ITC Declines Apple Watch Import Ban Review: What It Means for Blood-Oxygen Features in the US
The US International Trade Commission has declined to review an administrative law judge’s finding that Apple’s redesigned blood-oxygen functionality in the Apple Watch does not infringe Masimo patents.
The decision effectively closes this phase of the dispute and removes the immediate risk of a fresh US import ban.
The case is the latest chapter in a years-long fight over pulse oximetry, a light-based method used to estimate blood oxygen saturation. In late 2023, the ITC backed Masimo in an earlier investigation, leading to an exclusion order that disrupted imports of certain Apple Watch models.
A redesign aimed at staying on shelves
To keep sales moving in the US, Apple changed how the feature works and previously disabled blood-oxygen readings on some US-sold watches during the legal uncertainty.
In the redesign discussed in this proceeding, Apple shifted key parts of blood-oxygen processing away from the watch and onto a paired iPhone.
Masimo argued that the changes still violated the spirit of the earlier exclusion order, pushing for further ITC scrutiny.
But in March 2026, Administrative Law Judge Monica Bhattacharyya concluded the redesign did not infringe the asserted patents, and the full Commission has now chosen not to revisit that finding.
What users and rivals watch next?
For Apple, the ITC’s decision reduces the chances of abrupt retail disruptions tied to this specific claim, though broader litigation between the companies has not disappeared.
For consumers, it signals a clearer path for Apple to keep offering blood-oxygen capabilities in the US, depending on product configuration and ongoing legal strategy.
The outcome also underscores how health features on wearables can be shaped as much by patent disputes as by sensors and software. With smartwatches increasingly positioned as health devices, the Apple-Masimo battle is being followed closely across the medtech and consumer electronics industries.
