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Process and apparatus for measuring blood pressure

  • US 4,437,470 A
  • Filed: 05/14/1982
  • Issued: 03/20/1984
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1979
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for measuring a person'"'"'s blood pressure, comprising the steps of:

  • (a) temporarily blocking the flow of blood on an extremity of such person'"'"'s body by the application of astringent pressure;

    (b) applying a photosensitive element to an illuminated skin area of said extremity, downstream of the flow-blocking location, with a contact pressure ranging between substantially 50 and 150 g/cm2 ;

    (c) continuously measuring an output signal of said photosensitive element, representative of the instantaneous transparency of said skin area, during a period of progressive relaxation of said astringent pressure;

    (d) averaging said output signal to obtain a mean-transparency curve plotted against time;

    (e) measuring several values of said astringent pressure at instants corresponding to respective points of said mean-transparency curve; and

    (f) calculating a predetermined fraction of the sum of said several values as an indication of systolic blood pressure.

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