About
Oxaros aims to develop affordable hospital-grade oximeters for small hospitals & clinics in rural Botswana and Namibia.
What is an oximeter?
A pulse oximeter is a device that measures light absorption through skin to calculate blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), a metric critical for understanding patient cardiovascular and respiratory health.
If you've ever been in a medical facility with a device similar to the one pictured clipped to your finger, it was likely a pulse oximeter.
Why are oximeters important?
Blood oxygen levels obtained from oximeters are used to make important benchmark decisions. This data is so important that it is commonly referred to as the fifth vital.
Oximetry is especially important during anesthetic surgeries, as anesthesia impacts blood oxygen content. Without oximetry, surgery mortality rate increases tenfold.
Why Oxaros?
Oximeters are common in developed regions: almost all hospitals in the United States have them. Unfortunately, in underdeveloped areas like rural Botswana and Namibia (our target region), less than 10% of the population has access to oximetry.
The main barrier is cost: hospital-grade pulse oximeters can run around $200 USD. We aim to produce and distribute a hospital-grade oximeter for only $20.
What makes Oxaros different?
Our technology and mission.
There are many inefficiencies in current hospital-grade oximeters. We are addressing 3 key areas:
Replacing complex and expensive components with simpler and more sustainable solutions
Configuring our oximeter to target parts of the body (like the earlobe) that allow for more accurate readings
Adjusting algorithms to efficiently compensate for melanin bias
Currently, we have a working prototype that costs under $10 and achieves ~90% accuracy. We are working with doctors at Emory to validate solution ideas as we continue prototyping.
Unlike current oximeter producers, Oxaros is not profit-driven. We aim to maximize impact while breaking even, which also enables us to lower product costs and explore unique partnership opportunities.