Apple develops innovative hydration sensor for Apple Watch

Apple has developed a one-of-a-kind hydration sensor designed for the Apple Watch, a company patent filing has revealed.

The patent, first spotted by Apple obviously, is titled “Measuring Hydration with a Watch” and has been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

“Traditional hydration tracking techniques are generally invasive, expensive or unreliable,” according to Apple. This refers to existing methods of determining hydration, such as single-use testing of fluid samples.

Apple’s hydration sensor comes in the form of non-invasive electrodes placed against the skin, which he describes as a “reliable and elegant” solution. The sensor works by measuring the electrical properties of the sweat of the Apple Watch wearer. The patent explains:

Electrical properties, such as electrical conductance, can represent a concentration of electrolytes in perspiration, which in turn represents a user’s level of hydration.

[…]

For example, a high level of electrical conductance from perspiration can indicate a high concentration of electrolytes and a low level of hydration. For example, a low level of electrical conductance from perspiration can indicate a low concentration of electrolytes and a high level of hydration.

The file then gives a long and detailed technical description of the hydration sensor and its functionality.

Apple says its hydration tracking system can be performed “non-invasively, repeatedly, accurately, automatically, and with minimal user intervention.” According to the patent, hydration data can be used to provide feedback to the user, especially during activities such as workouts, and encourage better management of water consumption and therefore , overall health. The dossier explains why hydration is a valuable health indicator:

A user’s hydration level has significant impacts on a user’s health. Dehydration can affect performance and is associated with several negative health consequences, including heat stroke. Heavy drinking can lead to hyponatremia, fatigue, confusion, coma, and even death.

The patent filings can’t be taken as solid proof of Apple’s plans, but they show the areas of the company’s research. Nonetheless, Apple is known to have ambitious plans to add new health monitoring capabilities to the Apple Watch after the debut of blood oxygen monitoring with the Apple Watch Series 6 and blood oxygen monitoring. hydration now appears to be a viable option for the company to add to the device. in the future.