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| Apple wants a watch with more health tracking options |
Apple's wish list for healthy functionality is growing in its future smart releases, some possible and some not so far-fetched.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the company's plan includes several types of monitoring, including blood pressure, body temperature, sleep and blood sugar.
The details were revealed after reports that the release of the upcoming Apple Watch may be delayed due to manufacturing issues.
Some of the planned features identified by the Wall Street Journal include adding new sensors to the watch. The company hopes to develop a sensor that can measure blood pressure without putting pressure on the wrist.
The company has been studying blood pressure measurement for many years. The company registered a patent for a portable blood pressure monitor in 2016.
Apple's competitors are also interested in monitoring blood pressure. The Samsung Galaxy smartwatch was approved last year to track blood pressure changes in South Korea.
The accuracy and suitability of this feature is controversial and must be calibrated every four weeks with a reading from a conventional sphygmomanometer.
According to a previous Bloomberg report, Apple plans to add a temperature sensor to its watch later this year. But it appears that the addition has been delayed until next year.
Apple wants a watch with more health tracking options
The first intentional use of a temperature sensor may include fertility monitoring, and hopefully, it will detect fever.
Other wearables like Amazon's Halo Band and Fitbit's Sense have skin temperature sensors. However, the measured value deviates from the reading of the internal body temperature by the thermometer.
Apple also hopes to expand its sleep and blood oxygen tracking capabilities. Then one day you will be able to detect obstructive sleep apnea, a disease that causes people to stop breathing while they sleep.
Sleep disorders are complex, and diagnostic sleep studies include several types of nighttime monitoring.
For this feature to work, the company may need to find the best time to measure your blood oxygen level. Leaving the sensor on overnight will drain the battery quickly.
Apple is also reportedly planning to seek Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for existing watch functions such as heart rate monitoring in patients with arrhythmias and alarms when the body is low on oxygen.
The current FDA approval for the EKG feature of the Apple Watch does not apply to individuals diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and other diseases. This blood oxygen monitor has not been approved as a medical device.
The issue with blood sugar tracking and diabetes detection is one of the most remote features that Apple keeps looking for. The company has been trying to develop non-invasive blood sugar monitoring for many years, but it is said to have had little success.
The Wall Street Journal warned that many of the features under consideration may never reach consumers.
Health technology development and regulatory approval require years of development and testing. It is not enough to develop wearable devices to replace traditional diagnostic tools.