Samsung has filed a patent describing a method that could let future Galaxy Watches track visceral fat more accurately by combining ultra-wideband radar scans with existing body-measurement data.
Visceral fat, which accumulates deeper in the abdomen around vital organs and is harder to lose than subcutaneous fat beneath the skin, presents a greater health risk and is difficult to measure without clinical tools such as MRI or CT scans. The patent, titled “Method and system for estimation of abdominal fat,” outlines a nonclinical approach to improve abdominal fat estimates.
How the system would estimate visceral fat
The filing describes using an ultra-wideband (UWB) radar to scan the abdomen to estimate subcutaneous fat. That radar data would be analyzed alongside Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) readings and basic metrics — weight, height, age and gender — to produce a more complete estimate of total abdominal fat. Once sufficient data are available, the system would distinguish visceral fat from subcutaneous fat to give a more detailed picture of body composition.
The patent does not specify which device would carry the system, but the Galaxy Watch is a logical candidate: current Galaxy Watches already include BIA sensors capable of measuring and tracking body fat percentage, fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, BMI, BMR and other body-composition metrics. The proposed approach would combine those measurements with UWB radar scans to refine estimates of abdominal and visceral fat.
