Aoyagi wins ASA member award for inventing pulse oximeters

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The late engineer Takuo Aoyagi has received the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Honorary Member Award for developing the technology for pulse oximeters, which became a lifeline for COVID-19 patients recuperating at home. 

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Nihon Kohden Corp., his former employer, announced on Oct. 12 that Aoyagi, who died last year at the age of 84, became the first Japanese to receive the honor.

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The ASA award recognizes individuals who have made internationally significant contributions in the field of anesthesiology.

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A pulse oximeter measures the blood oxygen level of a subject who puts a finger inside the device and is among the well-known medical technologies developed in Japan, along with gastroscopes.

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Aoyagi theorized the principle of pulse oximetry in 1974. Pulse oximeters developed based on the technology have helped improve the rate of saving the lives of patients with heart or lung diseases and are widely used by medical professionals across the globe.

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Pulse oximeters are also playing a vital role in determining the severity of the condition of COVID-19 patients and their treatment plans.

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