What will the blood oxygenation sensor be used for?

With its new generation of connected watches, Apple intends to monitor your health like never before. According to the sources of the Taiwanese newspaper DigiTimes (Quoted by SlashGear), the Cupertino company would have planned to install a instrument for measuring the level of oxygen in the blood among the sensors of his next «Smartwatch», l’Apple Watch Series 6. This device would have been designed by the Taiwanese company, ASE Technology. The latter would already be responsible for installing a sensor sensitive to ambient light chez the future Apple AirPods. The Apple Watch sensor should also have the function, in principle, of measuring the absorption of light by the red blood cells and therefore of estimating both blood flow and blood rhythm. If the sensor recognizes infra-red, absorbed by oxygen-rich red blood cells, it can give an approximate level of oxygen in the blood. The new e-health tool of the next Apple Watch so might be able to, too.

Knowing this famous rate makes it possible to assess whether the tested carrier risks heart or lung disease. Indeed, if the blood does not testify to a oxygen saturation (or SpO2) normal, between 95% and 100%, it can testify to hypoxemia or cyanosis, consequences of poor blood oxygenation. This may be due to respiratory failure or abnormal blood circulation, linked to a heart problem. From a precedent ” leak“, The iOS system, connected to the Apple Watch 6, would be able to send notifications if the SpO2 was abnormally low. Moreover, according to SlashGear, this blood oxygenation sensor will be completed with instruments for measuring heartbeats, detecting atrial fibrillation (abnormally fast heart rate), but also a miniature accelerometer and gyroscope. The Apple Watch Series 6 should be released in its various models, in autumn 2020.

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