Overview

The GE CARESCAPE B450 is the lightweight, transportable bedside monitor in GE HealthCare’s Bx50 family — sitting alongside the larger CARESCAPE B650 and the high-acuity B850. Designed and manufactured by GE Healthcare Finland Oy in Helsinki, the B450 was developed for what GE refers to as “flexible-acuity” environments: emergency departments, post-anesthesia care units, surgery centers, step-down units, and intra-hospital transport. Its core value proposition is data continuity. Because the B450 docks the same CARESCAPE Patient Data Module (PDM) and Patient Side Module (E-PSM/E-PSMP) used across the rest of the platform, a patient acquisition module can travel with the patient from a B650 in the OR to a B450 at the bedside or in transport without re-cabling, re-zeroing pressures, or losing trend history. The monitor accepts one of those acquisition modules plus one additional single-width E-module, allowing flexible add-on of cardiac output, gas analysis, BIS, Entropy, EEG, or NMT. Software profiles for OR, PACU, ICU, NICU, and ED let a single hardware platform serve multiple care areas with unit-appropriate defaults and screen layouts.

Display and User Interface

The B450 uses a 12-inch active-matrix color TFT LCD with XGA resolution (1024 x 768) and supports up to six simultaneous waveform traces. The display is touch-enabled by default, and the monitor also exposes a front-mounted power button and an optional 11-key USB remote control unit for non-touch operation in environments where gloved or sterile workflow is preferred. The 11 dedicated remote keys cover Alarm Setup, Monitor Setup, Procedures, Trends, Data & Pages, Print Waveforms, Freeze/Snapshot, NIBP Auto, NIBP Start/Stop, Parameters, and Zero ALL Pressures. Configuration is highly customizable: the monitor supports up to eight user-configurable profiles for care-specific defaults and up to six user-configurable display pages within each profile. Caregivers can quickly switch profiles when a bay is repurposed (for example, from adult ICU to pediatric ED) so alarm limits, parameter visibility, and screen layouts move with the use case rather than requiring manual reconfiguration.

Clinical Measurements and Module Support

The B450 acquires its core hemodynamic data through the docked PDM, E-PSM, or E-PSMP. The PDM supports 3-, 5-, 6-, and 10-lead ECG with EK-Pro arrhythmia analysis, 12SL diagnostic 12-lead ECG with two-way MUSE communication, DINAMAP SuperSTAT NIBP, up to four invasive pressure channels, two temperatures, and optional cardiac output. The E-PSM and E-PSMP add GE TruTrak+ SpO2, GE NIBP, and either zero or two invasive pressure channels. SpO2 technology is configurable: GE TruTrak+, Masimo SET, or Nellcor OxiMax depending on module selection. The single additional E-module slot accepts a wide range of GE single-width modules: respiratory and gas modules (E-miniC sidestream CO2, E-sCO and E-sCOV for CO2 and O2 with patient spirometry, E-sCAiO and E-sCAiOV for full agent identification including N2O); hemodynamic add-ons (E-P, E-PP, E-PT for additional invasive pressures, E-COP and E-COPSv for cardiac output and SvO2, E-PiCCO for pulse contour cardiac output); neurophysiological monitoring (E-EEG, E-BIS, E-Entropy, E-NMT); and additional SpO2 (E-NSATX Nellcor and E-MASIMO Masimo). The Unity Network ID interface device extends compatibility to up to eight third-party peripheral devices including anesthesia machines, ventilators, gas analyzers, transcutaneous monitors, and point-of-care blood gas analyzers.

Software Versions and Platform Evolution

The B450 was originally cleared by FDA under 510(k) K132533 in 2013 with main software ESP v1, running on the GE Bx50 platform alongside its B650 and B850 siblings. The currently shipping main software is ESP v2, with care-area-specific software packages layered on top: OR, PACU, ICU, NICU, and ED. Each care-area package optimizes default screen layouts, alarm limit ranges, parameter visibility, and parameter calculation behavior for that workflow. The most recent FDA clearance for the B450 is K191249, which covers the CARESCAPE Bx50 V3 release. V3 introduced an updated CPU platform, refreshed F5 and F7 module frame designs, expanded cybersecurity controls aligned with the FDA’s premarket cybersecurity guidance, and the system integrity, audit, access, network, and remote-service controls used across the V3 family. The B450’s host software is delivered on a USB Disk On Module (UDOM) — GE Service Shop part number 2086502-001 covers the v2 UDOM kit — and reinstallation of host software is part of the corrective procedure for at least one of the device corrections discussed below. Because care-area packages and core ESP v2 software are licensed separately, two B450 monitors that look identical at the part-number level may behave differently at the bedside; biomed teams reconciling fleets of B450s should verify both the hardware revision (B450-01 per service manual 2106778-003G) and the active software/care-area license configuration.

Portability and Power

The B450 is purpose-built for intra-hospital transport. Its mounting envelope is small — 11.4 x 11.9 x 6.2 inches — and total weight is 11.0 lbs with all options and battery, modules excluded. An integrated carrying handle and compatibility with both GCX and FM Quick-Mount channel hardware mean a single device can move between wall mount, roll stand, and bed mount without changing brackets. Power input is universal (100–240 Vac, 50/60 Hz, < 200 VA, Class I, hospital-grade ground), and cooling is by natural convection only — there are no fans, which lowers ambient noise in PACU and NICU environments and removes a common service failure point. Two battery bays accept exchangeable Lithium-Ion packs (OEM Flex-3S2P, P/N 2062895-001, 10.8 V nominal, 3.8 Ah each). With one battery, expected runtime is roughly half the dual-battery figure; with two batteries (7.6 Ah combined), GE specifies up to 3.5 hours of runtime depending on configuration. Per-battery charge time is 2 to 3 hours, and battery life is rated at 300 charge cycles to 60% of original capacity. Battery doors, the battery board, and the universal U85070 charger are all field-replaceable units carried in the GE Service Shop.

Trending, Event Surveillance, and Clinical Decision Support

The B450 stores a meaningful amount of patient history locally even when the monitor is operated in standalone mode away from a central station. Trends are retained at three resolutions: 72 hours at 1-minute resolution, 30 minutes at 10-second resolution, and 24 hours at 2-second resolution. The monitor also stores 400 waveform snapshots of 15 seconds each, 10 dedicated ST segment snapshots, and up to 999 discrete clinical events. Alarm management is built around the IEC 60601-1-8 priority structure (High, Medium, Low, Escalating, Informational) and supports both audible and visual notification, with audio pause windows of 2 minutes for active alarms and 2 or 5 minutes for all alarms. The system supports remote bed-to-bed viewing and Auto View on Alarms (AVOA) when networked, and parameter limit ranges can be locked at the unit level so that out-of-policy alarm-limit changes are prevented. When connected to GE’s MUSE cardiology information system, the B450 can perform a diagnostic-quality 12-lead ECG at the bedside using 12SL and feed the result directly into the patient’s MUSE record for serial comparison — a workflow that is particularly useful in ED and PACU environments where MI screening and post-operative ECG comparison are routine.

Network and EMR Integration

The B450 carries three RJ45 Ethernet ports (IX, MC, and a dedicated Unity Network ID port) plus one DVI-D output for an independent slave display, two USB 2.0 ports, and one ePort. Optional WLAN supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, with data rates from 1 to 54 Mbps. Network compatibility includes the CARESCAPE Network, the legacy S/5 Network, the MUSE ECG database, and Unity Network ID, allowing the B450 to participate in mixed-vintage hospital monitoring fleets without forcing a wholesale upgrade. EMR integration is delivered through the CARESCAPE Gateway using standard HL7 messaging, and central viewing is supported by both the CARESCAPE CIC Pro and iCentral central stations. A peer-to-peer networking option lets B450s view physiology from other CARESCAPE monitors without a central station present — useful in smaller units and surgery centers. Cybersecurity in the V3 (K191249) release includes role-based access for clinical and Webmin interfaces, restricted access to BIOS and other subsystems, a documented security risk assessment and threat model, and the system-integrity, access, audit, and remote-service controls aligned with the FDA’s October 2018 premarket cybersecurity guidance.

FDA Device Corrections and Safety Bulletins

The B450 has been the subject of multiple FDA-recognized device corrections and safety communications since its 2013 clearance. The most clinically significant is recall event Z-1606-2015 (Class 2), initiated by GE Healthcare on May 1, 2015. In certain combinations of Bx50 monitors (B450, B650, B850), a CARESCAPE Patient Data Module, and a CIC Pro/CSCS central station, the monitor could calculate heart rate from pacemaker pulses without displaying the “pacer off” message, and an asystole alarm might not annunciate. Undetected asystole could result in irreversible patient deterioration or delayed life-sustaining intervention. GE distributed an Urgent Medical Device Correction letter dated May 1, 2015 to affected consignees, with corrective software and configuration guidance. A separate 2024 Urgent Medical Device Correction (Health Canada RA-75486, recall start date April 22, 2024) addressed the potential for loss of monitoring on certain CARESCAPE family devices if mains power was lost during active monitoring after the CPU timekeeper battery had been replaced; the corrective action involved reinstalling host software using the original software media and continuing patient assessment by alternative means until a replacement device could be brought online. In October 2025, an additional Type II recall (Health Canada RA-78359, recall date October 14, 2025) covering the CARESCAPE B450, CARESCAPE ONE, and certain Portrait/B1x5 monitors flagged the potential for loss of monitoring when powered by certain batteries. Earlier OEM field safety notices have also addressed Bx50 monitor restarts caused by network overload conditions stemming from network misconfiguration.

Because FDA device corrections and safety communications may be updated or expanded after the date of this listing, IPR Medical recommends that facilities also check the FDA’s official resources directly to ensure they have the most current information.

FDA resources for further review:
FDA Medical Device Recalls Database  | 
FDA Medical Device Safety

IPR Medical — Buy, Sell, Repair, and Parts

IPR Medical is a secondary-market specialist in GE HealthCare patient monitoring equipment, including the full CARESCAPE Bx50 family. We buy used and surplus B450 monitors and PDM/E-PSM modules, sell tested and biomed-evaluated B450 inventory, perform repairs at the board and assembly level (including alarm light, battery board, DC/DC, plastics, and front-unit/touchscreen replacement), and stock the most-requested OEM and OEM-equivalent parts. Whether you need a single replacement battery, a UDOM software kit, a fleet of B450 monitors for a hospital expansion, or a buyer for decommissioned Bx50 inventory, our team can talk through the configuration, software version, and care-area license details required for a clean swap.

IPR Medical buys, sells, repairs, and stocks parts for the GE CARESCAPE B450. Contact IPR Medical at 855-477-8866 or cs@iprmed.com with service or software questions.

Trademark Notice: GE HealthCare, Masimo, Nellcor, and all other brand names, model names, and part numbers shown are trademarks of their respective owners and are used on this page only to identify the original manufacturer’s equipment offered here, consistent with nominative fair use. This listing is offered by IPR Medical, an ISO 9001:2015-certified independent service organization, and is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or endorsed by GE HealthCare, Masimo, or Nellcor.