Masimo's Radius VSM Transforms Patient Monitoring with Wearable Continuous Assessment Technology

Masimo has unveiled its Radius VSM, a tetherless wearable vital signs monitor that just secured CE marking for limited European market release. This innovative device represents a significant shift in how healthcare providers approach continuous patient surveillance, combining portability with clinical-grade measurement accuracy.

Comprehensive Monitoring in a Wearable Form Factor

The Radius VSM integrates multiple vital sign measurements into a single wearable platform, delivering capabilities that previously required multiple bedside devices. The system includes Masimo’s proprietary SET® pulse oximetry technology, which continuously tracks oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate while maintaining accuracy even during patient movement and low perfusion states. Beyond pulse oximetry, the device provides real-time electrocardiography (ECG) with advanced lethal arrhythmia detection using a 3-lead configuration, noninvasive blood pressure monitoring with customizable measurement intervals, body temperature tracking with threshold-based alerts, and acoustic respiration rate monitoring through rainbow Acoustic Monitoring® technology.

This multi-parameter approach allows clinical teams to access comprehensive physiological data without constraining patients to bedside equipment, fundamentally changing how continuous monitoring can be deployed across different care settings.

Modular Design Meets Clinical Flexibility

What distinguishes Radius VSM from traditional monitors is its scalable architecture. Healthcare facilities can configure the device based on specific patient needs—adding or removing monitoring capabilities without additional infrastructure or bedside clutter. The modular platform adapts to surges in patient volume and varying acuity levels, making it equally suitable for post-operative recovery units, general wards, or ambulatory care scenarios.

The device operates as a standalone unit or integrates wirelessly with Masimo’s bedside monitors and surveillance systems. This dual-mode functionality automates data transfer to electronic medical records (EMRs), eliminating manual transcription and ensuring clinicians have up-to-date physiological information accessible throughout the hospital network.

Practical Features for the Clinical Environment

The Radius VSM’s engineering reflects real-world hospital demands. Its high-resolution touchscreen displays up to four hours of trend and waveform data locally on the device, providing immediate clinical context during patient interactions. The rechargeable battery delivers over twelve hours of operation between charges, with two devices supplied per bedside to ensure continuous functionality. The rugged exterior withstands the demanding hospital environment, resisting drops up to one meter and offering water resistance.

Connectivity options include Bluetooth communication with Masimo’s Root Patient Monitoring hub for enhanced bedside visibility and Wi-Fi connectivity to the Patient SafetyNet Supplemental Remote Monitoring system. This remote capability proves particularly valuable in infection control scenarios—clinicians can monitor patient status and receive automated alerts without physical proximity, reducing cross-contamination risks in contexts like COVID-19 or other contagious conditions.

Clinical Outcomes Through Continuous Assessment

Research demonstrates that wearable continuous monitoring combined with patient mobility accelerates recovery outcomes. By eliminating tether constraints, Radius VSM encourages ambulation—a factor studies confirm significantly improves patient recovery trajectories. The device’s customizable blood pressure scheduling eliminates unnecessary periodic measurements, with inflation speeds adapting to whether patients are resting or ambulatory, minimizing sleep disruption and improving overall care experience.

The acoustic respiration monitoring represents another clinical advantage, converting airflow patterns into breath cycle calculations and generating visual waveform data without contact-based sensors, enhancing patient comfort during extended monitoring periods.

Masimo’s Track Record in Noninvasive Measurement

Masimo’s SET® pulse oximetry technology, introduced in 1995, has been validated through over 100 independent clinical studies demonstrating superior performance compared to conventional pulse oximetry. The technology is estimated to monitor over 200 million patients globally in leading hospitals and healthcare facilities. The system ranks as the primary pulse oximetry solution in 9 of the top 10 hospitals according to the 2020-21 U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll.

Beyond pulse oximetry, Masimo’s rainbow® measurement platform enables noninvasive continuous monitoring of blood constituents previously requiring invasive measurement—including total hemoglobin (SpHb®), oxygen content (SpOC™), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO®), and methemoglobin (SpMet®). The company’s hospital automation solutions center around the Root Patient Monitoring platform and associated systems like Patient SafetyNet, designed for maximum flexibility and expandability.

Market Implications and Future Availability

Joe Kiani, Masimo’s Founder and CEO, emphasized that “Radius VSM offers the reliability and accuracy of a bedside monitor with the flexibility of a wearable device, thus opening the door to numerous new uses, made possible by its unique scalability and broad range of automated, continuous measurements.”

The limited European release marks the beginning of broader global distribution pending regulatory clearances. The device’s combination of clinical-grade measurement accuracy, wearable portability, and automated data integration positions it as a potential standard for next-generation patient monitoring across diverse healthcare environments—from acute care settings to recovery wards to ambulatory care models.

For clinicians and healthcare systems seeking to balance comprehensive patient surveillance with patient mobility and comfort, Radius VSM represents a meaningful evolution in continuous monitoring technology.