Apple has announced that it will temporarily halt sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the United States starting this week, in response to a patent infringement issue concerning the blood oxygen monitoring feature of these devices. The U.S. International Trade Commission issued an order in October that might lead to a ban on importing Apple Watches into the U.S., finding that Apple's products infringe on patents held by the medical technology company Masimo. Apple is proactively suspending sales of certain smartwatches ahead of a Presidential review's conclusion on a patent dispute set for December 25.