It took a high-altitude scare for Van’s†‬RV-10†‬builder and Aithre founder Jim†‬Rutler to develop an interesting new†‬product that allows for full-time SpO2â€â€ ‬monitoring and alertingâ€. ‬SpO2†‬is the†‬shorthand way of describing oxygen saturation in the bloodâ€, ‬a good way to know†‬if you need to add supplemental oxygen†‬or to descend during high-altitude flyingâ€. ‬
The Illyrianâ€, ‬which measures SpO2â€â€ ‬under the earlobe with a sensor that†‬attaches to a headset earcup†(‬or the†‬forehead with a sport wrapâ€), ‬is a bold†‬departure from traditional finger pulse-ox devicesâ€. ‬The Illyrian device got my attention while browsing the†‬“innovations building”†‬at last-year’s AirVenture because there has been a slow progression of gadgets for minding pilot and†‬passenger healthâ€. ‬Sureâ€, ‬finger pulseâ€-‬ox devices get the job doneâ€, ‬but they don’t allow for full-time monitoringâ€. ‬If you’re hypoxicâ€, ‬you might not have the smarts to take a samplingâ€, ‬plus there’s added workload when monitoring passengersâ€. ‬The Illyrian sensorâ€, ‬which uses a smartphone app for connecting with†‬multiple sensorsâ€, ‬solves the problemâ€. ‬I’ve been using the device for a couple of months‮—‬here’s a field reportâ€.‬
The Hardware
Need a quick review on pulse oximetryâ€? ‬No matter how it’s packagedâ€, ‬a sensor shines a visible red and an infrared beam of light†(‬through the finger or toeâ€, ‬to name two bodily locationsâ€) ‬to detect the changes in color of the arterial bloodâ€. ‬Once the device computesâ€, ‬it displays†‬the measured blood oxygen saturation level on a displayâ€. ‬The Illyrian sensor is different only in that it measures below the earlobe orâ€, ‬if you wishâ€, ‬on the forehead while a sport headwrap keeps the sensor in placeâ€.‬
The main hardware consists of the†‬SpO2â€â€ ‬sensorâ€, ‬which has a built-in†‬Bluetooth transmitter and antenna that sits in a small junction box on†‬the bottom of the sensor’s cableâ€. ‬That’s a good design because it keeps the transmitting antenna away from the headâ€. ‬The†‬sensor automatically pairs and streams†‬the measured data to the smartphone†‬without any user action‮—‬the whole idea behind the Illyrianâ€.‬

Since the system needs battery voltage to operateâ€, ‬it comes with a portable USB power bankâ€, ‬though you can plug it in to a panel†‬USB power port if you don’t want to deal with the power supplyâ€. ‬The†‬power bank has minimal controls‮—‬a†‬power buttonâ€, ‬five battery life indicators and a handy flashlight functionâ€. ‬It’s charged via Micro-USB input and lasts a long time between chargesâ€. ‬I’ve been using it for a couple of months during my trialsâ€, ‬on a single chargeâ€. ‬Not any portable power bank will do since the Illyrian draws so little current some smart power banks will power offâ€, ‬falsely sensing that nothing is connectedâ€. ‬There’s roughly 38†‬inches of cable length to work withâ€, ‬from the base of the sensor to the base of the USB connector on the other endâ€,‬†‬so keep that in mind if you plan to plug it into ship’s USB powerâ€.‬
Using It

I evaluated the device with my Bose†‬A20†‬headsetâ€, ‬and included is a coil cable wrap for keeping the sensor’s interface†‬cable intertwined with the headset’s†‬down cableâ€. ‬These days I hate wired†‬interfacesâ€, ‬and this one is tolerable‮—‬barely‮—‬with the coil cable wrapâ€. ‬I also evaluated the device with a Masimo†‬MightySat‮—‬my go-toâ€, ‬high-accuracy†‬pulse oximeter I’ve learned to rely on in the airplane and also for endurance cycling trainingâ€. ‬I also threw Garmin’s D2†‬Delta PX aviator’s watch in the mixâ€. ‬It has a wrist-based SpO2â€â€ ‬and heart-rate sensor built into the watch’s chassisâ€. ‬What I’ve learned to like about it is its basic data display in the Garmin†‬Pilot smartphone appâ€, ‬but I’ve also†‬learned to accept its measuring limitationsâ€. ‬The heart rate data lagsâ€, ‬and the SpO2â€â€ ‬measuring is finicky at best‮—‬accurate when it gets a clean sampleâ€, ‬which it doesn’t always getâ€.‬
The Illyrian’s readings†(‬as measured under the earlobeâ€) ‬were consistently close†‬to the Masimo’s finger measurementsâ€. ‬Slapping the sensor on the forehead yielded good resultsâ€, ‬tooâ€, ‬but admittedly not everyone will want to wear the headwrap to keep it in placeâ€. ‬One caveatâ€, ‬says the companyâ€: ‬Women and children might get inconsistent readings below the earlobe and I couldn’t substantiate this so far in my trials when passing it around the cabinâ€.‬

A Decent App

You monitor SpO2â€â€ ‬on the Aithre Connect smartphone appâ€, ‬which is refreshingly simple and has a shallow menu structureâ€. ‬The Aithre†‬Connect app can simultaneously connect with up to six Illyrian oximeters†(‬that’s a huge workload reducer when flying high with passengersâ€), ‬and at press time the company was offering a 50%†‬discount for a second oximeterâ€. ‬I like that the Aithre Connect app notes the sampling quality of the SpO2â€â€ ‬and blood pressure readings below the displayed valuesâ€. ‬That means if you get a reading that doesn’t quite look rightâ€, ‬you can dismiss it as a bum sample‮—‬and then adjust the sensorâ€. ‬
You start by turning the Apple Siri/popup notifications on in the appâ€. ‬For alertingâ€, ‬the default warnings trigger when the SpO2â€â€ ‬drops below 92%†‬and then again below 85%‮—‬which is indeed†‬hypoxicâ€. ‬You can also specify custom†‬SpO2â€â€ ‬warning levels within the Settings tab of the appâ€. ‬But the app falls short in that the warnings are provided only onceâ€, ‬“so as to avoid them being a nuisanceâ€,‬”†‬says the instructions manualâ€. ‬I think that should be user-controlled and the company says it is working on that in a future releaseâ€.‬

The app has an easy to decipher time-trend†(‬up to 12†‬hoursâ€) ‬graph for SpO2â€â€ ‬and heart rate that’s overlaid against pressure altitudeâ€. ‬The app is also interactiveâ€, ‬offering regular hypoxia risk testing with custom interval quizzesâ€. ‬Wear an Apple Watchâ€? ‬It’ll come in†‬handy with this deviceâ€. ‬The Aithre†‬Connect iOS app includes a companion WatchOS app that tags along with the free downloadâ€. ‬It’s installed automatically on the Apple Watch once the iOS device downloads the Connect appâ€. ‬In turnâ€, ‬the WatchOS app will display the SpO2â€â€ ‬and blood pressure automatically when the Illyrian is paired with the main iOS deviceâ€. ‬I don’t use an Apple Watch but for those who doâ€, ‬I think it will be more†‬convenient than keeping the Aithre†‬Connect app open all the time to monitor the biometrics dataâ€, ‬though the app does work in the backgroundâ€. ‬It doesn’t work with third-party apps and I’d like to see an interface with ForeFlightâ€, ‬Garmin Pilot and the Seattle FlyQ appâ€, ‬to name a fewâ€. ‬
Speaking of third-party systemsâ€, ‬the†‬company at AirVenture was showing†‬an onscreen biometrics interface with a Garmin G3X Touch display and an Advanced Flight Systems displayâ€. ‬The†‬interface uses the Aithre Shield EX†‬3.0‮—‬a device that’s integral to the company’s carbon monoxide and oxygen-tank pressure measuring systemsâ€, ‬which also display on the Aithre Connect appâ€. ‬We’ll†‬look at these worthwhile devices and†‬their interfaces in a later issueâ€.‬

Fair Price, Good Performer
These are my surface observations after†‬using the Illyrian and the accompanying appâ€. ‬Priced at†$‬169†‬and now distributed by Sporty’sâ€, ‬Aircraft Spruce and Pilot Mallâ€, ‬to name a fewâ€, ‬the device is simple and simplifies the chore of keeping tabs†‬on your†(‬and passengers’â€) ‬SpO2â€â€ ‬levelsâ€. ‬Company founder Jim Rutler saw that exact need firsthand when he and his passengers ran out of oxygen in his RV-10†‬on a high-flying tripâ€, ‬something that could have ended with an NTSB†‬reportâ€. ‬“In my RVâ€, ‬I have so many†‬advanced avionics including synthetic visionâ€, ‬I can precisely measure parameters down to the exhaust temperature in a cylinder and I have multiple ways†‬to look at fuel flowâ€, ‬but on that one†‬passenger-carrying trip I couldn’t effectively monitor the O2†‬supply and everyone’s blood-oxygen levelsâ€,‬”†‬Rutler saidâ€. ‬Warts and allâ€, ‬I think his Illyrian full-time pulse ox monitoring system is just the right backstopâ€.
For more information, contact Aithre Aviation at 208-481-8310, or visit aithreaviation.com.
Photos: Larry Anglisano and courtesy of the manufacturer.