Frankfurt am Main Emergency Medical Services Makes Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeters Mandatory for All Vehicles

August 26, 2010
One of Largest Cities in Germany Mandates Carbon Monoxide Screening with Masimo rainbow SpCO(R)

IRVINE, Calif., Aug 26, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Frankfurt am Main Emergency Medical Services (EMS)in Germany and Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI), the inventor of rainbow(R) Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM), rainbow Acoustic Monitoring(TM), and Masimo SET(R) Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today jointly announced that every EMS vehicle in the city of Frankfurt, Germany will be equipped with a Masimo Rad-57(R) Pulse CO-Oximeter--making carbon monoxide (CO) screening by Pulse CO-Oximetry a city-wide EMS requirement.

Frankfurt am Main is the first city in Germany to mandate the use of Masimo Rad-57 for CO screening and to equip every ambulance in town with this lifesaving technology. More than 30 Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeters, which noninvasively measure the amount of CO in the bloodstream, were purchased to protect the health and safety of Frankfurt citizens and paramedics from the dangers of undetected CO poisoning.

Carbon monoxide--an odorless, colorless, toxic gas that is impossible to see, taste or smell--is the leading cause of injury and death by poisoning worldwide. Also known as the "silent killer", CO can kill before you are aware you are being poisoned. According to the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, approximately 2 billion people worldwide are at risk and an estimated 1.6 million premature deaths occur worldwide each year due to CO poisoning.

Dr. Leo Latasch, Medical Director for the Frankfurt am Main EMS, commented: "With the Rad-57, our paramedics just slip the noninvasive finger sensor on the patient and press a button. Within seconds they can see the carbon monoxide and oxygen saturation levels in the blood, as well as pulse rate, right there on-the-spot--without having to draw a single drop of blood."

Masimo Founder and CEO, Joe Kiani, stated, "The decision to equip every fire vehicle in the city with Masimo Rad-57s shows that Frankfurt has an unwavering commitment to protect both their citizens and their own EMS professionals from the devastating short and long-term effects of CO poisoning. We commend their leadership in establishing a city-wide policy for CO screening by the Masimo rainbow Rad-57."

About Frankfurt am Main Emergency Medical Services

Frankfurt am Main is a very busy and densely populated city that is home to a number of international companies and 229 bank institutions, including the Central Bank of Germany and the European Central Bank, and the largest European airport. Frankfurt am Main EMS is facilitated by the Frankfurt fire department in partnership with several health organizations, like the Red Cross, to provide ambulance services. The dispatch center coordinates 30-35 ambulances and one helicopter within a 249 square kilometer area--processing approximately 85,000 emergency calls per year.

About Masimo

Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI) is the global leader in innovative noninvasive monitoring technologies that significantly improve patient care--helping solve "unsolvable" problems. In 1995, the company debuted Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, known as Masimo SET(R), which virtually eliminated false alarms and increased pulse oximetry's ability to detect life-threatening events. More than 100 independent and objective studies demonstrate Masimo SET provides the most reliable SpO2 and pulse rate measurements even under the most challenging clinical conditions, including patient motion and low peripheral perfusion. In 2005, Masimo introduced rainbow(R) Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM), allowing noninvasive and continuous monitoring of blood constituents that previously required invasive procedures, including total hemoglobin (SpHb(R)), oxygen content (SpOC(TM)), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO(R)), methemoglobin (SpMet(R)), and Pleth Variability Index (PVI(R)), in addition to SpO2, pulse rate, and perfusion index (PI). In 2008, Masimo introduced Patient SafetyNet(TM), a remote monitoring and wireless clinician notification system designed to help hospitals avoid preventable deaths and injuries associated with failure to rescue events. In 2009, Masimo introduced rainbow Acoustic Monitoring(TM), the first-ever noninvasive and continuous monitoring of acoustic respiration rate (RRa(TM)). Masimo's rainbow platform offers a breakthrough in patient safety by helping clinicians detect life-threatening conditions and helping guide treatment options. In 2010, Masimo acquired SEDLine(R), a pioneer in the development of innovative brain function monitoring technology and devices. Masimo SET and Masimo rainbow SET technologies can be also found in over 100 multiparameter patient monitors from over 50 medical device manufacturers around the world. Founded in 1989, Masimo has the mission of "Improving Patient Outcome and Reducing Cost of Care ... by Taking Noninvasive Monitoring to New Sites and Applications(R)." Additional information about Masimo and its products may be found at http://www.masimo.com/.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in connection with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations about future events affecting us and are subject to risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control and could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in our forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors, including, but not limited to: risks related to our belief that Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeters will help paramedics to noninvasively measure carbon monoxide levels within seconds for all patients, risks related to our assumptions that using the Rad-57 will help to protect the health and safety of Frankfurt citizens and paramedics from the dangers of undetected CO poisoning, as well as other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which may be obtained for free at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know whether our expectations will prove correct. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of today's date. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements or the "Risk Factors" contained in our most recent reports filed with the SEC, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under the applicable securities laws. 
Media Contacts:
    Dana Banks                                 Prof. Dr. Leo Latasch
    Masimo Corporation                     Frankfurt am Main Emergency Medical Services
    (949) 297-7348                             +49 69 212 33813
    dbanks@masimo.com                  leo.latasch@stadt-frankfurt.de


Masimo, SET, Signal Extraction Technology, Improving Patient Outcome and Reducing Cost of Care... by Taking Noninvasive Monitoring to New Sites and Applications, rainbow, SpHb, SpOC, SpCO, SpMet, PVI, rainbow Acoustic Monitoring, RRa, Radical-7, Rad-87, Rad-57,Rad-8, Rad-5,Pulse CO-Oximetry, Pulse CO-Oximeter, and SEDLine are trademarks or registered trademarks of Masimo Corporation.

SOURCE Masimo