Apple outsmarts legal snag with sleep Apnea detection workaround
Apple has unveiled a sleep apnea detection feature for its latest smartwatches that sidesteps recent legal hurdles. The tech giant’s solution? Ditch the blood oxygen sensor entirely. A good approach? You be the judge.
The company has launched its latest smartwatch just a few days ago. The Series 10 comes with some design tweaks, such as a larger display and size options and thinner case. But it is relatively thin on the ground as far as new features.
Perhaps the most interesting feature that we did get is Sleep Apnea detection. That is also rolling out to the Watch Ultra 2 and the Series 9 device. But not to older devices. As is the case with some other health features, this is region dependent. So it will not arrive in all countries at the same time.
The puzzling part of this is that a court rulling means that Apple cannot use its blood oxygen sensor for this feature. At least not in the US. You’d think this sensor plays a primary role in determining sleep apnea.
Well, it seems the company has found a way around this.
Apple’s solution to Sleep Apnea detection
When a court ruling threw a wrench in Apple’s plans to use blood oxygen data for sleep apnea detection, the company didn’t miss a beat. Instead of scrapping the feature altogether, Apple’s engineers went back to the drawing board and emerged with a workaround.
Enter “Breathing Disturbances” – Apple’s new metric that turns the humble accelerometer into a sophisticated sleep sentinel. The smartwach focuses on the subtle wrist movements associated with disrupted breathing patterns.
Sleep apnea is, essentially, a breathing disturbance. Individuals with the condition stop breathing for periods while they sleep. Needless to say, this can be dangerous as it can stop the body from getting adequate oxygen. More than 1 billion people are estimated to be impacted worldwide.
Apple’s solution requires patience from users. You will not get your results the first night, or the second. In fact, the feature requires 30 days of information before it starts spitting out a sleep apnea assessment. In the meantime you can check out your Breathing Disturbances data in the Health app. The info shows either “Elevated” or “Not Elevated” readings.
The company reports that its sleep apnea notification algorithm was developed using machine learning techniques and a dataset of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests. Apple states that the feature underwent validation in a clinical study, suggesting confidence in its accuracy despite the absence of blood oxygen data.
Our takeaway
Nevertheless, one cannot help but think that oxygen levels would need to be monitored for more accurate results. After all – this is the approach other brands are taking.
For example, Samsung with its Galaxy Watch, has integrated blood oxygen measurements into their FDA-approved sleep apnea detection features. This contrast in methodologies suggests that blood oxygen data may contribute to a more complete assessment of sleep apnea symptoms.
In any case, it is better to have the feature than not to have it. Sleep apnea is undiagnosed in a lot of folks – they don’t realize they suffer from it. Something like this feature is needed to tip them off. They can then get a proper assesment in a medical setting.
Apple says it is actively pursuing marketing authorization from the FDA for its sleep apnea detection feature. This pursuit of regulatory approval extends beyond the United States, with the company seeking validation from health authorities around the globe.
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