Masimo Gets SpHb Clearance in Japan - Analyst Blog - Masimo (NASDAQ:MASI)

Masimo Corporation (MASI), a leading developer, manufacturer and seller of patient monitoring technologies, recently announced regulatory clearance for its non-invasive and continuous hemoglobin (SpHb) measurement from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan.

SpHb is available as an integral part of the Masimo Rainbow SET technology platform. Its clearance by the MHLW ensures that this technology, which provides for real-time results, will become universally available for clinicians in Japan . As elsewhere, clinician acceptance is expected to be favorable in a wide range of health care settings, both inside and outside the operating room, from the intensive care unit to less acute settings, such as the physician office.

SpHb provides a reading of hemoglobin levels without the drawbacks associated with traditional blood tests, such as the utilization of needles, requirement for time-consuming, laboratory-based analysis and risk of contamination. It therefore represents a breakthrough in the efforts to monitor a patient's hemoglobin level.

In practice, this technology is expected to assist medical practitioners decide if a patient suffers from a low hemoglobin level (or anemia) and enable early determination of internal bleeding, which, in turn, will facilitate more rapid blood transfusion.

Some of the other physiological measurements available as part of the Masimo Rainbow SET include features such as carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO), Pleth Variability Index (PVI), methemoglobin (SpMet), oxygen content (SpOC), and acoustic respiration rate (RRa). Other features include the Measure-Through Motion as well as Low Perfusion performance of Masimo SET oxyhemoglobin (SpO2).

One of Masimo's major competitors is Covidien plc (COV), from whom it enjoys a royalty stream, which may end in the foreseeable future. We currently have a Neutral rating on Masimo.

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