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Apple is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Southern District of New York.
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The suit claims that the Apple Watch's blood oximeter has a "racial bias," which discriminates against people with darker skin tones.
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The blood oximeter measures your blood oxygen saturation.
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A reading between 95% and 100% is normal for children and adults, while readings below 94% are considered abnormal.
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According to the lawsuit, "The conclusion was that Black patients may be at greater risk of hypoxemia if they rely on pulse oximetry for triage and adjustment of supplemental oxygen levels."
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White patients with low blood oxygen levels are more likely to receive care than those with darker skin.
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This is because healthcare recommendations are based on their blood oxygen levels.
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According to court documents, the "traditional fingertip pulse oximeters can measure blood oxygen levels and heartbeat,
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But wrist-worn devices such as the Apple Watch can determine heart rate.
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Blood oxygen measurements taken from the wrist are thought to be inaccurate."
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Algorithms for fingertip sensing based on wrist measurements can cause over 90% of readings unusable.
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Still, the company has never referred to the Apple Watch's blood oximeter as medical-grade equipment.
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Still, the company has never referred to the Apple Watch's blood oximeter as medical-grade equipment.
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Apple claims the Apple Watch's blood oximeter is only for general fitness and well-being.
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Apple says the blood oximeter app measurements are not meant for medical use.