Apple makes yet another medical field hire for unknown project
Continuing the expansion of an ever growing medical devices research team, Apple recently took on Michael O'Reilly, former chief medical officer and executive vice president of medical affairs at pulse oximeter firm Masimo Corporation.
While O'Reilly's LinkedIn page does not yet reflect the move to Apple, health blog MobiHealthNews reports the former Masimo executive is now with the Cupertino, Calif., company.
In a follow-up report, MacRumors was able to confirm with Masimo that O'Reilly is indeed no longer with the company, saying it "could not dispute" the recent reports of his new position at Apple.
While it is unclear what O'Reilly will be doing at Apple, Masimo's recent product releases give a bit of insight into the new hire. For example, the firm launched an iPhone-compatible pulse oximeter in 2012. Pulse oximetry offers users a non-invasive and accurate means of pulse measurement by monitoring oxygen saturation in the blood stream.
Rumors hold that Apple is building a so-called "iWatch" that will incorporate advanced health monitoring features. As other products like Withings' Pulse fitness tracker include pulse reading technology, it is not out of the realm of possibility that an Apple solution would feature a similar solution.
An MD, O'Reilly lists himself as being in the "monitoring and information technology" trade. He currently teaches as an adjunct associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Michigan, as well as a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative care at the University of California, Irvine.
While O'Reilly's LinkedIn page does not yet reflect the move to Apple, health blog MobiHealthNews reports the former Masimo executive is now with the Cupertino, Calif., company.
In a follow-up report, MacRumors was able to confirm with Masimo that O'Reilly is indeed no longer with the company, saying it "could not dispute" the recent reports of his new position at Apple.
While it is unclear what O'Reilly will be doing at Apple, Masimo's recent product releases give a bit of insight into the new hire. For example, the firm launched an iPhone-compatible pulse oximeter in 2012. Pulse oximetry offers users a non-invasive and accurate means of pulse measurement by monitoring oxygen saturation in the blood stream.
Rumors hold that Apple is building a so-called "iWatch" that will incorporate advanced health monitoring features. As other products like Withings' Pulse fitness tracker include pulse reading technology, it is not out of the realm of possibility that an Apple solution would feature a similar solution.
An MD, O'Reilly lists himself as being in the "monitoring and information technology" trade. He currently teaches as an adjunct associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Michigan, as well as a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative care at the University of California, Irvine.
Comments
This guy's relationship with Apple is probably why Goople released information about its eyeball sensor several days ago.
Tim Cook was quoted, "For too many of our friends and family, life has been cut short or the quality of their life is too often lacking," Cook said. "Art is one of the crazy ones who thinks it doesn?t have to be this way. There is no one better suited to lead this mission and I am excited to see the results."
Here is the link to last year's announcement...
http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/13/09/19/apple_chairman_art_levinson_signs_on_as_ceo_of_new_google_health_venture
I don’t think Apple ever will, but I’m interested in Reed Jobs’ plan in this regard.
I hope Steve got a chance to look at the EMR (electronic medical record) systems. I work in the medical field and I have yet to use a system that wasn't terrible. They ALL seem as though they have been designed by IT people with no conception of human intuition. Apple would be very successful, and do a lot of good, if they made an intuitive, well thought out EMR. And they could offer it at a relatively low cost if subsidized by selling Apple hardware. A much better deal then what happens now. The 250 bed hospital I recently worked at just paid $75k for a freakn update to the crappy software. And of course it runs on specked out dells that are still slow as sh*t and need to be replaced every few years.
I think the demand is going to be huge.
And since it will only be compatible with iOS devices we will see many people switch just for that.
According to Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, SJ was actively coming up with ideas of improving the design of medical devices and equipment such as his oxygen monitor while he was confined in 2009 following his liver transplant. Perhaps this was his decree to Tim Cook and other Apple executives after he got out.
He gave them no decree. And Steve was a genius, but sometimes that behaviour of his ended up wearing him out in the end.
This probably won't happen, but I still say iWatch's main function should be a wireless-to-your-ears music player via a wireless set of EarPods.
I.E. What would really set iWatch apart from the competition is if it were an iPod nano-killer. So people could take iWatch training and it would not only track their steps, path, oxygen, speed, motion, etc., but it'd also play their music allowing them to leave their iPhones behind.
What if it is bigger than the iWatch - maybe they intend to branch out in to biotech/bioinformatics. It is a computer heavy field.
I have feeling the iWatch is going to be a beautiful thing! I had not seen an iPod nano-watch until last night and was absolutely surprised at how good looking the "watch" is. The guy wearing it was having fun with the people who commented on the nano-watch because he has had the watch for two years now. He got a watch band soon after Steve Jobs' presentation and comment about the nano being a great watch.
Very creative company.
Hopefully this guy brings something to the table.
Maybe the iWatch is not a watch, but a collection of interconnected sensors and monitors using a standardized protocol
I find it hard to believe that this mythical iDevice will be an iWatch. I know that Apple has developed devices that have been successful where others have failed, I know that Apple has also got us to buy a phone that was ungainly large at the time... but the idea that we're all going to go back to wearing a watch. Hmmmm...
Not impossible, for sure... but improbable, imho.
I'm quite anxious to see what Apple brings to the table.
This makes complete sense in context of Steve Jobs sickness in his last years...