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A vital signs monitor, also known as a medical monitor or a physiological monitor, is a medical device used for measuring a patient's vital signs. These measurements are typically displayed on a screen for viewing and will usually have the option of being printed out on a 'strip'. The four signs that are commonly obtained and displayed by a vital sign monitor include the following:

-Body temperature

-Pulse (or heart) rate

-Blood pressure

-Respiratory rate

The data displayed by a vital signs monitor are seen continuously along a moving time axis and may include certain preset parameters for each value (minimum, maximum and average). A vital sign monitor is a common piece of equipment used in hospitals, especially in critical or intensive care units. By hooking a patient up to a vital signs monitor, doctors are able to have ongoing and continual feedback relating to that person's condition and any changes taking place. These devices are also capable of sounding an alert in reaction to impending events, such as cardiac fibrillation, even before they occur or are noticed by attending hospital staff.

While this technology is not inexpensive, it is commonly used in most hospitals because of its demonstrated life saving capabilities. Refurbished patient monitors are widely available and may be the best choice for organizations on a tight budget that still want access to this type of life saving equipment. Ambulance companies, fire department first aid rigs and commercial airliners often have this type of equipment on-board. People with known medical conditions such as respiratory or heart problems may even have a unit at home. For them, refurbished patient monitors are a perfect choice, since they are significantly less expensive to purchase than brand new models.

Older patient monitors were analog units, the first ones measuring only one sign, typically the subject's heart rate. To measure breathing, pulse rate or oxygen percentage, additional monitors would need to be used, although the later analog systems sometimes had two of three measurement capabilities. These units had some shortcomings, most notably their susceptibility to electrical interference. They also did not provide printouts or alarms.

Newer units use digital technology, which is much more reliable with a great deal more functionality. All current models are digital and their quality and capabilities have improved significantly from the old analog models. Even relatively inexpensive refurbished patient monitors are a vast improvement. Digital technology has also allowed monitors to become much smaller, which lends to their portability. They are also commonly used in combination with portable defibrillators, where one vital sign monitor will not only display a patient's vital signs to an emergency medical technician but will also have electric paddles built in for providing the electric shock sometimes necessary to 'jump start' a patient's heart. This equipment has been responsible for saving countless people's lives in the field and, because of the portability factor, these units can be used anywhere, even in office buildings and other workplaces.