Ref design for blood pressure monitor

There is a strong need for automatic blood pressure measurement which can be used by patients themselves to keep track of their health. Most of the commercial noninvasive automatic blood pressure monitors use either oscillometry or automatic detection of Korotkoff sounds or both. Both methods use a cuff to the upper arm and the systolic and diastolic pressures are determined automatically using an electronic instrument. The instrument has an electric pump and a pressure release valve apart from the electronics required to convert and display blood pressure readings. The cuff is inflated by an electric pump and deflated by a pressure-release valve. Proprietary algorithms are used to calculate systolic and diastolic blood pressure values.

Automatic oscillometric blood pressure monitors are the dominant types of noninvasive BP devices. There are many models on the market, ranging from professional monitors used in health care facilities to inexpensive monitors used in homes. Most home monitors are the upper arm (brachial) type, but wrist monitors are gaining popularity.

View the PDF document for more information.

Originally published by Renesas Electronics at www.renesas.com as "Blood Pressure Monitor Reference Design".