Pulse Oximetry Company Masimo Wants the Apple Watch Series 6 Banned

Medical device company Masimo is embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Apple over several of the health capabilities available in the Apple Watch, and now Masimo wants the Apple Watch Series 6 banned, reports Bloomberg.

apple watch series 6 blood oxygen monitoring 1
Masimo today filed a new patent infringement lawsuit with the United States International Trade Commission, which asks the ITC to halt imports of the Apple Watch Series 6. According to Masimo, the Apple Watch Series 6 infringes on five Masimo patents related to blood oxygen monitoring.

Medical grade pulse oximetry devices are what Masimo specializes in, and pulse oximetry is a feature that Apple added to the Apple Watch with the Series 6 model. The Apple Watch uses light to detect the amount of oxygen in the blood, with the feature joining heart rate monitoring and ECG capabilities.

Masimo initially sued Apple in January 2020, accusing the Cupertino company of stealing trade secrets and improperly using Masimo inventions. Masimo's patents are now being examined by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because Apple said they do not cover new inventions, and the case is on hold until that process has been completed.

Masimo has claimed that by getting the court to delay the legal proceedings until the patents are validated, Apple is attempting to sell more Apple Watches. The patent office delay has prompted Masimo to also file with the ITC, as the ITC will not delay the investigation.

ITC cases are completed in 15 to 18 months, and because of the speed at which cases are investigated, there won't be time for the patent office to weigh in should Apple also attempt to challenge these claims.

In the prior filing, Masimo claimed that Apple sneakily poached Masimo employees and used patented Masimo technology when developing the sensors used in the Apple Watch.

Masimo told the ITC that banning the Apple Watch Series 6 will not impact the public because the pulse oximetry functionality in the device is "not essential to the public health or welfare," and the Apple Watch's blood oxygen monitoring is not a true medical device.

Top Rated Comments

leepalisoc Avatar
36 months ago

I'm proud to have never spent one penny to support thieves
…and yet you registered for an account and spent time to upload a profile pic with a website that is 99% related to these “thieves.”
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kung gu Avatar
36 months ago

I'm proud to have never spent one penny to support thieves
If you ever brought any technology you supported thieves
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
36 months ago
Yeahhhhh! Good luck with that. That’s not going to work. Already got my series 6 AW. Definitely will be ordering series 7 AW.

Wasting their time, energy, resources.

Case Dismissed!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PlutoPrime Avatar
36 months ago
In David & Goliath... at least David was David. But here we're talking amoeba vs Zeus. No popcorn necessary for this one.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jav6454 Avatar
36 months ago
So:

Masimo told the ITC that banning the Apple Watch Series 6 will not impact the public because the pulse oximetry functionality in the device is "not essential to the public health or welfare," and the Apple Watch's blood oxygen monitoring is not a true medical device.
Then what's the issue? Apple is not a medical grade device seller, nor do they claim to be.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DelayedGratificationGene Avatar
36 months ago
Another lawsuit against Apple huh? Seen so many through the years. Everyone goes after the King of the Hill looking for anything. The only ones getting anything are the lawyers folks so you’re only hurting yourselves.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...