苹果公司宣布，在与医疗设备制造商Masimo长达数年的专利纠纷后，备受欢迎的血氧监测功能将重新回归Apple Watch。更新后，血氧应用的数据将通过配对的iPhone进行测量和计算，结果可在“健康”App的“呼吸”部分查看。此次功能恢复得益于美国海关的最新裁决，此前该功能因专利侵权问题曾一度从美国市场下架。此次更新不影响已购买的Apple Watch或在美国以外地区购买的设备。

Apple Watch的血氧监测功能在经历与Masimo的专利诉讼后，已于近期重新上线。此次更新允许用户在iPhone升级至iOS 18.6.1并更新Apple Watch至watchOS 11.6.1后，通过配对的iPhone测量并查看血氧数据，结果可在“健康”App的“呼吸”部分找到。

该功能此前因Masimo公司指控苹果侵犯其血氧监测专利，于2023年底在美国市场被暂停销售，涉及Apple Watch Series 9和Ultra 2等型号。国际贸易委员会的裁决支持了Masimo的立场，导致相关产品在美国下架。

苹果通过一项“以牙还牙”的专利诉讼，声称Masimo侵犯了苹果的专利，并在上诉法院的裁决中获得了250美元的胜诉，这为血氧功能的回归铺平了道路。苹果方面表示，此次判决的重点并非金钱。

此次更新仅适用于美国用户，并且不会影响此前已购买的包含血氧功能的Apple Watch，以及在美国以外地区购买的Apple Watch设备。

After a years-long patent dispute with the medical device maker Masimo, Apple announced today that the popular Blood Oxygen reporting feature will be returning to the Apple Watch. In a blog post, Apple said the feature will be available later today for U.S. customers with the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 after users update their iPhones to iOS 18.6.1 and their smartwatch to watchOS 11.6.1.

The blog post reads, "Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling."

Back in 2023, just before the holiday shopping season, the newly released Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 were pulled from shelves in the U.S. due to the dispute with Masimo. The company was also prohibited from importing new Apple Watches with the feature, as Mashable reported at the time. The medical device maker claimed Apple had violated its patent in designing the blood oxygen feature, and the International Trade Commission ruled in Masimo's favor.

The disputed pulse oximetry feature could be used to measure the level of oxygen in the blood, which can be helpful data for athletes and people with respiratory health problems.

Now, the feature will be returning to Apple Watches.

As Apple said in its blog post, the update is possible thanks to a new ruling in Apple's favor. Apple had filed a tit-for-tat suit against Masimo, claiming the company had actually violated Apple's patents. According to Bloomberg Law, Apple won a grand total of $250 in the appeals court ruling, with an Apple attorney saying "We're not here for the money" in the company's closing arguments.

In addition, Apple says the latest news will not impact "Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the original Blood Oxygen feature, nor to Apple Watch units purchased outside of the U.S."

The Apple Watch Series 10 is already a popular fitness tracker, and the return of Blood Oxygen reporting will be welcome news for many customers.