How Masimo Won the Consumer Pulse Oximeter War

Lucas and Luna unpack how Masimo, a B2B medical device company founded in 1989, quietly beat Apple, Fitbit, and Garmin to become the first brand to get a prescription pulse oximeter cleared by the FDA for consumer use — the Masimo W1 watch. They trace the story from Masimo's breakthrough in signal extraction technology during the 1990s pulse oximetry patent wars, through the company's decade-long investment in miniaturizing its sensors, to the 2023 FDA clearance and its impact on the $50 billion remote patient monitoring market. Along the way, they explore why clinical-grade accuracy matters for conditions like COPD, sleep apnea, and post-COVID pulse monitoring, and how the W1's 510(k) clearance could reshape FDA's approach to consumer health wearables. The episode also examines the strategic irony: a company that built its reputation suing Big Tech for patent infringement (Apple Watch blood-oxygen sensor ban) is now positioning itself as the trusted alternative for patients and doctors alike. #Masimo #PulseOximeter #Wearables #FDA #RemotePatientMonitoring #COPD #SleepApnea #DigitalHealth #MedicalDevices #SignalExtraction #PatentLaw #AppleWatch #510K #ConsumerHealth #ClinicalAccuracy #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo