Acutel OWL Aviation Oximeter

Although there are Federal regulations for the use of oxygen when flying, many pilots who fly at high altitudes and physicians would recommend the use of oxygen at altitudes even lower than the Federal Aviation Regulations requires. Depending on individual physiology, some pilots may begin to experience signs / symptoms of hypoxia at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet. One of the biggest problems of detecting the onset of hypoxia is that a person usually doesn’t know they are experiencing the symptoms until it’s too late. Acutel has a solution for detecting this subtle, yet potentially dangerous condition. Enter the OWL, the latest technology for the early warning of hypoxia. Using accurate noninvasive oximeter technology, the OWL can detect blood oxygen concentration through the use of a small sensor placed on the tip of a finger or in a headband.

The oximeter will determine if the oxygen concentration of the blood becomes too low and alert the pilot of potential hypoxia conditions. At an oxygen saturation of 90%, the OWL will alert the pilot through standard aviation headphones with an audible “caution” message. If the saturation should drop below 85%, the OWL will sound a “warning” message. As an added feature, the OWL will give saturation readings on demand-- at the push of a button.

The OWL will also alert the user in the event the batteries become low by an audible “caution” and a visual indication with a red LED.

The greatest advantage of the OWL is that it will “speak” to the user to alert for low blood oxygen saturation. This enables the pilot to concentrate on flying the aircraft instead of requiring the constant monitoring of a display. This can be important when flying IFR, where a pilot must focus on the aircraft instruments. The OWL is also the only oximeter with a sensor intended for continuous monitoring.

Acutel Inc.

The OWL Aviation Oximeter