Blood Pressure Estimation With Limited Cuff Pressurization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ambulatory blood pressure monitoring devices are uncomfortable and disrupt sleep due to the need for cuff inflation beyond systolic pressure, leading to user friction and potential changes in blood pressure readings, making it difficult to detect hypertension patterns like white coat, nocturnal, and masked hypertension.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that estimate blood pressure values using a feature vector derived from physiological signals and cuff pressure data, allowing for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure estimation with lower cuff inflation pressures, reducing discomfort and improving monitoring accuracy during sleep.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional blood pressure measurement techniques are used with cuff inflation beyond systolic pressure, then accurate blood pressure measurement is achieved, but patient comfort deteriorates and sleep is disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using cuff inflation pressures that reach but do not exceed the patient's systolic blood pressure (e.g., inflating to 140 mmHg when systolic pressure is estimated at 150 mmHg). This partial pressurization is sufficient to obtain the necessary physiological signals for blood pressure estimation while avoiding the excessive inflation that causes discomfort and sleep disturbance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical auscultatory method (which requires listening to Korotkoff sounds during cuff deflation) with an oscillometric approach that uses physiological signal processing. By analyzing pulse waveforms, impedance changes, and other physiological parameters during controlled cuff pressurization, the system estimates blood pressure without requiring full inflation beyond systolic pressure or manual auscultation.
2Reliability
If frequent ambulatory blood pressure measurement is performed, then complete view of blood pressure characteristics is achieved, but patient tolerance deteriorates due to discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial measurements by collecting physiological signals during limited cuff pressurization cycles that do not fully inflate beyond systolic pressure. These partial measurements, when aggregated over multiple intervals, provide a complete view of blood pressure characteristics without requiring full traditional measurements each time, thereby improving patient tolerance for frequent monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic ambulatory blood pressure measurements at scheduled intervals (e.g., every 30-60 minutes) throughout the day and night. Each measurement uses the improved limited-pressurization technique, and the periodic aggregation of these measurements provides comprehensive blood pressure monitoring data while maintaining patient tolerance through reduced discomfort at each measurement point.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cuff pressurization is limited to reduce discomfort, then patient comfort is improved, but measurement capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces physiological signal processing as an intermediary between cuff pressurization and blood pressure determination. Instead of directly correlating cuff pressure with blood pressure readings, the system uses intermediate physiological parameters (pulse waveforms, impedance changes, oscillation patterns) that can be measured during limited pressurization and then processed to estimate blood pressure values accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the measurement parameters by analyzing multiple physiological parameters (pulse amplitude, impedance, oscillation frequency, waveform shape) rather than relying solely on cuff pressure readings. By monitoring how these parameters change during limited cuff pressurization, the system can extrapolate and estimate blood pressure values that would normally require higher pressurization, thus maintaining measurement capability while reducing patient discomfort.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for estimating blood pressure values, and related blood pressure measurement systems, account for patient specific attributes. A method of estimating a blood pressure value of a patient includes receiving feature vector data corresponding to a pressure variation of a blood pressure cuff. The feature vector data is derived from physiological signals of the patient measured over the pressure variation of the blood pressure cuff. A first blood pressure value of the patient is estimated using a first algorithm that employs the feature vector data as input data.