Apple acquired a new patent application for a noninvasive system that uses sensors in a pillow or placed underneath a mattress to monitor an individual's medical conditions while sleeping, ZDnet reports.
Four things to know about the patent, which was registered with the European Patent Office this month:
1. Apple purchased the patent from Tueo Health, a medical device company that focuses on improving asthma management.
2. Data collected from the sensors would then be transferred to a processor "for computing a risk or status signal that is based on comparison from a baseline related to a patient or related population," according to Patently Apple.
3. If any data generated is indicative of a medical problem, the system will sound off alerts or alarms to notify caretakers of the individual's physiological changes.
4. In 2017, Apple acquired Beddit, a sleep monitor that tracks data including breathing, heart rate and room temperature.