Diving physiology in penguins has been extensively studied within the larger, deep diving species comparable to emperor and gentoo penguins, however the blood oxygen storage capacity of the mid-depth diving crested penguins is less understood. For this challenge, I measured the concentrations of hemoglobin and hematocrit in three species of crested penguins (Fiordland penguin/tawaki, erect-crested penguin, BloodVitals and Eastern rockhopper penguin) in New Zealand to check oxygen storage capability and dive depth/time. Data analysis for this undertaking is still underway, however preliminary results suggest that the larger erect-crested penguin has the highest hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the three suggesting a higher oxygen storage capability in the blood and BloodVitals extra environment friendly transport of oxygen to the tissues permitting deeper or longer dives. Data from this venture was cited in New Zealand Geographic 2023 article The longer term is Written in Penguin Blood (see Media tab for BloodVitals hyperlinks). Publication of a short note containing these values is on deck for Notornis.

The Apple Watch Series 6 feels prefer it has perfected many of the features I preferred about its predecessor. It has a brighter all the time-on show, a extra powerful processor, quicker charging and two new colorful choices to choose from. But the feature I was most excited to check out was its new sensor that measures oxygen saturation within the blood (aka BloodVitals SPO2) with the faucet of a display. As somebody who panic-purchased a pulse oximeter at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and still checks her levels at the primary signal of a cough, the thought of getting one strapped to my wrist always was enough to pique my curiosity. But not like the ECG function on the Apple Watch, which has been tried, examined and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, together with the irregular coronary heart rhythm notifications, BloodVitals SPO2 on the Apple Watch nonetheless seems to be in its early levels. Navigating all this new data could be daunting for anyone who's not a medical skilled.

I bought an FDA-cleared pulse oximeter, the gadget medical doctors use to measure SpO2 in your fingertip, as a precaution when coronavirus circumstances in the US started to climb. Having low blood oxygen levels does not assure you've got COVID-19, however it is considered one of the main symptoms of the illness. I had read horror tales of people that waited too lengthy to go to the hospital and had died in their sleep because they did not realize their levels had dipped overnight. It is best to always test with a physician in case you are experiencing shortness of breath (one other symptom of COVID-19), even when a pulse oximeter says you're in a healthy vary, however I discovered comfort in figuring out that I may at the least use it as a reference if I ever skilled shortness of breath. That's not something you can do with the Apple Watch -- Apple says it should be used for wellness functions solely and not as a medical gadget, meaning you may need to take the outcomes with a grain of salt and should not use it to display screen for any kind of illness, BloodVitals which is what I had been hoping to get out of it.

But there could also be different advantages of getting it strapped on your wrist at all times. Very similar to a pulse oximeter, BloodVitals the Series 6 uses red and infrared gentle from its new sensor to find out the percentage of oxygen within the blood. But as a substitute of shining the light via your fingertip, it makes use of the light that's mirrored back from the blood vessels in your wrist to determine your oxygen levels based on the color of your blood. Through the setup process you are requested whether or not you need to activate BloodVitals SPO2 monitoring, BloodVitals which I did, but you may all the time return and disable it in the settings after the very fact. The very first thing I did after strapping on the Watch was open the Blood Oxygen app. It gives you a few recommendations on how you can get one of the best outcome and you'll want to relaxation your arm on a table or flat floor whereas the Watch is taking a reading.

Then the 15-second countdown begins and you're completed -- simple and painless. I got a 95% on my first read, which was lower than what I'm used to from my pulse oximeter. Anything above 90% is usually thought-about by clinicians to be within a wholesome range, however most often, greater is best. I examined it just a few extra instances and acquired slightly totally different outcomes within a few share points relying on whether or not I used to be fully still and silent through the check, where I had the watch positioned on my wrist and how tight the strap was. There are lots of elements that can have an effect on a reading, corresponding to skin temperature or the position of the sensors on the physique. Side-by-side with my pulse oximeter, the Apple Watch was usually off by about one or two factors, but sometimes spot on. What was extra interesting to me was the BloodVitals SPO2 information that collected over time in the Health app .