Vital sign monitor applications span areas from long term monitoring of patient's health in hospitals, even operating rooms, and recovery rooms, to emergency situations that are commonplace with EMS teams and in hospital emergency rooms.

Vital sign monitors have experiences a revival of sorts in the recent years; with the development of the new technologies such as digital signal processing, wireless, and new sensors, the measurements of vital human life signs like blood pressure, electric heart signals, blood oxygen intake, and body temperature, have improved significantly.

Where are modern vital sign monitors used?

As a result, smaller, more capable, and more robust monitors can readily be used even by non specialists, such as families of elderly patients at home. For instance, with a vital sign monitor connected to the elderly person at home, family members can be informed instantly over broadband wireless of the status of the person. Likewise, the professional athletes in the heat of the game at sports events can now check the status of their bodies in order to direct further actions and improve their performance.

The majority of vital sign monitor types however, are still used either by anesthesiologists in operating rooms, by nurses in long term recovery rooms in hospitals using multiparameter vitals monitor, and for long term vital signs monitoring of patient vital signs and health using wired or wireless telemetry, and by the paramedics and ER staff for quick vital life signal checks of traumatized people using spot vital signs monitor.

Trends in vital sign monitors

When we compare to bulky equipment used at home and in hospitals several decades ago, and after a large wave of digitalization, we find the following trends quite striking:

• the measurements of vital signs such as blood pressure cuff or NIBP monitor are done much faster with modern devices


• the modern devices are digital, they are using digital signal processing


• vital signs can mostly be detected and measured non invasively


• monitors are smaller in size


• several independent observables can be integrated into a single, miniature device


• likewise, using wireless or wired technology, the information can be integrated further into medical health records


• the years of experience and user feedback have resulted in robustness of new devices to imperfect handling, and to external electrical impulses, such as defibrillator or MR pulses


• last but not least, the device simplifications are allowing more and more information to be passed to the patient and their family, allowing for better understanding of the healing process. Imagine children of an elderly parent at home having continuous access to important vital signs of a parent such as employ cardiac event monitoring, and being able to respond to any anomalies.

Types of vital signs monitors

Integrated vital signs monitors: We will present here more information on several types of completely integrated vital signs monitors, or multiparameter monitors, in the section Vital Signs Monitor.

We will also explore the patient monitoring devices for individual physical quantities.

NIBP monitor and bp cuff: Find out more about non invasive blood pressure monitors in the section NIBP.

ECG monitors: While ECG monitors, or heart monitors, are not typically included in typical integrated vital signs monitos, they are becoming more and more popular as health indicators. Find out more about ECG monitoring in the section ECG Monitor.

Finger pulse oximeter or SpO2 monitor: These measure the oxygen saturation of the blood, an important vital sign. Find out more about oximeters (a.k.a. oxymeter, or oxygen saturation monitor) in the section Finger Pulse Oximeter.

How to purchase vital sign monitors online?

Finally, in the section Medical Monitors we will present several quick and easy ways to purchase any type of vital sign monitors for remote patient monitoring, as well as patient monitoring devices, supplies, easily online, and get them shipped right to your doorstep.