Masimo and Google to Develop New Smartwatch Platform for Device Manufacturers

Masimo is partnering with Google to develop a new reference platform for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) building Wear OS by Google smartwatches.

By incorporating Masimo’s biosensing technologies—based on its expertise developing hospital monitoring solutions—and standardizing smartwatch devices using the Masimo reference platform, OEMs will be able to more efficiently build and bring high-performing Wear OS smartwatches to market. The robust reference platform is designed to support the fast-growing Wear OS ecosystem—including with a suite of health and wellness tracking tools that consumers can trust to provide accurate, reliable data, seamless integration with Android smartphones, and a high-quality, high-performance experience.
 
“Building quality smartwatches with premium features that users have come to expect can be time consuming and costly,” said Google’s Bjorn Kilburn, general manager of Wear OS. “With Masimo’s reference platform, smartwatch makers are able to benefit from state-of-the-art biosensing technology and quickly bring their Wear OS devices to market, at scale. Together, we’re promoting innovation across the Wear OS ecosystem that provides end users with high-performing, feature-rich devices to choose from.”
 
OEMs who adopt the new Masimo platform, which is expected to be compatible with existing Google apps and services created for the Wear OS platform, will continue to design and produce their new smartwatches’ physical exteriors and have creative control over the appearance of the user interface. The devices’ interiors, including optimized hardware and software components, biosensors, and companion Android smartphone app, will be designed, provided, and tested by Masimo—ensuring superior performance and unmatched user experiences. Health and wellness capabilities will feature the same biosensing innovations and analytics that power the Masimo W1 wearable and forthcoming Masimo Freedom smartwatch—technology based on Masimo’s clinically proven Signal Extraction Technology (SET). The Masimo reference platform will make all of these components, features, and benefits available for smartwatch manufacturers building Wear OS smartwatches in an easy-to-implement, standardized package.
 
Masimo is a global medical technology company that develops and produces a wide array of monitoring technologies, including measurements, sensors, patient monitors, and automation and connectivity solutions. In addition, Masimo Consumer Audio is home to eight audio brands, including Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, and Polk Audio. Masimo SET Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, introduced in 1995, has been shown in more than 100 independent and objective studies to outperform other pulse oximetry technologies.¹ Masimo SET has also been shown to help clinicians reduce severe retinopathy of prematurity in neonates,² improve CCHD screening in newborns,³ and, when used for continuous monitoring with Masimo Patient SafetyNet in post-surgical wards, reduce rapid response team activations, ICU transfers, and costs.^4-5 Masimo SET is estimated to be used on more than 200 million patients in hospitals and other healthcare settings worldwide,⁶ and is the primary pulse oximetry at all 10 top U.S. hospitals as ranked in the 2024 Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals listing.⁷ In 2005, Masimo introduced rainbow Pulse CO-Oximetry technology, allowing noninvasive and continuous monitoring of blood constituents that previously could only be measured invasively, including total hemoglobin (SpHb), oxygen content (SpOC), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO), methemoglobin (SpMet), Pleth Variability Index (PVi), RPVi (rainbow PVi), and Oxygen Reserve Index (ORi). In 2013, Masimo introduced the Root Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Platform, built to be as flexible and expandable as possible to facilitate the addition of other Masimo and third-party monitoring technologies; key Masimo additions include Next Generation SedLine Brain Function Monitoring, O3 Regional Oximetry, and ISA Capnography with NomoLine sampling lines. Masimo’s family of continuous and spot-check monitoring Pulse CO-Oximeters includes devices designed for use in various clinical and non-clinical scenarios, including tetherless, wearable technology, such as Radius-7, Radius PPG, and Radius VSM, portable devices like Rad-67, fingertip pulse oximeters like MightySat Rx, and devices available for use both in the hospital and at home, such as Rad-97 and the Masimo W1 Medical Watch. Masimo hospital and home automation and connectivity solutions are centered around the Masimo Hospital Automation platform, and include Iris Gateway, iSirona, Patient SafetyNet, Replica, Halo ION, UniView, UniView :60, and Masimo SafetyNet. Its growing portfolio of health and wellness solutions includes Radius Tº and Masimo W1 Sport. 
 
References
¹ Published clinical studies on pulse oximetry and the benefits of Masimo SET® can be found on our website. Comparative studies include independent and objective studies which are comprised of abstracts presented at scientific meetings and peer-reviewed journal articles.
² Castillo A et al. Prevention of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Preterm Infants through Changes in Clinical Practice and SpO2 Technology. Acta Paediatr. 2011 Feb;100(2):188-92.
³ de-Wahl Granelli A et al. Impact of pulse oximetry screening on the detection of duct dependent congenital heart disease: a Swedish prospective screening study in 39,821 newborns. BMJ. 2009;Jan 8;338.
⁴ McGrath S et al. Surveillance Monitoring Management for General Care Units: Strategy, Design, and Implementation. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 2016 Jul;42(7):293-302.
⁵ McGrath S et al. Inpatient Respiratory Arrest Associated With Sedative and Analgesic Medications: Impact of Continuous Monitoring on Patient Mortality and Severe Morbidity. J Patient Saf. 2020 14 Mar.
⁶ Estimate: Masimo data on file.
⁷ https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-hospitals-2024/united-states