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Apple has explained how its “Sleep Apnea Detection” feature works on certain Apple Watches. A new clinical validation summary document for the feature reveals how Apple Watch’s hardware and sensors collectively help.
Apple publishes a document detailing how the sleep apnea detection feature works
Apple received approval for its ‘Sleep Apnea Detection’ feature from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week. Recently, the company’s AirPods 2 Pro received a similar approval to be used as a hearing aid.
Apple has been securing permission to use its commercial products as Over The Counter (OTC) medical devices. Sleep apnea is a medical condition that certain Apple Watches can help detect. Apple has cautioned the feature, “is intended to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea for people 18 years old or older who have not already been diagnosed with sleep apnea.”
Apple has reportedly published a new clinical validation summary document that includes a detailed explanation of the feature. From a hardware perspective, the Apple Watch uses the integrated 3-axis gyroscope to detect disturbances in breathing while sleep tracking.
The gyroscope, “captures coarse motion of the body as well as fine movements including motion associated with breathing,” mentions the document. Sleep apnea is associated with “Breathing Disturbances”, which cause the wearer’s wrist to move. Apple collects this data and processes it to draw certain inferences.
Which Apple Watches support the FDA-approved feature?
Sleep apnea monitoring will work on the Apple Watch Series 10. It is also available on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9, with watchOS 11. While the watchOS 11 is available now, Apple should launch the new smartwatches later this week.
From a software perspective, Apple classifies the breathing disturbances as “elevated” or “not elevated”. Users can view the log, called “nightly Breathing Disturbances” in the Health app on their iPhone.
Interestingly, the upcoming Apple Watch 10 series, includes a blood oxygen sensor. However, Apple has disabled this feature on newer watches in the US. Moreover, the company does not rely on this sensor to monitor signs of sleep apnea.
Apple claims it developed the feature using “advanced machine learning”, which relied on an “extensive data set of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests”. The company validated the feature’s capabilities in a clinical study that it published on its official website.