A device for measuring blood oxygen content comprises a blood oxygen
sensor interface, a signal processing unit, and a plurality of voltage
sampling points. A method for detecting fault in a blood oxygen sensor
comprises the steps of: connecting the blood oxygen sensor to the signal
processing unit; providing voltage signals by the signal processing unit
via a pair of testing terminals, for alternately driving two LEDs
connected in inverse-parallel with each other in the blood oxygen sensor;
sampling the voltages of the pair of testing terminals, respectively, and
determining the fault relevant to the LEDs based on the relationship of
the voltages; receiving current signals from a photodiode in the blood
oxygen sensor by the signal processing unit via another pair of
terminals, converting the received current signals into voltage signals,
and outputting positive voltage signals via a reverser and a follower,
respectively; and sampling the positive voltage signals respectively for
determining the fault relevant to the photodiode. Thus, the fault of the
sensor can be detected and determined by employing a plurality of
sampling points without the tissue to be measured of the human body,
thereby the output error due to the faults of the sensor can be avoided,
and the device can be maintained conveniently.