Apple reportedly removed a blood-oxygen measurement feature from its newest smartwatches to circumvent a US ban which stemmed from a legal dispute with medical devices company Masimo.

Bloomberg reported the US Customs and Border Protection agency approved the removal of the light-based pulse oximetry technology used to measure oxygen levels in Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches.

Masimo alleges the blood oxygen-tracking feature violated its patents, and filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020 along with contacting the International Trade Commission in 2021.

In October 2023, the ITC recommended a limited exclusion order on imports of Apple’s smartwatches due to the company violating two Masimo patents.

Apple moved to pull the plug on sales of the two watches in December 2023, but Reuters reported the US Court of Appeals put a hold on the ban while it considered the vendor’s appeal of the ITC ruling, leaving the iPhone maker clear to keep the devices available.

Bloomberg stated Masimo disclosed the US Customs and Border Protection approved Apple’s decision to remove the pulse oximetry technology from the devices, enabling it to circumvent the ban.