Jury rules that Apple owes Masimo $634 million dollars for patent infringement
By ForGeeks
A California federal jury ruled Friday that Apple must pay medical device maker Masimo $634 million for infringing a patent on technology to monitor blood oxygen levels. The jury found that the Apple Watch’s workout and heart-rate notification features infringed on Masimo’s patent.
The jury found that the Apple Watch’s workout and heart-rate notification features infringed Masimo’s patent.
This is a significant victory for Masimo, which has said their innovations are important for developing technology that benefits patients. An Apple spokesperson said the company plans to appeal the verdict, noting that the only patent involved in the case expired in 2022 and relates to outdated monitoring technology that has been in use for decades.
The case between Masimo and Apple concerns pulse oximetry technology that uses an optical sensor to measure blood flow. Masimo accuses Apple of poaching employees, including its chief medical officer, and infringing patents on the technology. In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission banned the importation of Apple Watch with blood oxygen level monitoring, which explains the lack of the feature in the watch in recent years.
An Apple Watch with blood oxygen level monitoring was banned by the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2023.
In addition, in August this year, Apple announced a new feature to get around the ban – blood oxygen levels will be measured through a paired iPhone, rather than directly on the watch. Masimo sued U.S. Customs and Border Protection for approving the importation of such a watch, and Apple countersued Masimo and won a $250 minimum payment, finding infringement of Apple’s design patents.
