Apple Watch Oxygen Sensor Battle: Apple Loses Round Against Masimo

Apple Ordered to Pay $634 Million to Masimo for Patent Infringement

Apple has been ordered to pay $634 million to medical technology company Masimo after a court found that it infringed on one of Masimo’s patents, according to the Daily Journal. The core issue in the lawsuit was whether the Apple Watch should be classified as a “patient monitor,” which would mean Masimo’s patent on measuring blood oxygen levels would be applicable.

Apple argued in court that the Apple Watch’s monitoring capabilities are not continuous. “The essential feature of any patient monitor is that it must not miss any significant medical event,” Apple’s lawyer told jurors, pointing out that the Apple Watch only triggers alerts when a user has been stationary for 10 minutes, which does not meet this standard. In response, Masimo’s lawyer highlighted Apple’s own descriptions of their device, citing it as “the most used heart rate monitor in the world.”

Apple to Appeal the Court’s Decision

Following the verdict, Apple immediately announced its intention to appeal the decision. “We disagree with today’s verdict as we believe it contradicts the facts. Masimo is a medical device company that does not market any products directly to consumers. Over the past six years, they have pursued multiple lawsuits against Apple in various courts, asserting over 25 patents, most of which have been found invalid. The only patent at issue in this case expired in 2022 and covers patient monitoring technology that dates back several decades,” stated Apple’s press release.

Earlier, Masimo had successfully won an injunction against the sale of Apple Watches equipped with the blood oxygen feature in the United States, set to start in January 2024. However, a year and a half later, Apple announced the reinstatement of this feature after U.S. Customs gave the green light to a solution that relocates the processing of measurement results to an iPhone paired with the Apple Watch. In response, Masimo filed a complaint against the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service.