Method and apparatus for obtaining an individual's systolic blood pressure

• US 4,564,020 A
• Filed: 06/19/1984
• Issued: 01/14/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Norse Instruments
• Inventors: Link, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/622,079
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 128/677, 128/680-683, 128/687-688, 128/672
• US Class Current: 600/490
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence

Abstract

A specific technique for determining an individual'"'"'s systolic blood pressure is disclosed herein. This technique utilizes the individual'"'"'s diastolic blood pressure, the patient'"'"'s arterial curve or amplitude curve, and different assumed systolic pressures for making a comparison between certain assumed curves and a reference curve in order to establish which of the assumed systolic pressures accurately reflects the individual'"'"'s actual systolic pressure.

Claims

1. A method of determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) establishing an arterial curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) placing a blood pressure cuff around a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) pressurizing the cuff at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure and generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels;

(e) graphically providing a reference curve of said peak to peak amplitude values against said pressure levels;

(f) using said arterial curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure, obtaining peak to peak amplitude values at different cuff pressures from this information and graphically providing a comparison curve of these latter peak to peak amplitude values against said different cuff pressures;

(g) comparing said reference curve with said comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(h) repeating steps (f) and (g) for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

2. An apparatus for determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising:

(a) means for determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) means for establishing an arterial curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) a blood pressure cuff for placement around a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) means cooperating with said cuff for pressurizing the latter at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure and for generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels;

(e) means for graphically providing a reference curve of said peak to peak amplitude values against said pressure levels;

(f) means responsive to said arterial curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure for obtaining peak to peak amplitude values at different cuff pressures from this information and graphically providing a comparison curve of these latter peak to peak amplitude values against said different cuff pressures;

(g) means for comparing said reference curve with said comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(h) means for repeating the functions carried out by the responsive means and the comparing means for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

3. A method of determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) establishing an arterial reference curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) placing a blood pressure cuff around a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) pressurizing the cuff at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure, generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels and establishing an amplitude curve from these values;

(e) using said amplitude curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure, obtaining from this information and graphically providing an arterial comparison curve;

(f) comparing said arterial reference curve with said arterial comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(g) repeating steps (e) and (f) for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

4. An apparatus for determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising:

(a) means for determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) means for establishing an arterial reference curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) a blood pressure cuff for placement around a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) means cooperating with said cuff for pressurizing the latter at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure, for generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels and for establishing an amplitude curve from these values;

(e) means responsive to said amplitude curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure for obtaining from this information and graphically providing an arterial comparison curve;

(f) means for comparing said arterial reference curve with said arterial comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(g) means for repeating the functions carried out by the responsive means and the comparing means for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

5. A method of determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) establishing an arterial curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) placing a blood pressure cuff type member adjacent a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) pressurizing the cuff-type member at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure and generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels;

(e) providing a reference curve of said peak to peak amplitude values against said pressure levels;

(f) using said arterial curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure, obtaining peak to peak amplitude values at different cuff pressures from this information and providing a comparison curve of these latter peak to peak amplitude values against said different cuff pressures;

(g) comparing said reference curve with said comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(h) repeating steps (f) and (g) for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

6. An apparatus for determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising:

(a) means for determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) means for establishing an arterial curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) blood pressure cuff means for placement adjacent a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) means cooperating with said cuff means for pressurizing the latter at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure and for generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels;

(e) means for providing a reference curve of said peak to peak amplitude values against said pressure levels;

(f) means responsive to said arterial curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure for obtaining peak to peak amplitude values at different cuff pressures from this information and providing a comparison curve of these latter peak to peak amplitude values against said different cuff pressures;

(g) means for comparing said reference curve with said comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(h) means for repeating the functions carried out by the responsive means and the comparing means for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

7. A method of determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) establishing an arterial reference curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) placing a blood pressure cuff type member adjacent a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) pressurizing the cuff-type member at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure, generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels and establishing an amplitude curve from these values;

(e) using said amplitude curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure, obtaining from this information an arterial comparison curve;

(f) comparing said arterial reference curve with said arterial comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(g) repeating steps (e) and (f) for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.

8. An apparatus for determining the systolic pressure of a given mammal, comprising:

(a) means for determining the diastolic pressure of said mammal;

(b) means for establishing an arterial reference curve characteristic of said mammal in a way which does not require the systolic pressure;

(c) blood pressure cuff means for placement adjacent a particular artery of said mammal;

(d) means cooperating with said cuff means for pressurizing the latter at a number of different pressure levels from zero pressure to a pressure at least equal to the mammal'"'"'s systolic pressure, for generating cuff pulses having peak to peak amplitude values corresponding to and dependent on said different pressure levels, and for establishing an amplitude curve from these values;

(e) means responsive to said amplitude curve, said diastolic pressure and an assumed systolic pressure for obtaining from this information an arterial comparison curve;

(f) means for comparing said arterial reference curve with said arterial comparison curve, whereby if they are similar, then the assumed systolic pressure is approximately equal to the given mammal'"'"'s actual systolic pressure; and

(g) means for repeating the functions carried out by the responsive means and the comparing means for one or more different assumed systolic pressures if said first-mentioned comparison curve is different than said reference curve until a comparison curve is established which corresponds to said reference curve.