Mexico City, March 24, 2026.—In a world where medical innovation is advancing by leaps and bounds, a team of researchers from the School of Engineering at the Universidad Panamericana taken a significant step toward the medicine of the future. It is the portable device for estimating oxygen saturation through video capture, a technology that promises to revolutionize the way one of the most important vital signs is monitored.
On February 10, 2026, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) granted Utility Model No. 6105 to Centros Culturales de México, A.C. for this invention, an achievement that recognizes the work of Drs. Jorge Eduardo Brieva Rico and Ernesto Moya Albor, both professors and researchers at the Panamericana University School of Engineering and currently recognized at Level I of the National System of Researchers and Investigators (SNII) of the Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (SECIHTI).
How does this technology work?
Unlike traditional pulse oximeters, which are placed on the fingertip and require physical contact, this device provides an accurate and reliable remote measurement of blood oxygen levels.
As Dr. Jorge Brieva explains, “This device provides an accurate and reliable measurement of blood oxygen levels, serving as an alternative to measurements obtained using a commercial oximeter, but with the advantage of being performed using a video of the patient’s face captured remotely and without direct contact with the patient.”
The motivation behind this development stems from very specific clinical needs. Dr. Ernesto Moya explains: “Although traditional oximeters are highly reliable, there are situations where direct contact with the patient is not possible or advisable, such as when monitoring patients with highly infectious diseases, patients with extensive burns and delicate skin, or in neonatal intensive care units, where infants are at high risk.”
The real innovation lies in its technical simplicity. While other similar devices require specialized light sources (such as infrared light) or high-end specialized cameras, this device uses a standard RGB camera, the kind found in any smartphone or laptop. The secret lies in an advanced algorithm.
“First, the proposed device captures a video of the patient’s face. Then, an algorithm using the Hermite transform—a technique that mimics how the human visual system works—is applied to amplify or magnify changes in facial coloration,” explains Dr. Brieva.
In this way, the device can detect subtle color variations in the patient’s face associated with oxyhemoglobin (oxygenated hemoglobin) and deoxyhemoglobin (deoxygenated hemoglobin), thereby estimating the level of oxygen saturation.
A milestone for applied research at UP
For the researchers, obtaining this utility model is much more than just legal recognition. “Obtaining this utility model is a source of pride for us, not only on a personal level as researchers, but also for the Universidad Panamericana a whole,”, says Dr. Moya.
He adds: “This is a testament to all the hard work and dedication—driven by a deep conviction over many years—to transform the Universidad Panamericana a research university and to underscore the importance of applied research and knowledge transfer.”
Dr. Brieva adds to this perspective: “It represents the commitment of researchers and the Universidad Panamericana generating technological developments and innovations that actively contribute to the frontiers of knowledge and the country’s technological development.”
This type of development, he adds, “enables position Mexico as a producer of devices and systems to support medical diagnosis, particularly in the development of devices for remote vital signs monitoring.”
Next steps toward clinical application
The path to clinical application continues. Currently, the device is at TRL 3, meaning it has passed experimental proof-of-concept testing. Researchers are already working to reach the next levels.
“The next steps are to continue developing the device to reach TRL 4 and TRL 5, at which point we will validate an initial prototype with integrated components in a laboratory setting under controlled conditions that simulate real-world conditions,” says Dr. Brieva.
This process involves integrating all the components into a working prototype and testing it in scenarios that closely mimic the conditions found in a hospital or healthcare facility. At the same time, the team continues to refine the methodology used, which is currently under review as part of a divisional patent application—a move that would further expand the protection and scope of this innovation.
Institutional support as a driving force
Behind this achievement lies years of work that has received crucial support from the Universidad Panamericana. Dr. Moya expresses his gratitude for the support provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Corporate Office of Innovation and Technology Transfer.
He notes: “The Universidad Panamericana has supported Universidad Panamericana from the very beginning; we were first selected to participate in a series of workshops as part of the ‘Call for the Registration and Intellectual Property Protection of Research, Technological Development, and Innovation Projects’.”
“After that, we received full support with the drafting, submission of the application, and all the procedures and requirements involved with the IMPI,” he recalls, highlighting the work of Dr. Juan Alberto González Piñón and Rodolfo Martínez Jiménez, M.A., in guiding us through the entire process with the IMPI.
A space for innovation
Projects like this one, which combine academic excellence with practical application and social impact, find Universidad Panamericana supportive environment for their development at the Universidad Panamericana .
The creation of the Center for Innovation and Technological Development (CINOV) reinforces this institutional commitment to applied research and technology transfer, providing a platform for initiatives such as those led by Drs. Brieva and Moya to continue progressing from concept to tangible impact on society.
Learn more about CINOV at: https://www.up.edu.mx/noticias/investigacion/la-universidad-panamericana-presenta-el-cinov-un-puente-entre-la-ciencia-y-la-industria-nacional/
