Apple Fined $634 Million in a Medical Patent Dispute

Apple was ordered to pay the medical devices company Masimo $634 million. The court decision is connected with an infringement of a patent covering blood-oxygen reading technology.

A Masimo spokesperson said that a court in California had ruled the workout mode and heart rate notifications on Apple Watch are in breach of its patents. The spokesperson hailed the win as significant in its efforts to protect its innovations and IP, with the company launching several lawsuits in multiple courts. The patent in this case expired in 2022 and is specific to historic patent monitoring technology from decades ago, added the spokesperson.

The legal dustup with Masimo is over the use of light-based pulse oximetry functionality, a feature that measures oxygen levels. Apple and Masimo have engaged in a long-standing dispute over light-based physiological measurement devices, with the latter alleging the iPhone-maker has stolen its technology. An Apple spokesperson said it disagreed with the fine and plans to appeal.

Separately, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) plans to hold a new proceeding to decide whether imports of some Apple smartwatches should be banned due, again, to patent disputes with Masimo. In 2023, Apple announced it would stop selling two models of its Apple Watch, due to a patent ruling against the company by the ITC. The body blocked imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 devices in the US. In August 2025, the tech giant reintroduced the ability to monitor blood oxygen data in the US through a workaround.