A federal jury has ruled that Apple must pay $634 million to medical device maker Masimo Corporation for infringing a patent on blood oxygen monitoring technology.
The jury found that the Apple Watch’s workout mode and heart rate notification features violated Masimo’s patent, according to Reuters Report.
“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,” Masimo said in a statement. “We remain committed to defending our IP rights moving forward.”
Apple said it plans to appeal the verdict, noting that “the single patent in this case expired in 2022, and is specific to historic patient monitoring technology from decades ago.”
The legal battle focuses on pulse oximetry, a method using optical sensors to detect blood oxygen levels. Masimo has accused Apple of hiring away its employees, including its chief medical officer, and infringing on its patents.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) sided with Masimo in 2023, banning Apple from importing Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring features. As a result, Apple Watches have not supported the feature in recent years.
In August 2025, Apple introduced a workaround, calculating blood oxygen readings on the user’s paired iPhone rather than the watch itself, aiming to circumvent the ban. Masimo has sued U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for allowing the imports, while Apple has asked an appeals court to overturn the ITC ruling.
Apple-Masimo Countersuits
The companies have a history of legal clashes. Apple previously countersued Masimo, winning the statutory minimum payment of $250 when a jury found Masimo had violated Apple design patents.
The ongoing litigation highlights the high stakes in wearable health technology and the enforcement of intellectual property rights in rapidly growing digital health markets.
Here are some of the Key Takeaways:
- Masimo awarded $634 million for patent infringement
- Apple Watch features involved: workout mode, heart rate notifications
- Apple plans to appeal, citing patent expiration
- ITC previously banned Apple Watch imports with blood oxygen monitoring
- Masimo continues legal action over Apple’s workaround using iPhones
This ruling is a major milestone in the Apple-Masimo patent battle, and the appeal process could further shape the future of blood oxygen monitoring technology in wearable devices.
