> Back to Nellcor Fiction Home

NELLCOR FICTION:

"Nellcor video shows Masimo continues to read on a subject while a dual-bladder tourniquet is inflated to 250 mmHg. Nellcor asserts this establishes that Masimo continues to read when there is no pulse."

FACTS:

  • The "experiment" Nellcor designed is a flawed simulation of a pulseless state, which shows a single instance where Masimo continues to read through cuff occlusion when Nellcor did not.
  • During a true pulseless state, it is not possible for Masimo products to provide measurements because Masimo’s algorithm requires a pulsatile signal.
  • Masimo's internal studies prove that while cuff inflation will occlude blood flow to the sensor site on more than 80% of subjects, both Nellcor and Masimo pulse oximeters will inconsistently provide measurements on some subjects during cuff inflation due to physiological variations.
  • In fact, if Masimo wanted to show a video displaying Nellcor measuring through cuff inflation while Masimo did not, it could easily be done – but that would be misleading, as well.
  • After Nellcor first released this video, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani contacted Rich Meelia, the CEO of Nellcor's parent company, Covidien, notifying Mr. Meelia that Nellcor's video was deceptive and asking him to stop distributing it. Mr. Meelia refused, indicating that he needed to trust his management team. Mr. Kiani requested to meet with Mr. Meelia—and any clinicians, engineers, or legal staff he wished to bring—so they could jointly perform the experiment and determine whether the video was truthful. Mr. Meelia refused such a meeting.

PROOF: