Masimo’s $300 pulse oximeter
Apple responded by saying that Masimo’s CEO was wrong and that its pulse oximeter, which measures the oxygen saturation level in a person’s blood, is accurate, works well for consumers, and can save lives.
Kiani said, “Pulse oximetry is not useful unless it is a continuous monitor. That happens during sleep. During sleep, you could have a desaturation that might be related to apnea. You can have a dangerous desaturation to opioid pain relief you might have taken. That is where the value comes.” But Apple says that its pulse oximeter wasn’t designed to be a continuous monitor and does on-demand spot checks and intermittent background checks for blood oxygen levels.
While Apple can only sell the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S. with the pulse oximeter disabled, the company also has the option of settling the lawsuit and licensing the infringed patent from Masimo. Kiani says that he hasn’t spoken to anyone from Apple about a settlement and added that no one from Apple has reached out to speak to him.