Patent · US Expired

Automatic blood pressure measuring device and method with cuff size determination

US5022403A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
5References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 11, 1987
Grant dateJun 11, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 11, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/0235
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The device measures blood pressure automatically using the oscillometric technique wherein cuff pressure is deflated stepwise in dynamically determined increments while cuff pressure oscillations are sensed at each cuff pressure level and stored in a computer incorporated into the device. Stepwise cuff deflation is continued until the cuff pressure is below the subject's diastolic pressure whereupon the cuff is automatically deflated. The device can be used with different sized cuffs specific for different patient categories. For example, the device can employ an adult cuff, or a pediatric cuff. To accomodate the different cuff sizes, the device has more than one bleed orifice with which it controls the deflation steps. The onboard computer is programmed to use a selected one of the bleed orifices in the first bleed step and to use the time duration of the first bleed step to determine what size cuff is being used. Once the cuff size is determined, the proper bleed orifice designed for the determined cuff size is made operative, and the testing continues. This minimizes the effects of cuff pressure on the arm, and the selection gives the most efficient deflation characteristics.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.