On Friday, a federal jury in California determined that Apple owes Masimo, a medical device company, $634 million for violating a patent related to blood oxygen monitoring technology.
According to Reuters, the jury concluded that the workout mode and heart rate alert functions on the Apple Watch infringed on Masimo’s patent.
“This outcome marks an important milestone in our ongoing mission to safeguard our inventions and intellectual property, which are vital for us to create technology that helps patients,” Masimo stated. “We will continue to vigorously protect our IP rights.”
An Apple representative informed Reuters that the company intends to challenge the decision, noting, “The patent at issue expired in 2022 and pertains to older patient monitoring technology from many years ago.”
TechCrunch has contacted Apple for further remarks.
The conflict between Apple and Masimo centers on pulse oximetry, a method that uses optical sensors to measure blood flow. Masimo has claimed that Apple poached its staff—including its chief medical officer—and infringed on its pulse oximetry patents.
In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Masimo, prohibiting Apple from importing Apple Watches equipped with blood oxygen monitoring, which explains why recent Apple Watches lack this feature.
Subsequently, in August, Apple revealed a revised version of the feature that aims to bypass the ban by having blood oxygen data collected and processed on the user’s paired iPhone instead of directly on the Apple Watch.
Masimo has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for permitting the import of Apple Watches with the updated blood oxygen function, while Apple has requested an appeals court to lift the import restriction.
Apple also filed a countersuit against Masimo and was awarded the statutory minimum of $250 after a jury found that Masimo had infringed on Apple’s design patents.
