IR LEDs Improve Health and Environment Detection for Wearables
A patent Apple received earlier this year describes how Apple Watch could analyze composition of water and determine the pH level of user’s sweat through the sensing components like short-wave infrared light (SWIR) and infrared LEDs. The paten revealed Apple’s initiation to strengthen health and environment sensing function with its wearable devices.
Infrared LEDs with wavelengths over 1000 nm allow advance sensing function for wearables such as watches and earbuds, helping to monitor various biometric data.
TrendForce projects PPG revenue to grow from US$38.1 million in 2019 to $63.33 million in 2020, a 66.2% increase YoY. PPG product design is expected to shift from a discrete optical sensor design to a modular one, allowing suppliers to deliver optical components with fewer manufacturing errors and greater ease of integration to wearables brands. Major companies in the PPG supply chain include OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, Lite-on, DOWA, Epistar, Epileds, and Opto Tech.