Apple Patents Hint at New Healthtech Horizons

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While the burgeoning health-related capabilities of Apple’s wearable products are well known, the tech company’s recent patent applications suggest it intends to further its sights around biomed devices.

In this story from Neurotech Reports, a summary of Apple’s more recent patent applications offer signs of its possible advances in this space. Here’s a sample:

• Teeth grinding or clenching: Apple proposes that the condition known as bruxism could be diagnosed with two sensors within their AirPods – an accelerometer detecting vibration, and a microphone identifying grinding sounds.
• Diabetes: Using a wearable device like a smartwatch fitted with non-invasive glucose monitoring capability, to “facilitate treatment of diabetes”. In a similar vein, a recently granted patent in the United States sees Apple propose using front-facing cameras for real-time monitoring of a person’s food – and therefore glucose – consumption, and together with data from a glucose monitor, covert that to automated insulin dosing.
• Neurostimulation therapies: such as using an ultrasonic device around a person’s wrist “to generate the sensation of pressure… to garner the attention of the user.”

Check out the full Neurotech Reports article for more details.