insufficient, and root mean square errors (RMSEs) of at least 0.3956%, 0.9132%, and 8.4111% for light, moderate, and dark skin are observed when compared to transmittance calibration algorithms. Further research is required to validate these findings and improve the performance of reflectance pulse oximeters in real-world applications, particularly in the context of consumer wearables.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/559Monte Carlo simulationphotoplethysmographyskin pigmentationoxygen saturationpulse oximetry |
| spellingShingle | Raghda Al-Halawani Meha Qassem Panicos A. Kyriacou Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry Sensors Monte Carlo simulation photoplethysmography skin pigmentation oxygen saturation pulse oximetry |
| title | Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry |
| title_full | Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry |
| title_fullStr | Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry |
| title_short | Monte Carlo Simulation of the Effect of Melanin Concentration on Light–Tissue Interactions in Reflectance Pulse Oximetry |
| title_sort | monte carlo simulation of the effect of melanin concentration on light tissue interactions in reflectance pulse oximetry |
| topic | Monte Carlo simulation photoplethysmography skin pigmentation oxygen saturation pulse oximetry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/559 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT raghdaalhalawani montecarlosimulationoftheeffectofmelaninconcentrationonlighttissueinteractionsinreflectancepulseoximetry AT mehaqassem montecarlosimulationoftheeffectofmelaninconcentrationonlighttissueinteractionsinreflectancepulseoximetry AT panicosakyriacou montecarlosimulationoftheeffectofmelaninconcentrationonlighttissueinteractionsinreflectancepulseoximetry |