A California federal jury decided on Friday that Apple must compensate medical device company Masimo $634 million for infringing on a blood oxygen monitoring technology patent.
According to Reuters, the jury determined that the workout mode and heart rate notification capabilities of the Apple Watch infringed on Masimo’s patent.
“This represents a major victory in our continuous efforts to safeguard our innovations and intellectual property, which is vital for our capacity to create technology that aids patients,” Masimo stated. “We are still dedicated to protecting our IP rights going forward.”
An Apple representative informed Reuters that the business intends to appeal the decision, adding, “The single patent in this instance expired in 2022 and is particular to historical patient monitoring technology from decades ago.”
TechCrunch has contacted Apple for further details.
The legal conflict between Masimo and Apple is centered on pulse oximetry, which employs an optical sensor to identify blood flow. Masimo has accused Apple of poaching its staff members, including its chief medical officer, and violating its patents on pulse oximetry technology.
In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission sided with Masimo, prohibiting Apple from importing Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring capabilities, which explains why Apple Watches have not supported blood oxygen monitoring in recent years.
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Then, in August of this year, Apple revealed that it would release a new version of the functionality intended to get around the ban, with blood oxygen readings measured and computed on the user’s paired iPhone rather than the Apple Watch itself.
Masimo is suing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for permitting the import of Apple Watches with the updated blood oxygen implementation, while Apple has petitioned an appeals court to overturn the import restriction.
Apple also filed a countersuit against Masimo, winning the statutory minimum payment of $250 after a jury determined that Masimo had infringed on Apple’s design patents.
