A study in Birmingham is examining whether blood oxygen can be measured through a patient's ear rather than the fingertip, according to bbc.co.uk. The trial puts ear-based oxygen monitoring up against the fingertip checks that are routinely used in clinical settings. The report was published by the BBC on Monday, 28 September 2026.
The comparison matters because fingertip pulse oximetry is the familiar way oxygen saturation is tracked, while the ear offers a different site for the same kind of reading. According to bbc.co.uk, the Birmingham work is designed to test the ear approach directly against the fingertip method rather than in isolation. The BBC's headline frames the study as a test of ear oxygen monitoring over fingertip checks.
Details of the trial's design, the number of participants, and its results were not included in the material available. The BBC report does not specify which institution is running the study or how long it will last.
What to watch next: whether the Birmingham researchers publish findings that show how ear readings compare with fingertip measurements, and whether the approach moves toward wider clinical use.
