Apple Watch saves man’s life, SpO2 sensor help detect blood clot in lungs

We have read several reports of Apple Watch saving people with its timely heart rate notifications, fall detection, and emergency SOS calling features. Now, in a rare incident SpO2 sensor, which normally reads out blood-oxygen saturation level, helped save the life of a man in the US.

Back in October 2022, Cleveland-based Ken Counihan received an unusual notification on his Apple Watch that his resting breathing rate has drastically increased from normal 14 breaths per minute to 18 per minute. Counihan then informed his wife and son (who stays far away from home) about this. The latter told the mother to immediately take the father to outpatient care at a nearby hospital. Then after an X-Ray test, he was offered medication for bronchitis.