Apple hires yet another medical sensor expert as 'iWatch' hype grows

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited February 2014
Apple continues to bolster its team by hiring medical sensor experts, with the latest grab being former chief technology officer of a company that specialized in noninvasive monitoring technologies -- yet another hire that will help fuel speculation that the company is working on a so-called "iWatch" with biometric sensing capabilities.

Hire
The Masimo rainbow fingerprint sensor. Photo via Wikipedia.


Marcelo Malini Lamego, a Stanford University graduate, was CTO of Cercacor for 8 years, until this January when he began working on a research and development team at Apple, according to his LinkedIn page. The new Apple hire was first discovered by NetworkWorld on Thursday.

Lamego is credited with more than 70 patent applications and granted patents related to a number of categories, including sensors and patient monitoring technologies. His profile also notes that he's authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles relating to topics such as neural networks, power electronics, and adaptive systems.

In particular, Lamego was the lead scientist developing Masimo's "Rainbow Technology" platform, which is a noninvasive monitoring tool that assesses "multiple blood constituents and physiologic parameters that previously required invasive or complicated procedures."

When placed on a user's fingertip, the Masimo Rainbow can measure total hemoglobin, oxygen content, carboxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, and much more. It uses more than seven wavelengths of light to acquire blood constituent data based on light absorption.

Lamego isn't the first hire related to Masimo, either. That company's former chief medical officer and executive vice president of medical affairs, Michael O'Reilly, was recently added to Apple's payroll.

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"iWatch" concept render by Martin Hajek.


The latest hiring is of particular interest because Apple is rumored to be working on a new wrist-worn accessory that would allow users to easily track fitness and health data. It's expected to be a peripheral that would connect to Apple's existing ecosystem of devices, and potentially utilize a dedicated iPhone application for user feedback.

Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities was first to report last May that Apple's so-called "iWatch" would focus on biometric feedback and deep integration with existing iOS devices. He also believes the device will sport a "secure user identification mechanism."

Apple has been on something of a hiring spree lately with talent related to fitness and health. Those new personnel have only helped to fuel the growing "iWatch" speculation through the start of 2014.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I'm waiting for the rumor that it isn't iWatch they are working on, rather iDoctor! :D
  • Reply 2 of 49
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    I'm waiting for the rumor that it isn't iWatch they are working on, rather iDoctor! image

    Pretty much one and the same, me thinks. or maybe iNurse? iCoach? iMum. or all of the above.

  • Reply 3 of 49
    Samsung will launch iHospital soon
  • Reply 4 of 49
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member
    I'm waiting for the rumor that it isn't iWatch they are working on, rather iDoctor! :D
    When your iWatch tells you to "Turn your head and cough" - you'll be using the iHernia app! :D
  • Reply 5 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by paxman View Post

     

    Pretty much one and the same, me thinks. or maybe iNurse? iCoach? iMum. or all of the above.


    Funny! :)

     

    I don't know what the name of the watch will be...but I think Apple will make the SW part of the iLife suite and not just a lot of single use little apps....which btw can be a little tedious. 

     

    E.g. To go running, I have to check the weather app, open the flash light app (Apple's flashlight doesn't blink) open the podcast app, open the Nike running app and set for a run, open heart rate app to check heart rate. I know it's a first world problem but only Apple can fix it! :)

     

    Best.

  • Reply 6 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    paxman wrote: »
    Pretty much one and the same, me thinks. or maybe iNurse? iCoach? iMum. or all of the above.

    Re my iDoctor Post: Sorry I should have expressed my thoughts more clearly, I was (comically I should add) mentally imagining a robot from Apple with the voice of Siri ... as a complete shocker to Wall Street :D (must be all the Google /Boston Dynamics/Cylon stuff going round in my head).
  • Reply 7 of 49
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    ". . . as iWatch hype grows."

    AI, this is an abuse of the word "hype." Unless you're referring to your own hype, which is possible I suppose.

    The word always implies that someone, usually the source, is inflating news of the product or event or whatever.

    Apple is not hyping the rumored iWatch.

    You've been advised about this misuse before.
  • Reply 8 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    flaneur wrote: »
    ". . . as iWatch hype grows."

    AI, this is an abuse of the word "hype." Unless you're referring to your own hype, which is possible I suppose.

    The word always implies that someone, usually the source, is inflating news of the product or event or whatever.

    Apple is not hyping the rumored iWatch.

    You've been advised about this misuse before.

    To me 'Hype' is a cute Application for generating HTML5 ... ;)
  • Reply 9 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post





     
    Hire

    The Masimo rainbow fingerprint sensor. Photo via Wikipedia.



    Fingerprint sensor?  Why would a hospital monitor the patient's fingerprints?  Do they have some relationship to overall health?  Will this replace the fingerprint sensor in future iPhones?


  • Reply 10 of 49
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    Wow, really, I'm so disturbed by that bad iPhone 6 design that a real iWatch news is what I need to feel better.
  • Reply 11 of 49
    flaneur wrote: »
    ". . . as iWatch hype grows."

    AI, this is an abuse of the word "hype." Unless you're referring to your own hype, which is possible I suppose.

    The word always implies that someone, usually the source, is inflating news of the product or event or whatever.

    Apple is not hyping the rumored iWatch.

    You've been advised about this misuse before.

    I think they meant hype as in excitement for the product...?
  • Reply 12 of 49

    I heard Apple employees talking about the watch at BJs in Cupertino. Its coming soon!

  • Reply 13 of 49
    Meet Apple's latest hire, Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.
  • Reply 14 of 49
    lets not forget the purchase of primesense.. i think thet will have a lot to do with the next wave of products that we get.


    IMO that new iphone design is clean and elegant.. i think its extraordinarily nice.
  • Reply 15 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ClemyNX View Post



    Wow, really, I'm so disturbed by that bad iPhone 6 design that a real iWatch news is what I need to feel better.

    What iPhone 6 design?

     

    (Oops. Just saw the other story).

  • Reply 16 of 49
    Originally Posted by appleempl View Post

    I heard Apple employees talking about the watch at BJs in Cupertino. Its coming soon!



    Wow, this takes me back. To the early naughties when people said this kind of crap and actually expected to be listened to.

     

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

    Meet Apple's latest hire, Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.


     

    “He’s dead, Tim.”

  • Reply 17 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member



    “He’s dead, Tim.”

    OMG Apple might be working on The Genesis Device ....
  • Reply 18 of 49
    To go running, I have to check the weather app, open the flash light app (Apple's flashlight doesn't blink) open the podcast app, open the Nike running app and set for a run, open heart rate app to check heart rate. I know it's a first world problem but only Apple can fix it! :)

    Best.

    Wow, sounds like your iPhone does most of the running¡
    “He’s dead, Tim.”

    No no, "It's life Tim, but not as we know it"
  • Reply 19 of 49
    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post

    No no, "It's life Tim, but not as we know it"



     

    “It’s television, Tim, but not as we know it.”

  • Reply 20 of 49
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    justp1ayin wrote: »
    I think they meant hype as in excitement for the product...?

    Yeah, they do, but that's an abuse of the word, a watering down. It originally meant fake excitement generated by PR or advertising. We still need that word, more than ever, in fact.

    Using hype to mean genuine excitement pulls the teeth out of the word. Typical of these shallow times. Not speaking of you, of course, but of those who use words to make a living.
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