Apple Secures Hydration Tracking Patent

Apple locked down the IP for another sensor.

The latest: The tech giant was awarded a broad patent for a “wearable device with perspiration measuring capabilities” — greenlighting noninvasive hydration tracking for Apple Watch.

New Drip

Recognizing its role in performance, cognition, weight loss, and more, consumers are hydration-obsessed.

Removing the guesswork, microfluidic sensors are personalizing refueling:

• Targeting endurance athletes, Nix and FLOWBIO measure real-time electrolyte loss through noninvasive skin patches.
• Sweat patch makers WearOptimo and Epicore take on workers’ heat stress, with the latter recently landing investment to enter Asia.
• Refining the process, hDrop launched a reusable, clip-on sweat monitor.

Drop in the bucket. But, Apple’s hydration feature is a threat to standalone sensors — and not for the first time.

• Apple is zeroing in on noninvasive glucose monitoring for Apple Watch.
• While it reformulates its patent-infringing SpO2 sensor, blood pressure and sleep apnea monitoring are expected this year.
• Tying it all together, its planned AI health coach will synthesize the data for a comprehensive picture.

Punchline: Sweat tracking is the new step counting, and another likely spoke for Apple’s wrist-worn health hub.