ITC Judge Rules Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Workaround Does Not Infringe Masimo Patents

Apple's existent humor oxygen sensing implementation successful the U.S. does not infringe connected patents owned by Masimo and Apple volition not look a revived import ban, a U.S. International Trade Commission justice said this week (via Reuters).


After Apple was recovered to person violated Masimo's patents related to humor oxygen sensing, the Apple Watch faced a U.S. import prohibition that caused Apple to briefly intermission sales of the instrumentality successful December 2023 earlier Apple earned a impermanent stay. Apple disabled humor oxygen sensing successful January 2024, and was capable to resume selling the Apple Watch without the functionality.

In August 2025, Apple recovered a workaround and was capable to bring humor oxygen sensing backmost to U.S. Apple Watch owners. Data is collected by the humor oxygen sensor connected the Apple Watch, but it is processed connected a paired iPhone alternatively than the ticker itself, and the resulting accusation tin lone beryllium viewed connected the iPhone. Apple said the updated process did not interruption the ITC ban, oregon infringe connected Masimo's patents, and it was cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Masimo did not hold with the determination and it rapidly filed a suit against CBP, accusing the bureau of acting unlawfully and exceeding its authority. Masimo besides pushed the ITC to look into whether Apple's solution violated the archetypal import ban.

The ITC ended up siding with Apple, and said that Apple's workaround does not interruption Masimo patents. Since today's determination is preliminary, the afloat committee volition request to affirm the ruling.

Though Apple scored a triumph with the ITC, Masimo came retired up successful a abstracted appeals ruling today. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the archetypal 2023 ITC determination that led to the Apple Watch import ban. The appeals tribunal said that the Apple Watch did so infringe connected Masimo's patents, and it declined to overturn the ban.

Apple said that it would proceed to analyse "all avenues for further review" successful airy of the appeals tribunal decision.

In November 2025, Apple besides mislaid the patent infringement suit that Masimo filed against it. A national assemblage awarded Masimo $634 million, which Apple is appealing.
This article, "ITC Judge Rules Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Workaround Does Not Infringe Masimo Patents" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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