Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,610,157) for a “wearable electronic device with electrodes for sensing biological parameters.” It hints at Apple Watches and watchOS updates that offer even more health and fitness features.
Apple’s idea is for the smartwatch to be even better at sensing and determining the biological parameters of its user. This includes an enhanced lectrocardiogram (ECG) feature.
With the ECG app, Apple Watch Series 5 is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram. However, some cardiologists feel it’s little more than a gimmick, and Apple wants to change this.
Here’s the summary of the invention: “An electronic device, such as a watch, has a housing to which a carrier is attached. The carrier has a first surface interior to the electronic device, and a second surface exterior to the electronic device. A set of electrodes is deposited on the exterior surface of the carrier.
“An additional electrode is operable to be contacted by a finger of a user of the electronic device while the first electrode is positioned against skin of the user. The additional electrode may be positioned on a user-rotatable crown of the electronic device, on a button of the electronic device, or on another surface of the housing of the electronic device. A processor of the electronic device is operable to determine a biological parameter of the user based on voltages at the electrodes. The biological parameter may be an electrocardiogram.”
