SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation)
The percentage of haemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen. Normal resting SpO2 is 95-100%. Drops below 90% during sleep are clinically significant.
What Is SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation)?
SpO2 (peripheral capillary oxygen saturation) is the percentage of haemoglobin molecules in the blood that are carrying oxygen, measured non-invasively using a pulse oximeter. Normal resting SpO2 is 95 to 100%. During sleep, brief dips may occur normally, but sustained or frequent drops indicate breathing disruption.
In the context of sleep-disordered breathing, SpO2 drops (desaturations) occur when breathing events reduce oxygen delivery to the lungs. The oxygen drop typically lags the breathing event by 20 to 40 seconds due to circulatory transit time. SpO2 values below 90% during sleep are considered clinically significant, and below 85% indicates severe desaturation.
AirwayLab's oximetry pipeline provides comprehensive SpO2 analysis from Viatom/Checkme O2 Max data, including mean SpO2, nadir (lowest) SpO2, ODI-3 and ODI-4 (desaturation events per hour), time below 90% and 94%, and H1/H2 night-split comparisons. SpO2 data adds an independent oxygen-level dimension to the flow-based analysis from the four main engines.
Normal Ranges
How AirwayLab Measures This
The Oximetry Pipeline processes SpO2 data from Viatom/Checkme O2 Max CSV exports. It applies a cleaning pipeline (buffer zone trimming, motion filter, invalid sample removal, range validation) before computing summary statistics, desaturation indices, and time-below-threshold metrics.
Try it with your dataFrequently Asked Questions
What pulse oximeter works with AirwayLab?
AirwayLab supports CSV exports from the Viatom/Checkme O2 Max wrist pulse oximeter. The CSV should contain SpO2 and heart rate columns with timestamps. Other oximeters may work if their CSV format matches.
What SpO2 level is concerning during sleep?
Mean SpO2 above 95% is considered good on PAP therapy. Values between 92-95% are borderline. Below 92% warrants clinical attention. Single dips below 90% are worth tracking, and sustained time below 90% is clinically significant.
Related Terms
Medical Disclaimer
AirwayLab is not a medical device and is not FDA-cleared or CE-marked. It is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The analysis results should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult qualified healthcare providers regarding your sleep therapy and any changes to PAP settings.