Apple's patent shows medical device plans for its smartwatch
The Apple Watch is poised to make an impact on the wearable medical device market, according to the company's patent filing.
Apple's "Care Event Detection and Alerts" patent features a wearable device that communicates with a smartphone to monitor the user's vital signs and health. It can detect problems including a heart attack or fall, and transmits the alert to a smartphone, which can then notify people the user has listed as emergency contacts.
The user has a preset amount of time to cancel the alert before it is sent, according to the patent. If an alert is sent, the emergency notification can include the user's medical records or device data.
Rather than go through the lengthy FDA approval process, many companies decide instead to call their products fitness trackers. But, Apple is working on making its Apple Watch approved to double as a medical device.
Last year, Apple reportedly cancelled plans to include medical features like heartbeat monitoring, blood pressure levels and stress into the Apple Watch, according to a Wall Street Journal report. That was partly due to the demanding regulatory process.
However, things appear to have changed for the company as the patent states that at least one sensor will be part of a heart rate monitor, a respiratory system monitor, a blood pressure monitor or a temperature sensor.
Despite this change of heart, there is no word on when an Apple Watch that also serves as a medical device will be available to consumers.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.