A California federal jury ruled Friday that Apple must pay $634 million to medical device maker Masimo for infringing a patent on blood oxygen monitoring technology.
Reuters reports that the jury found that the Apple Watch’s workout mode and heart rate notification features infringed Masimo’s patent.
“This is a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property, which are crucial to our ability to develop technology that benefits patients,” Masimo said in a statement. “We remain committed to defending our intellectual property rights in the future. »
An Apple spokesperson told Reuters the company plans to appeal the verdict, adding: “The single patent in this case expired in 2022 and is specific to historic patient monitoring technology from decades ago.” »
TechCrunch has contacted Apple for additional comment.
The dispute between Masimo and Apple centers on pulse oximetry, which uses an optical sensor to detect blood flow. Masimo accused Apple of firing employees, including its chief medical officer, and infringing on its patents on pulse oximetry technology.
The US International Trade Commission sided with Masimo in 2023, banning Apple from importing Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring features – which is why Apple Watches haven’t supported blood oxygen monitoring in recent years.
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Then, Apple announced in August this year the introduction of a new version of the feature designed to circumvent the ban, with blood oxygen readings measured and calculated on the user’s paired iPhone, rather than the Apple Watch itself.
Masimo is suing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for approving the importation of Apple Watches with the new blood oxygen implementation, while Apple has asked an appeals court to overturn the import ban.
Apple also sued Masimo, obtaining the legal minimum payment of $250 when a jury found that Masimo had infringed Apple’s design patents.
