According to Apple’s patent filing, the sensor will enable the business to calculate a user’s sweat measure.
Apple has submitted a patent application for a novel sensor that would enable the Apple Watch to monitor a user’s perspiration production. The business has been attempting to increase the capabilities of its smartwatches for measuring fitness and health. Previous rumors have indicated that the company’s upcoming wristwatch, the rumored Apple Watch Series 10, may be equipped with a blood pressure sensor. Currently, a US Patent and Trademark Office-discovered Apple patent application on Thursday details the capability of sweat monitoring.
The patent application titled “Wearable devices with perspiration measurement capabilities” was discovered by Patently Apple. The application’s numerous graphics attest to the fact that a new sensor patent is being filed for the Apple Watch. The tech giant may employ two different sensors for this feature, as the description also makes clear. “Other embodiments are directed to a device for calculating a user’s perspiration metric, where the device includes a housing with an exterior surface that faces skin, a perspiration sensor with two electrodes, and a processor configured to calculate the perspiration metric using the perspiration sensor,” the application stated.
Apple may use perspiration sensors in a variety of ways. The most likely method would be to monitor the pace at which perspiration is lost, as this might reveal information about a user’s level of hydration. This may be used by the manufacturer of iPhones to deliver dehydration notifications. The quantity of sodium lost by the body can also be calculated from the rate of perspiration, which could cause the smartwatch to alert the user to the possibility of hyponatremia. On the other hand, a lack of sweating might cause unstable body temperature control; if this is detected early on, the user may be able to receive medical assistance to determine the cause.
It should be remembered, nevertheless, that not every patent application is granted. Furthermore, Apple already possesses a sizable portfolio of patents that have not yet been developed into products. Because of this, it’s not obvious yet whether or not customers will be able to use this feature when a new Apple Watch model launches.
Although it is unlikely that Apple’s next wristwatch model would have a sweat sensor, a previous source claimed that the Apple Watch Series 10, which is anticipated to launch later this year, might have functions for blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea diagnosis. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple has been developing these capabilities for a while and may eventually release them on its tenth generation smartwatch.
