[Equipment] Finding a pulse oximeter that works with Mac

[ksvanhorn]

I'm looking for a recording pulse oximeter that I can use with my Mac computer, but I can't find anything that works with a Mac. Does anyone know of a good product that works with the Mac?

I have mild sleep apnea that only occurs when I sleep on my back. I tried the CPAP machine for a few months, and it was a nightmare -- I never could sleep well with it. My doctor said using the slumber bump to force me to sleep on my side was also an acceptable option, but I've been sleeping horribly with that -- I find sleeping on my side uncomfortable, and the "bump" makes it worse. So I'd like to get a pulse oximeter so that I can experiment with different options / sleep positions until I find something that is both comfortable and keeps my spO2 up where it should be throughout the night.

[trish6hundred]

Hi ksvanhorn,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for answers to your questions. I’m sorry to hear that you had such a rough time with CPAP therapy.
Good luck to you.

[ksvanhorn]

Am I just SOL as a Mac user?

[Crimson Nape]

The only options that I'm aware of open to you is either running a virtual Windows in Parallels or Use SleepyHead as the data importer for a CMS-50 oximeter.  You will need the USB-Serial UART drivers for a Mac.   They can be downloaded from the internet.

I hope this may point you in a better direction.

[ksvanhorn]

Thanks.

[CTcentrals]

I use Crimson's option (not for oxy).  I use an old MacBook pro and have to run VM (virtual machine) Parallels with Windows installed for a lot of the work I do.  I also use it to run ResScan for my Resmed machine because it doesn't have a mac version to my knowledge (FYI SleepyHead runs reasonably well on OS X) .  The Parallels and Windows combination suck up a lot of memory and CPU time on my old MacBook but it is workable.  Parallels was about $45 I think, can't quite remember, and you're supposed to buy a full license for Windows to run on it.  Yea, SOL in a lot of ways for macs.

[billinseattle]

Anyone have success using the data from O2Vibe with SleepyHead?

[Sleeprider]

From the latest version of Sleepyhead 1.1.0

SleepyHead is currently compatible with Contec CMS50D+, CMS50E, CMS50F and CMS50I serial oximeters.
(Note: Direct importing from bluetooth models is probaby not possible yet)
You may wish to note, other companies, such as Pulox, simply rebadge Contec CMS50's under new names, such as the Pulox PO-200, PO-300, PO-400. These should also work.
It also can read from ChoiceMMed MD300W1 oximeter .dat files.
Please remember: If you are trying to sync oximetry and CPAP data, please make sure you imported your CPAP sessions first before proceeding!
Important Notes: For SleepyHead to be able to locate and read directly from your Oximeter device, you need to ensure the correct device drivers (eg. USB to Serial UART) have been installed on your computer. For more information about this, click here.
Contec CMS50D+ devices do not have an internal clock, and do not record a starting time. If you do not have a CPAP session to link a recording to, you will have to enter the start time manually after the import process is completed.
Even for devices with an internal clock, it is still recommended to get into the habit of starting oximeter records at the same time as CPAP sessions, because CPAP internal clocks tend to drift over time, and not all can be reset easily.