A federal jury in California has sided with Masimo in a patent battle with Apple over Apple Watch’s blood oxygen feature. The jury awarded Masimo $634 million in damages and concluded that Apple infringed on a Masimo patent covering low power pulse oximeter features.
As explained by Daily Journal, much of the case centered on whether Apple Watch can be categorized as a “patient monitor” per Masimo’s patent.
Apple argued that the “patient monitor” term refers only to devices designed for continuous monitoring. “The essential characteristic of all patient monitors is that they cannot miss important medical events,” Apple argued.
One example used by Masimo in the trial was the Apple Watch’s high heart rate notification feature. The company argued that the feature detects high heart rates with 95% sensitivity and therefore qualifies as a “patient monitor” device.
Apple, meanwhile argued that the feature only kicks in when a user is motionless for at least 10 minutes, therefore exempting Apple Watch from the continuous monitoring device category.
The case itself aimed to determine whether Apple Watch infringed on Masimo’s blood oxygen patent, not the heart rate monitoring features. Masimo, however, used the high heart rate notification feature as a way to convince the jury that the Apple Watch is a “patient monitor.” Masimo’s entire case hinged on the Apple Watch falling into that category.
As such, the jury decided that for the purposes of Masimo’s patent, the Apple Watch is considered a patient monitor. This, in turn, means that Apple infringed on Masimo’s patent covering the blood oxygen sensor, according to the Jury.
The patent in question (patent no. 10,433,776) expired in 2022. The verdict covers 43 million Apple Watch units sold with the infringing feature. Apple argued that damages should be capped at between $3 million and $6 million, while Masimo wanted between $634 million and $749 million. The jury ultimately landed at $634 million.
In a statement, Masimo said that this victor represents a “significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property.”
In a statement to Reuters, Apple said that Masimo has “sued Apple in multiple courts and asserted over 25 patents, the majority of which have been found to be invalid.”
“The single patent in this case expired in 2022, and is specific to historic patient monitoring technology from decades ago,” a spokesperson said. Apple will appeal the verdict.
This is a separate case from the ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Masimo currently being reviewed by the International Trade Commission over Apple Watch blood oxygen features.
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