In clinical environments, monitoring patients with a comprehensive set of vital signs and clinical measurements often requires the use of multiple devices due to varying capabilities among monitoring vendors. This adds a layer of complexity for both clinical and IT hospital teams. To address the challenges associated with having multiple monitors and fragmented data, Philips has formed a technical partnership with Medtronic.
This collaboration enables the integration of key Medtronic measurements directly into our IntelliVue patient monitoring platforms. As a result, clinicians can capture their preferred measurements within a unified system, ensuring consistent data capture, streamlined workflow, and enhanced clinical decision-making. With the integration of Medtronic technologies into Philips patient monitors, clinicians can select Medtronic Nellcor™ pulse oximetry, use Medtronic Microstream™ capnography for accurate CO2 measurement, and incorporate Medtronic’s Bispectral Index (BIS™) brain monitoring technology using the Philips monitor.
Additionally, Philips monitors feature the Medtronic advanced Alarm Management Tools, bolstering alarm capabilities and delivering intelligent respiratory insights [1]. Reducing distractions from clinically insignificant alarms, which can compromise patient safety, may also improve caregiver alarm vigilance [2].
This partnership builds upon years of collaboration between Philips and Medtronic that began 30 years ago in 1992, and we’ve continued to work together to provide combined leading technologies for individual monitoring parameters.
Nellcor pulse oximetry: Never miss a beat
Philips monitors integrated with Nellcor technology provide clinicians with reliable and accurate SpO2 [3] and pulse rate readings. Nellcor pulse oximetry uses advanced algorithms and a pattern-matching neural network to identify pulse signals and track moment-to-moment changes in SpO2 and pulse rate [4].
It also seamlessly integrates into daily workflows, allowing clinicians to focus on patient care rather than managing sensor performance and alarm issues.
Microstream capnography: Rapidly measure respiratory health
Medtronic Microstream capnography technology enhances Philips IntelliVue patient monitors with the industry’s leading sidestream capnography solution. Medtronic Microstream capnography delivers precise measurements for both intubated and non-intubated patients, ranging from neonates to adults [5-11].
With Medtronic Microstream capnography, Philips monitors offer reliable respiratory monitoring, seamlessly integrated to enhance confidence in patient care decisions while streamlining clinical workflows.
BIS brain monitoring: Measure a patient’s level of consciousness
The Medtronic BIS monitoring system processes raw EEG information to provide a direct measurement of the patient’s level of consciousness. We integrate this technology into our patient monitors to provide depth-of-consciousness and sedation monitoring [12] across various clinical settings, including the OR, ICU, outpatient surgery and for conscious sedation.
With BIS brain monitoring, Philips monitors provide a comprehensive solution for managing anesthesia and sedation, helping patients receive personalized care. This integration has the potential to improve patient outcomes and optimize clinical workflows.
As part of our effort to help better meet the needs of clinicians through expanded access to the latest technology, Philips is bundling our essential supplies, including ECG, NIBP, and batteries, with our Medtronic-enabled monitors. We’re also establishing a pledge program with Medtronic based on our joint believe that using products that have been rigorously validated and tested on both our and Medtronic’s equipment is essential for ensuring patient safety.
By providing a comprehensive monitoring solution that is validated throughout all stages, we’re supporting clinicians’ heavy workloads and complex patient cases by providing tools that can help address the daily challenges care teams face.
The collaboration between Philips and Medtronic exemplifies our commitment to integrating innovative technologies seamlessly into hospital settings, ensuring that our solutions work harmoniously with our customers’ existing technology, regardless of the manufacturer.
This delivers three key clinical benefits:
It also delivers technical benefits:
At Philips, we partner with monitoring companies in addition to Medtronic to integrate their clinical measurements into our IntelliVue patient monitors. We also pursue other kinds of technology partnerships. For example, we form technology partnerships to integrate other vendors’ device data with our mobile app; create new standards for device-to-devices interoperability; and to expand vital sign collection using integrated wearable biosensors. Read more about our technology partnerships.