Apple Watch could soon get a blood pressure monitoring feature, patents show
Apple has patented a new smartwatch technology that could allow the company to bring a long-awaited health feature to the Apple Watch: blood pressure monitoring. According to a document published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the company could use a new method, inspired by traditional blood pressure monitors, to take measurements. If the company introduces an Apple Watch with this technology in the future, it should be able to determine blood pressure parameters without relying on optical sensors.
Apple’s wearable blood pressure monitoring device uses a fluid-filled sensing chamber
In a patent document published on Thursday, Apple writes describes (via Notebookcheck) a wearable device consisting of a belt, a pump, an inflatable chamber and a sensor chamber containing a liquid. In addition to these components, the company also says that the device will use a vibration sensor and a pressure sensor, which will detect a user’s blood pressure.
Apple says the technology described in the document could be built into a wearable device, and the diagrams accompanying the patent suggest it will be similar to the Apple Watch, including a crown and side button, as seen in Figure 1A, while the process of measuring blood pressure levels is described in Figure 7 and Figure 8.
Figure 1A and Figure 1B show how the device would function
Photo credit: USPTO/Apple
When the device is worn by a user, the inflatable chamber is expanded using a pump, compressing the user’s wrist. The sensor chamber then measures vibrations and pressure – this happens during the inflation process. The chamber is then emptied and the device will simultaneously measure vibrations and pressure again.
Another flowchart in the document shows that Apple’s new blood pressure monitoring feature could expand the inflatable chamber (using the pump) and measure vibrations of the sensor chamber. The device would then attempt to verify that these measurements were valid, maintain inflation in the chamber, and remeasure both pressure and vibration before deflating the chamber.
Apple’s patent document suggests that using a liquid-filled sensing chamber will provide better accuracy and sensitivity, compared to air-based chambers. The device described by the company could integrate with various wearable devices, but the drawings shared by Apple suggest it could make its way to the Apple Watch in the future.
It was previously reported that Apple has been working on integrating blood pressure monitoring support on the Apple Watch for several years, and was previously tipped to release the Apple Watch Series 10 model this year. However, there’s no word from the company on when customers can expect the feature to make its way to the company’s popular smartwatch.
