Masimo and Newborn Foundation Jointly Announce Mobile Health Initiative to Reduce Global Newborn Mortality

Monday, December 9, 2013

Masimo today announced the launch of iSpO2(TM) Rx Pulse Oximeter with M-LNCS(TM) connector, enabling adhesive sensor use on newborns for accurate and cost-effective screening with mobile devices in low-resource settings. iSpO2 Rx features Masimo SET(R) technology — shown through studies to be the most accurate pulse oximetry during challenging conditions and proven to help clinicians identify life-threatening conditions in newborns. iSpO2 Rx, available outside the U.S., provides accurate oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate (PR), and perfusion index (PI) results from an iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and soon on select mobile devices for Android(TM).

iSpO2 Rx, announced ahead of the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C., Dec. 8-11, is the lynchpin of an ongoing collaboration with the Newborn Foundation, and marks the debut of the BORN Project — Birth Oximetry Routine for Newborns — the first global health initiative to reduce infant mortality through earlier detection of illness, disease and congenital birth defects through access to mobile-enabled technology that measures blood-oxygen levels in newborns. Until now, available pulse oximeters in low-resource settings have been inaccurate, lacked the ability to use adhesive sensors required for screening newborns, and were unable to simply and wirelessly transfer test results.

Globally, about 3.3 million newborns die within the first month of life, with neonatal infection, sepsis, pneumonia and birth defects among the major killers, according to the World Health Organization. The BORN Project was developed to help reduce neonatal mortality, a critical Millennium Development Goal, by deploying accessible and effective mobile technology targeting early detection of several of the major causes of newborn death. Clinical studies have shown that pulse oximetry screening can help detect conditions such as pneumonia, early-onset sepsis, neonatal infection and pulmonary hypertension, in addition to congenital heart defects.

Source: The Newborn Foundation (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care, Technology
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healthcare technology, reproductive health