“Apple may turn to optoelectronic sensor technology to help users of the company’s so-called “iWatch” keep track of their heart rate and blood oxygen saturation, according to a Friday report from China,” Shane Cole reports for AppleInsider.
“Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple was also considering the addition of blood glucose monitoring, but that feature is believed to have been scrapped due to the ‘inaccuracy’ of using optoelectronics for non-invasive blood glucose testing,” Cole reports. “Electronics industry analyst Sun Chang Xu made the predictions for China’s Electrical Engineering Times.”
“Broadly speaking, medical sensors using optoelectronics measure changes in light reflected by the body. An array of light-emitting diodes are used to pass light into tissue, and sensors detect the amount and color of the light that bounces back. Using optoelectronics for monitoring blood oxygen levels is a process known as pulse oximetry,” Cole reports. “Adding to the report’s plausibility, Apple has brought on multiple biomedical experts with expertise in optoelectronic pulse oximetry in recent weeks. New hires Marcelo Malini Lamego and Michael O’Reilly are former executives at pulse oximetry company Masimo Corporation.”