The current Apple Watch smartwatch already supports regular or on-demand heart rate measurements, However, a new patent recently exposed reveals Apple's desire to introduce continuous blood pressure monitoring options for future devices. Apple mentioned in its patent description that this technology can measure the wearer's blood pressure through an electrically coupled scheme of pulse propagation time (PTT) without disturbing the user.
"The current outpatient and home blood pressure measurement methods cannot be continuous, and the cuff device used in the oscilloscope will disturb the user's sleep through intermittent charging and deflation actions, and may even cause harm to a certain extent."
In view of this, Apple is determined to develop a "non-invasive" convenient continuous blood pressure monitoring solution, such as carrying out this work through "multi-function wristband equipment".
The new patent mentions that watches can evaluate blood pressure by pulse: "By processing the data of pulse reaching the sensor, we calculate when the blood pulse generated by blood pumped from the left ventricle reaches the wrist (the so-called PTT scheme)".
Obviously, this means that users need to wear electrodes or some other form of sensors to achieve this new continuous blood pressure monitoring function with Apple Watch.
Previously, Apple has also studied solutions such as continuous monitoring of heart rate without using electrodes or sleeves. But it is unlikely to be available to all users and is only recommended for use during medical observation.
