Apple is reportedly expanding its health sensor technology to create new preventive care solutions, according to a Jan. 21 Apple Insider report.
Five things to know:
1. Apple CEO Tim Cook during a Jan. 21 Q&A session with IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said the tech giant is working on technology designed to identify health conditions earlier.
"I think you can take that simple idea of having preventive things and find many more areas where technology intersects healthcare, and I think all of our lives would probably be better off for it," Mr. Cook said.
2. Mr. Cook said he would not yet reveal what initiatives Apple is working on toward improving preventive care. The company first became involved with health tracking when it released the capability for its Apple Watch.
3. The Apple Watch is designed with sensors capable of detecting atrial fibrillation, and the Series 4 and Series 5 of the device have an FDA-approved electrocardiogram function.
4. A recent patent filing from December suggests Apple is creating a capability for the Apple Watch to detect Parkinson's disease and diagnose tremor symptoms, according to the report.
5. Apple has also released health tracking abilities for sound monitoring and menstrual cycle tracking for its Apple Watch software.