A Cardiologist Sues Apple For Stealing His Heartbeat Monitoring Patent

More often than not, we have read about Apple Watch and its capabilities in measuring a user’s heartbeat or detecting falls. But this feature might have possibly been stolen if this cardiologist won the lawsuit against Apple.

Just recently, cardiologist Joseph W Diesel from New York University has filed a lawsuit in the federal court in Brooklyn. He claimed that Apple had illegally used his heartbeat monitoring patent on the Apple Watch.

Diesel alleged Apple of stealing the patent on irregular heartbeat detection.

According to Bloomberg, Diesel's invention is considered a pioneering method for detecting atrial fibrillation by monitoring irregular heartbeats over a period of time.

Diesel also said that he had contacted Apple back in September 2017 to ask for his rights but Apple refused to negotiate. This led to Diesel’s decision to file a lawsuit against the Cupertino giant.

In his complaint, Diesel wants Apple to either pay for royalties or stop using his patent on its Apple Watch. This is a really important and helpful feature for users so it would be normal for Apple to worry about this.

In the past, Apple Watch saved many lives thanks to its heartbeat monitoring feature. Back in May 2018, Deanna Recktenwalk from Tamba Pay, received warnings from her Apple Watch saying that her heartbeat while resting reached 190 beats per minute. After taken to the hospital, the doctors declared that she had kidney failure and she wouldn’t have made it if she hadn’t reached the hospital on time.

In another case, Apple Watch saved a British father’s live. He also received warnings from the watch about his irregular heartbeats. So he decided to visit the doctors for a test which concluded that the father was having atrial fibrillation. If he didn’t receive treatments early, he could be at risk of having strokes.

On September 10, 2019, Apple announced in its annual event its new Apple Watch 5. Apple Watch price hasn't always been affordable. The starting price of Series 5 is $399 for the GPS model while you have to pay $100 more for the cellular one. If you are wondering about the Apple Watch price in India, check out our table below.