An Apple patent made public recently points to potentially larger plans for the iconic computer and device maker’s Apple Watch. The wearable may eventually offer capabilities of a medical device.
Apple appears to be eyeing the wearable medical device market for its Apple Watch, suggests the company’s patent filing released Thursday by the US Patent & Trademark Office.
Apple’s “Care Event Detection and Alerts” patent features a wearable device that communicates with a smartphone to monitor the user’s vital signs and health. It detects problems such as a heart attack or fall, and transmits the alert to a smartphone, which can then notify people listed as emergency contacts.
