See the Difference

Masimo SET® vs. Nellcor OxiMax™ Pulse Oximetry

Learn the facts about pulse oximetry speed, accuracy, and performance across conditions and patient populations.

See the evidence

Watch

00:57

Video comparing Masimo SET and Nellcor OxiMax Pulse Oximetry.

Clinically Proven Technology

Masimo SET® pulse oximetry is a breakthrough technology that has outperformed conventional pulse oximetry in repeated studies across patient populations over time.1

Over 100
studies

have shown that Masimo SET® outperforms other pulse oximetry technologies.1

200 million
patients

are monitored by Masimo SET® pulse oximetry each year.2

All top 10
US hospitals

use Masimo SET® as their primary pulse oximetry technology3

Unrivaled
SpO2 accuracy

with RD SET® pulse oximetry sensors achieved through continued innovation.4

Superior Performance with Masimo SET®

The clinical evidence shows that Masimo SET® pulse oximetry outperforms Nellcor in critical areas affecting patient care.1

Discover how SET® provides:

Fast Readings

Does Masimo or Nellcor post readings faster?

Masimo was

45

seconds faster to post.5

Infant in incubator in neonatal intensive care unit being examined by a clinician with a stethoscope and monitored with a Masimo RD SET pulse oximetry sensor.

Masimo SET® Posts Readings Faster than Nellcor.

Trust the Evidence

  • In a study of 32 newborn infants during resuscitation, Masimo SET® was found to be over 45 seconds faster than Nellcor OxiMax (mean difference) to show stable readings of both SpO2 and pulse rate (21 seconds with Masimo SET® versus 67 seconds with Nellcor OxiMax), using the highest sensitivity* and two-second averaging setting.5†
  • Since Masimo SET® was significantly faster, the authors concluded that “[t]his may permit…better adjustments of inspired oxygen, aiding in the prevention of damage caused by unnecessary exposure to high or low oxygen.”5

See for yourself

Pulse Rate Accuracy

Does Masimo or Nellcor provide the more accurate pulse rate?

Masimo identified

5x

more bradycardic events.6

A newborn infant being screened by clinicians using a stethoscope and monitored with a Masimo Newborn pulse oximetry sensor.

Masimo SET® Provides a More Accurate Pulse Rate (PR).

Trust the Evidence

  • In a study comparing pulse oximetry performance in 26 non-sedated infants in the NICU, Masimo SET® identified 5x more bradycardic events than Nellcor OxiMax (86% with Masimo and 14% with Nellcor).6
  • The authors concluded that, “Masimo SET® also most closely reflected the ECG rate irrespective of accelerations or decelerations in HR.”6

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Accuracy in Motion

Is Masimo or Nellcor more accurate in motion?

Masimo had

2.5x

less PR artefact in motion.8

Dark-skinned patient being helped by nurse in scrubs walking down the hall in hospital gown wearing a Masimo Radius VSM monitor.

Masimo SET® Is More Accurate in Motion.

Trust the Evidence

  • Masimo RD SET sensors have 2x better SpO2 accuracy specification in motion, 1.5% ARMS,‡ than Medtronic Nellcor OxiMax sensors, which have 3% ARMS in the same range.4,7
  • In a study of 15 healthy infants, authors noted that the incidence of artefact (heart rate difference of 10+ beats between the pulse oximeter and ECG) was significantly lower with Masimo than with Nellcor (mean artefact: 25.2% vs. 63.8%, p<0.00001) during circumcision, a period in which extreme motion is likely.8

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Accuracy in Dark Skin

How do Masimo and Nellcor perform on people with dark skin?

Masimo showed

70%

less SpO2 bias in dark skin.9

Dark-skinned patient in hospital bed being monitored with a Masimo RD SET pulse oximetry sensor and Radical-7 pulse oximeter docked in a Root device.

Masimo SET® Performs More Accurately in Dark Skin.

Trust the Evidence

  • A peer-reviewed publication demonstrated that Masimo RD SET sensors had a 0.15% difference in bias between dark- and light-skinned subjects,10 which is not clinically significant because pulse oximeters only measure in whole numbers.12
  • In an independent study of 36 infants with hypoxemia comparing SpO2 and SaO2, the mean measurement bias in dark skin patients (n = 14) was 1.6% (0.8% overall) for Masimo vs. 5.4% (3.9% overall) for Nellcor. The study noted that “mean Nellcor bias was significantly greater than Masimo bias, P = .0005.”9

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Accuracy in Low Perfusion

Is Masimo or Nellcor more accurate in low perfusion?

Masimo had

94%

fewer missed SpO2 events.11

Sleeping patient intubated in hospital bed being monitored with a Masimo RD SET sensor.

Masimo SET® Is More Accurate in Low Perfusion.

Trust the Evidence

  • A peer-reviewed study found that for Masimo SET® SpO2, “ARMS was 1.37% in all subjects with normal perfusion and 1.64% in all subjects with low perfusion.”12
  • In another study of 10 healthy adults, researchers found that Nellcor had 94% more missed events than Masimo (missed event rate was 42.5% for Nellcor vs. 2.5% for Masimo during motion and induced low perfusion).11

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Improved Clinician Workflow

Do Masimo or Nellcor sensors offer the better clinician workflow?

Masimo showed

60%

reduced sensor usage through retaping.13

Infant in incubator in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit with a clinician applying a Masimo pulse oximetry sensor.

Masimo SET® Sensors Offer Better Clinician Workflow.

Trust the Evidence

  • Masimo replacement tapes maximize sensor life by enabling clinicians to reuse the main sensor components and replace only the adhesive parts as often as needed. With replacement tapes, Masimo SET® sensors can last 3.6x longer than Nellcor OxySoft sensors (14 days vs. 3), allowing for unlimited repositioning during that time.14
  • A peer-reviewed study of 12 hospital units found a 60% reduction in sensor use by retaping with replacement tapes instead of reprobing, allowing clinicians to “recheck and reposition sensor sites with minimal cost and difficulty.”13

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Reduced Alarm Fatigue

Does Masimo or Nellcor have fewer false alarms?

Masimo had

86%

fewer false alarms.6

Patient standing in hospital near a central nursing station wearing a pulse oximetry sensor.

Masimo SET® Has Fewer False Alarms.

Trust the Evidence

  • In an independent, peer-reviewed study of non-sedated neonates, Masimo SET® had 86% fewer false alarms than Nellcor OxiMax (0.5 hours vs. 6.6 hours) over a period of 156 monitored hours. This study also showed that Masimo SET® had 92% less total alarm time overall than Nellcor OxiMax.6
  • The authors concluded that, “Masimo SET® pulse oximetry recorded markedly fewer false SpO2 and PR alarms and identified more true hypoxic and bradycardic events than either conventional or other new-generation pulse oximeters,” which included two Nellcor device versions.6

See for yourself

Discover Masimo SET® for Yourself

Contact us today to set up a Risk-Free Trial and see for yourself how Masimo SET® excels compared to Nellcor OxiMax in your hospital or facility.

Learn More

Discover the Masimo SET® Advantage.

Masimo SET®

Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion™ pulse oximetry

RD SET Sensors

Improved SpO2 accuracy for all patients

The SET® Neonatal Difference

Your trusted partner in neonatal care

Resources

Want more information? Below are key resources about Masimo SET®.

Studies

Videos

Materials

References

  1. Comparative studies include abstracts presented at scientific meetings and peer-reviewed journals. Clinical studies on pulse oximetry and the benefits of Masimo SET® can be found at https://professional.masimo.com/clinical-evidence

  2. Estimate: Masimo data on file.

  3. As ranked in the 2024 Newsweek World's Best Hospitals listing: https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-hospitals-2024/united-states.

  4. Masimo RD SET Sensor Instructions for Use: LAB-10497A posted on https://techdocs.masimo.com/

  5. Baquero H, et al. Acta Pediatr. 2010;100:515-518.

  6. Hay W, et al. J Perinatol. 2002;22(5):360-366.

  7. Nellcor OxiMax Sensor Instructions for Use: PT00053377B, PT00053381B, and PT00053384B posted on https://www.medtronic.com/covidien/en-us/support/product-manuals.html

  8. Sahni R, et al. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2003 Nov;88(6):F505-8.

  9. Foglia EE, et al. J Pediatr. 2017 Mar;182:375-377.e2.

  10. Barker SJ, Wilson WC. J Clin Monit Comput. 2023;37:567-574.

  11. Shah N, et al. J Clin Anesth. 2012;24(5):385-91

  12. Sharma V, et al. J Clin Monit and Comput. 2024 Jan;38:347-354.

  13. Palmer A. Biomed Instrum Technol. 2021;59-62.

  14. Nellcor OxySoftN Manual: PT00158321A00.

* Sensitivity is a setting that enables a clinician to tailor the response of the Masimo pulse oximeter to the needs of the particular patient situation. The Max sensitivity mode interprets data even when the signal may be weak, such as during very low perfusion.

† Averaging time is the length of time over which the average of all data points is calculated. Longer averaging times include more historical data, whereas shorter averaging times prioritize newer data.

‡ ARMS accuracy is a statistical calculation of the difference between device measurements and reference measurements. Approximately two-thirds of the device measurements fell within ± ARMS of the reference measurements in a controlled study.

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PLCO-007330/PLM-15043A-0524