Blood pressure cuff and bladder and apparatus embodying the same

• US 3,906,937 A
• Filed: 02/15/1974
• Issued: 09/23/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Theodore Aronson
• Original Assignee: Theodore Aronson
• Inventors: Aronson, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/443,130
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.5A,2.5C,2.5G,2.5M,2.5Q,2.5R,2.5S,2.5V,327
• US Class Current: 600/493
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/135 inflatable for measuring blood pressure A61B5/022; inflatable pressure pads A61F5/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1355 Automated control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132

Abstract

A blood-pressure cuff comprises an elongated non-elastic cover having an inflatable portion in which is disposed an inflatable bladder. Means extends from the inflatable portion for fastening the cover when the inner surface of the inflatable portion is applied to a limb of the user preparatory to inflation of the bladder. An integral, prestressed resilient clip of spiral shape is freely disposed in the inflatable portion of the cover between the bladder and outer cover surface to impart its spiral shape to both the inflatable portion of the cover and the bladder therein. The inflatable bladder may have a plurality of contiguous chambers each in fluid communication with adjoining chambers and a single fluid inlet adapted to have fluid under pressure supplied to the chambers for inflating the chambers.

Claims

1. In a blood-pressure cuff including an elongated non-elastic cover having a hollow inflatable portion having an outer wall and an inner wall, an inflatable bladder within said inflatable portion between inner facing surfaces of said outer and inner walls, means extending from said inflatable portion for fastening the cover with the inner wall of said flexible portion applied to a limb of the user, and means operative to inflate said bladder when the cover is so applied, the improvement comprising an integral, single component, prestressed resilient clip of spiral shape loosely disposed within said inflatable portion between the bladder therein and the inner surface of the outer wall of the inflatable portion, said clip being substantially co-extensive in length and width with the length and width of the inflatable portion to impair its spiral shape to said cover and said bladder.

2. A cuff according to claim 1, wherein said clip has at least two cut-out portions bounded by transverse end straps and a cross-strap therebetween.

3. A cuff according to claim 2, including means for electrically determining blood pressure, said means including a transducer positioned within said inflatable portion between the bladder and the inner surface of the inner wall of the inflatable portion and substantially underlying said cross-strap of the spiral clip for ensuring intimate contact of the transducer with the artery it overlies during inflation of the bladder.

4. A cuff according to claim 2, wherein said single component spiral clip is movable to an open position from its normal prestressed position for application of the cover about the user'"'"''"'"'s limb, the cross-strap of said clip being substantially equally spaced from the transverse end-straps thereof.

5. A cuff according to claim 2, wherein the clip is of about 0.010 inch thick steel and in its fully open position has a length greater than twice its width, said cut-out portions being symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal and transverse axes of the clip.

6. A cuff according to claim 2, wherein said clip in its fully open position is about 11 inches along and about 4 inches wide, said cut-out portions being each about 4 inches long and about 3 inches wide and being separated by said cross-strap of about three-fourths inch width, the remaining length of the clip being made up by said transverse end straps.

7. A blood-pressure cuff comprising an elongated non-elastic cover having a hollow inflatable portion having an outer wall and an inner wall, a single inflatable bladder positioned in said inflatable portion between inner facing surfaces of said outer and inner walls, single fluid inlet means for inflating said bladder and for supplying fluid under pressure from said bladder to a fluid pressure responsive device, means sub-dividing said single bladder into a plurality of contiguous chambers, each in communication with the others and with said fluid inlet means, and means for fastening the cover with said inner wall of the cover applied about a limb of the user;

said bladder having more than two chambers formed therein, each chamber extending along the length of the bladder in aligned reLation to the other chambers, alternate pairs of contiguous chambers being in fluid communication at their respective opposite end portions.

8. A cuff according to claim 7, wherein said subdividing means comprise longitudinally extending, fluid-occluding seams of a longitudinal extent less than that of the bladder, each of said seams being between inner surfaces of inner and outer walls of the bladder.

9. A cuff according to claim 7, wherein the chambers are each equal in volume, said single fluid inlet means being adjacent one end of the bladder in communication with a first of said chambergs, the remaining chambers being arranged in serial serpentine fluid communication with said first chamber.

10. A cuff according to claim 1, wherein the two chambers of each pair are separated along the greatest part of their longitudinal extent by a seam connection between the outer and inner surfaces of the bladder, said inner and outer surfaces, when the bladder is inflated, bulging outwardly to define spaced convex surface portions respectively interconnected by said stem connections.

11. A blood-pressure cuff comprising an elongated non-elastic cover having a rectangularly shaped hollow inflatable portion having an outer wall and an inner wall and a fastening portion extending from the inflatable portion for fastening the cover with the inner wall of the inflatable portion applied about limb of the user, a rectangularly shaped inflatable bladder positioned within said hollow inflatable portion between inner facing surfaces of said inner and outer walls and having a single fluid inlet, inflating means connected to said fluid inlet to inflate the bladder, the latter being formed with a plurality of contiguous chambers each in communication with adjoining chambers and with said single fluid inlet, and a single component prestressed resilient clip of spiral shape loosely disposed within said inflatable portion between the bladder and the inner surface of the outer wall of the inflatable portion, said clip being substantially co-extensive in length and width with the length and width of said inflatable portion to impart its spiral shape to said cover and said bladder.

12. A cuff according to claim 11, wherein said clip has at least two cut-out portions bounded by transverse end straps and a cross-strap therebetween, said cuff including means for electrically determining blood pressure, said means including a transducer positioned within said inflatable portion between the bladder and the inner surface of the inner wall of the inflatable portion and substantially underlying said cross-strap of the spiral clip for ensuring intimate contact of the transducer into the artery it overlies during inflation of the bladder.

13. Blood-pressure measuring apparatus comprising an elongated non-elastic cuff cover having a rectangularly shaped hollow inflatable portion and a fastening portion extending therefrom, said two portions having a common outer wall and a common inner wall, a rectangularly shaped inflatable bladder within said inflatable hollow portion between inner facing surfaces of said inner and outer walls of said hollow portion, cooperative fastening means on the outer wall of said inflatable portion and on the inner wall of said fastening portion to fasten the cover when the inner wall of said inflatable portion is applied to a limb of the user, means operative to inflate said bladder when the cover is so applied, a single component, prestressed, resilient clip of spiral shape loosely disposed within said inflatable portion between the bladder therein and the inner facing surface of the outer wall of the hollow portion, said clip having a length and width which occupy the major part of the length and width of the hollow inflatable portion for imparting its spiral shape to said cover and said bladder, transducer means provided in said inflatable portion between said bladder and the inner facing surface of the inner wall of the inflatable portion for translating pulSe sounds into electrical signals, indicating means for providing an indication when the pulse sounds are detected, and electrical circuit means having an input supplied with said electrical signals from said transducer means and an output for energizing said indicating means as a function of said electrical signals.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said clip is substantially co-extensive in length and width with the length and width of said inflatable portion.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, which includes a casing, said inflating means and said indicating means being mounted on said casing, with said inflating means accessible for operation, and said electrical circuit means being included within said casing.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said casing is of a size enabling ready support thereof and operation of said inflating means with one hand.

17. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said electrical circuit means includes a sensitivity control for controlling the sensitivity of said electrical circuit means to said electrical signals from said transducer means, said sensitivity control being set to provide an indication solely during that interval during which pressure within the bladder corresponds to the systolic-diastolic blood pressure range of the user.

18. Blood-pressure measuring apparatus comprising an elongated non-elastic cuff cover having a rectangularly shaped hollow inflatable portion and a fastening portion extending therefrom, said two portions having a common outer wall and a common inner wall, a rectangularly shaped inflatable bladder within said inflatable hollow portion between inner facing surfaces of said inner and outer walls of said hollow portion, cooperative fastening means on the outer wall of said inflatable portion and on the inner wall of said fastening portion to fasten the cover when the inner wall of said inflatable portion is applied to a limb of the user, means operative to inflate said bladder when the cover is so applied, said inflating means being connected to said single fluid inlet for said bladder, the latter having a plurality of contiguous chambers each in fluid communication with its adjoining chambers and with single fluid inlet, a single component, prestressed, resilient clip of spiral shape loosely disposed within said inflatable portion between the bladder therein and an inner surface of the outer wall of the hollow inflatable portion of the cover, said clip having a length and width which occupy the major part of the length and width of the hollow inflatable portion for imparting its spiral shape to said cover and said bladder, transducer means provided in said inflatable portion between said bladder therein and the inner surface of the inner wall of the inflatable portion for translating pulse sounds into electrical signals, indicating means for providing an indication when the pulse sounds are detected, and electrical circuit means having an input supplied with said electrical signals from said transducer means and an output for energizing said indicating means as a function of said electrical signals.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said clip is substantially co-extensive in length and width with the length and width of said inflatable portion.

20. In a blood-pressure cuff including an elongated non-elastic cover having a hollow inflatable portion having an outer wall and an inner wall terminating in opposed joined longitudinal and transverse edges, an inflatable bladder within said inflatable portion between inner facing surfaces of said outer and inner walls between said longitudinal and transverse edges, means extending from said inflatable portion for fastening the cover with the inner wall of said inflatable portion applied to a limb of the user, and means operative to inflate said bladder when the cover is so applied, the improvement comprising an integral, single component, arcuate prestressed resilient clip disposed within said inflatable portiOn between the bladder therein and the inner surface of the outer wall, said clip extending substantially from one transverse edge to the other so as to be substantially coextensive in length with the length of the inflatable portion and having a width extending between the longitudinal edges of the inflatable portions.

21. A cuff according to claim 20, wherein said arcuate prestressed resilient clip is free of connection with the outer wall of the inflatable portion of the cover.