3D printing technology and internet of things prototyping in family practice: building pulse oximeters during COVID-19 pandemic

Family doctors can have an active role in identifying significant population needs and solutions. During the COVID-19 epidemic, patient home monitoring with pulse oximetry has been a key aspect of care of patients. However, pandemics bring shortage of medical equipment such as pulse oximeters. Through the local maker community, in a matter of days four “smart” pulse oximeters were built. Following Internet of Things principles, the prototypes were programmed to transmit real-time data through Wi-Fi directly to the doctors. Each pulse oximeter served a family doctor during the pandemic. In this article we describe the process that led to the production of the technology and provide detailed instructions, which have also been shared in maker-oriented websites. Dissemination can potentially lead to additional small-scale productions, limiting future shortages. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41205-020-00086-1.