Advanced hypoxicators have a built-in pulse oximeter used to monitor and in some cases control the temporary reduction of arterial oxygen saturation that results in physiological responses evident at both systemic and cellular levels even after only a few minutes of hypoxia.
[citation needed] The term hypoxicator was suggested by Russian scientists in 1985 to describe a new class of devices for Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) – an emerging drug-free treatment for a wide range of degenerative disorders and for simulated altitude training used to achieve greater endurance performance[3] as well as offering pre-acclimatisation for mountaineers – minimising the risk of succumbing to acute mountain sickness on a subsequent ascent.
[citation needed] Studies have also shown that hypoxic air treatment may increase the recovery speed and endurance of spinal cord injuries.
[citation needed] Pulse oximeters should be used to monitor the level of arterial oxygen saturation that is the basic measure of hypoxic training dosage.
[citation needed] This type of equipment has been validated as a cost-effective and safe method of assessing respiratory patients' response to the reduced levels of oxygen onboard commercial passenger flights.