Apple has been ordered by a federal jury in California to pay $634 million to Masimo, a medical device company, for infringing a patent related to blood oxygen monitoring technology. The jury found that features on the Apple Watch, such as workout mode and heart rate notifications, violated Masimo’s patent.
Masimo said, “This is a significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property, which is crucial to our ability to develop technology that benefits patients.” The company remains committed to defending its intellectual property rights.
Apple disputed the verdict, calling it “contrary to the facts” and planning to appeal. An Apple spokesperson noted that Masimo, which does not sell consumer products, has sued Apple multiple times over 25 patents, most of which were invalidated. The patent in question expired in 2022 and concerns older patient monitoring technology.
The dispute centres on pulse oximetry, which uses optical sensors to measure blood oxygen levels. Masimo accused Apple of poaching its employees—including its chief medical officer—and infringing its patents.
In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission sided with Masimo, banning Apple from importing Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring features. Apple responded by removing the feature and later redesigned it to calculate readings on the paired iPhone instead of the watch to bypass the ban. Masimo sued U.S. Customs for approving the imports of the new design, while Apple appealed the import ban.
Apple also countersued Masimo over design patent infringement, winning $250 in damages.