CUFF DESIGNS AND METHODS

• US 20180153418A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: SULLIVAN, Thomas J., KARAKI, Habib S., KIMOTO, Richard C., KOCH, Richard H., HARRISON-NOONAN, Tobias J., MONTGOMERY, R. Keith
• Granted Patent: US 11,633,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02225 using the oscillometric method
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0235 Valves specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist

Abstract

A low-profile blood pressure measurement system and methods of use are disclosed. The system includes an expandable member or structure that has a multi-compartment structure and/or is mounted on a rigid surface or structure. The system is incorporated into a portable multi-function device, or is configured to communicate with a portable multi-function device.

Claims

1. A blood pressure measurement system, comprising:

a pressure sensor;

an expandable member comprising a plurality of expandable cells, wherein the plurality of expandable cells comprises at least three expandable cells or at least two repeating expandable cells; and

an expansion actuator configured to selectively expand the expandable member.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the expandable member is an inflatable structure, and the expandable cells are inflatable cells.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the expansion actuator is an air pump.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the expandable member comprises a width in the range of about 10 mm to 40 mm.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the expandable member comprises a width in the range of about 20 mm to 30 mm.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the expandable member comprises a length in the range of about 100 mm to 400 mm.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the expandable member comprises a length in the range of about 200 mm to 300 mm.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the expandable member comprises a length in the range of about 225 mm to 275 mm.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the expandable member comprises a length, a width and a vertical dimension, and wherein the length is orthogonal to the width and the height and the width is orthogonal to the vertical dimension, and wherein the length is greater than equal to the width, and the width is greater than or equal to the vertical dimension.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the expandable cells, in an expanded state, comprise a plurality of elongate structures, each structure comprising a length, width and vertical dimension.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of expandable cells comprise a side-by-side arrangement across their widths.

12. The system of claim 11, where the lengths of the plurality of expandable cells are aligned with the length of the expandable member.

13. The system of claim 11, where the lengths of the plurality of expandable cells are aligned with the width of the expandable member.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of elongate structures comprise an elongate cylindrical shape.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of elongate structures comprise an elongate oblong shape.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the expandable member further comprises an expandable sensing cell located on a skin contact surface of the expandable member.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the expandable cells comprise a plurality of structures in a matrix configuration, with at least two expandable cells along the width of the expandable member, and at least two expandable cells along the vertical dimension of the expandable member.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the lateral surface of each expandable cell is folded outward in a collapsed state.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the expandable member further comprises a first plurality of elongate expandable cells and a second plurality of elongate expandable cells, wherein the first plurality of elongate expandable cells comprises lengths that are aligned with the length of the expandable member, and wherein the second plurality of elongate expandable cells comprises length that are aligned with the width of the expandable member.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the expandable member further comprises a sensing cell overlying the plurality of elongate structures.