Masimo Rad-G Handheld Pulse Oximeter with Sensor

Masimo Rad-G Handheld Pulse Oximeter with Sensor, New

The Rad-G is a handheld pulse oximeter built around Masimo SET pulse oximetry, the measure-through-motion and low perfusion technology used in hospital monitors. It reads oxygen saturation, pulse rate, perfusion index, pleth variability index and respiration rate from the pleth, and shows the pleth waveform on screen alongside the numbers.

Most of what separates one handheld oximeter from another shows up in the two situations where a reading matters most: a patient who is moving and a patient who is cold, shut down or poorly perfused. A basic finger oximeter loses the signal in both, and the reading it gives instead is either absent or wrong. SET was developed to hold a reading through exactly those conditions, and its accuracy figures are quoted separately for no motion, motion and low perfusion rather than as a single best-case number.

Respiration rate from the pleth is the second reason this device exists. Rather than counting chest movements by eye, the Rad-G derives respiration rate from the same photoplethysmographic signal it uses for saturation, so oxygenation and respiratory rate come from one sensor on one finger. In screening work, and in the triage of respiratory illness, those two figures together carry most of the decision.

The device is built for use away from a bedside. The casing withstands drops from 1.8 m onto a hard surface, the internal lithium ion battery gives at least 24 hours of use and can be used while charging, and the whole unit weighs 0.27 kg. That combination suits community clinics, ambulance and transport work, care homes, school and occupational health rounds, and any setting where the oximeter travels rather than sitting on a trolley.

References

Features

• Masimo SET pulse oximetry, holding a reading through patient movement and low perfusion, which is where basic oximeters either lose the signal or report a wrong one.
• Five parameters from one sensor, covering oxygen saturation, pulse rate, perfusion index, pleth variability index and respiration rate from the pleth.
• Respiration rate from the pleth, derived from the same signal as saturation, so oxygenation and respiratory rate come from a single finger sensor rather than a separate count.
• Pleth waveform on screen, showing signal quality directly, so a reading taken on a poor trace can be recognised as such rather than trusted blindly.
• Configurable alarms, flagging changes in patient status that may need intervention.
• Rugged casing, built to withstand drops from 1.8 m onto a hard surface, which is the difference between a device that survives field use and one that is replaced twice a year.
• At least 24 hours of battery use from the internal lithium ion pack, usable while charging, so a full clinic day needs no swap and no disposable cells.
• 0.27 kg and slim, at 7.4 by 19.8 by 2.5 cm, so it travels in a pocket or a bag rather than needing a trolley.
• Works across ages, with accuracy specified for adults, paediatrics and infants and sensors available across that range.

Important notice

Sensors and compatibility. A pulse oximeter is only as good as the sensor on the patient. This device is used with Masimo sensors specified for it, and the sensor must be the right type and size for the patient, since a sensor that is too large or wrongly positioned gives a poor trace and an unreliable reading. Reusable sensors are cleaned between patients to the manufacturer's instructions, and single patient use sensors are not reissued. Check the sensor lead and connector for damage before every use, and replace any sensor with a cracked housing, a damaged cable or a bent connector pin.

Clinical limitations. Pulse oximetry measures oxygen saturation and does not measure ventilation, carbon dioxide or haemoglobin concentration. Readings can be affected by poor perfusion, motion, ambient light, nail varnish, artificial nails, intravascular dyes, carboxyhaemoglobin, methaemoglobin and severe anaemia, and accuracy in patients with deeply pigmented skin has been the subject of published concern. A reading is interpreted alongside the clinical picture and never used alone as the basis for a decision. Alarms are set to the receiving organisation's own protocols and not left as found.

Verification and maintenance. This is a measuring device. Functional performance is verified against a suitable simulator or reference on receipt and thereafter to local policy, alongside electrical safety testing of the charger and device. Ongoing maintenance and periodic testing sit with the organisation operating the equipment under PUWER 1998. Where a device is used to inform clinical decisions, its calibration and inspection record should be maintained accordingly.

Information on this page is provided for guidance and does not replace advice from a qualified clinician. Always read the manufacturer's instructions before use, and check that a device is suitable for the patient and the prescribed therapy.