Improved blood pressure monitor and method

Abstract

A method is provided for noninvasive, continuous, real-time monitoring of a patient's arterial blood pressure using Doppler probes and a blood pressure cuff for measurement of a patient's systolic and diastolic blood pressures at a major distal artery. A continuous Doppler blood flow velocity measurement is used to generate a waveform signal correlating to a cuff's measurements of systolic and diastolic pressures. In addition, a method determines cerebral blood perfusion by providing at least two Doppler probes, one of which is placed at a distal artery with a blood pressure cuff and another of which is placed over the carotid artery or the middle cerebral artery. An algorithm calculates systolic and diastolic pressures at the distal artery and at the carotid artery or the middle cerebral artery as a function of the continuously measured Doppler blood flow velocities.

Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to continuous, non-invasive blood pressure monitoring using a combination of a blood pressure cuff and a Doppler ultrasound probe. Background technique

[0002] The main method of clinical measurement of blood pressure is non-invasive auscultation using a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer cuff. The practitioner listens to the brachial artery with a stethoscope while slowly releasing the pressure in the cuff. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure at which the first "hiss" of blood flow in the artery is heard. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when no sound is heard.

[0003] Another non-invasive method for determining blood pressure is the use of a sphygmomanometer cuff (oscilloscope) with an electronic sensor to measure the oscillations. An algorithm is used to calculate systolic and diastolic values. This method is considered less accurate than auscultation, although it is easier to use. However, no continu...