Monday, September 16, 2024, 1:17 PM PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has rolled out watchOS 11 today, following an extensive beta testing period. A standout addition in this update is the sleep apnea detection feature, which is now available for the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in more than 150 countries and regions.
The new feature, which helps identify potential signs of sleep apnea—a condition where breathing intermittently stops and starts during sleep—can now be used in various countries including the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore. For a complete list of available regions, users can visit Apple’s website. However, the feature is not yet accessible in some English-speaking countries such as Australia and Canada due to pending regulatory approvals.
Sleep apnea detection is facilitated through the Apple Watch's accelerometer, which monitors subtle wrist movements associated with disruptions in normal breathing patterns. If these disturbances are detected consistently over several nights, they may indicate the presence of sleep apnea.
Users can track their nightly breathing disturbances via the Health app on their iPhone, where disturbances are categorized as either "elevated" or "not elevated."
Apple developed this feature using advanced machine learning techniques and validated it through clinical studies. It is designed to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in individuals aged 18 and older who have not been previously diagnosed with the condition. The feature has recently received FDA clearance in the U.S., and Apple has published a document detailing its development and validation process.
The new Apple Watch Series 10 will be available starting Friday, while the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, which were released last year, will also support this feature.
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