Irvine, California September 5, 2006 -
Masimo, the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry and Read-Through Motion and
Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today announced it has received a
prestigious Medical Design Excellence Gold Award for its innovative new
Masimo Rainbow SET Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter.
The Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter is the first and only device
that allows clinicians to detect and continuously monitor carbon
monoxide levels in the bloodstream non-invasively. In clinical studies
and in the field, Masimo Rainbow SET is already proving itself
effective in detecting carbon monoxide poisoning in seconds, allowing
accurate diagnosis and early treatment of a life-threatening problem
that is frequently misdiagnosed as flu or migraine. Masimo has also
recently received FDA clearance for the noninvasive measurement of
methemoglobin levels in the blood. A recent Johns Hopkins study found
that methemoglobinemia, a potentially lethal condition that starves the
tissues of oxygen, is much more common in hospitalized patients than
previously realized.
Joe E. Kiani, Chairman & CEO of Masimo stated, "We are honored
to receive this Medical Design Excellence Gold Award. We received
a similar award years ago when we introduced the Radical Signal
Extraction Pulse Oximeter, which was the first technology to measure
oxygen saturation and pulse rate during motion and low perfusion.
We take much pride that the second breakthrough in oximetry is once
again developed by our engineering team. With our new
Masimo Rainbow SET platform, we are collecting a much more rich data
stream separated from interference, enabling us to distinguish
additional blood constituents. Our clinical and engineering teams are
currently working to identify and qualify additional Rainbow
parameters. We thank the organizers of the MDEA program for this award
and their recognition of this innovative platform, and I thank our
engineering team for their brilliant efforts and tireless progress."
The Medical Design Excellence Awards competition is organized and
presented by Canon Communications LLC (Los Angeles) and is the only
awards program that exclusively recognizes contributions and advances
in the design of medical products. Entries are evaluated on the basis
of their design and engineering features, including innovative use of
materials, user-related functions that improve healthcare delivery and
change traditional medical attitudes or practices, features that
provide enhanced benefits to the patient, and the ability of the
product development team to overcome design and engineering challenges
so the product meets its clinical objectives. A comprehensive review of
the entries was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of
third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human
factors, industrial design, medicine, and diagnostics.
About Masimo
Masimo develops innovative
monitoring technologies that significantly improve patient care-
helping solve "unsolvable" problems. In 1995, the company debuted
Read-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, known as SET, and
with it virtually eliminated false alarms and increased pulse
oximetry's ability to detect life-threatening events. Over 70
independent clinical studies have confirmed that Masimo SET technology
allows clinicians to accurately monitor blood oxygen saturation in
critical care situations. In 2005 Masimo introduced Rainbow SET and
with it, Pulse CO-Oximetry, which, for the first time, noninvasively
monitors the level of carbon monoxide and methemoglobin in the blood,
allowing early detection and treatment of potentially life-threatening
conditions.
Masimo, founded in 1989, has the mission of "Improving Patient
Outcome and Reducing Cost of Care by Taking Noninvasive Monitoring to
New Sites and Applications." Additional information about Masimo and
its products may be found at www.masimo.com
Masimo, SET, Signal Extraction Technology and
Improving and Reducing Cost of Care by Taking Noninvasive Monitoring to
New Sites and Applications are registered trademarks of Masimo Corp.
Rainbow and Pulse CO-Oximetry are trademarks of Masimo Labs.
Contact: Tom McCall
Masimo Corporation
949-297-7075