Personal blood pressure monitor

• US 4,898,180 A
• Filed: 09/23/1987
• Issued: 02/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George Spector, Susan E. Farrelly
• Original Assignee: George Spector, Susan E. Farrelly
• Inventors: Farrelly, Susan E., Spector, George
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/100,299
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 128/672, 128/677, 128/680-683, 128/687-688, 128/689-690, 128/684-686, 128/688, 128/670-671
• US Class Current: 600/494
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers

Abstract

A blood pressure monitoring device is provided and consists of a cuff to be worn on the arm and a digital watch to be worn on the wrist that will allow an individual to monitor their blood pressure over a given period of time while engaging in normal daily activities. The device will sound an alarm if the blood pressure readings are above or below normal readings programmed with the device and can be programmed to record readings taken at preset time intervals and display such readings when desired.

Claims

1. A blood pressure monitoring device which comprises:

(a) a cuff inflatable to a desired pressure adapted to encircle an arm of a person;

(b) a housing on said cuff;

(c) a digital watch adapted to encircle the wrist of the person provided with means for controlling said pressure and for displaying pulse and blood pressure readings;

(d) a pressure regulating means extending from said digital watch to said housing for inflating said cuff, said pressure regulating means controlled from said digital watch by the first said means to inflate said cuff at predetermined time settings;

(e) a monitoring unit extending from said cuff and said housing to said digital watch, said monitoring unit being responsive to intensity of blood pressure pulses from the person coming through said cuff and heart beat pulses from the person coming through said housing into said digital watch; and

(f) means for recording blood pressure readings at preset time intervals wherein said readings can be displayed on said watch.

2. A blood pressure monitoring device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first said means includes a timer responsive to preset time settings on the watch and wherein said pressure regulating means includes:

(a) a solenoid within said housing activated by said timer at said time settings;

(b) a pump within said housing connected to said solenoid, said pump supplying a source of fluid under pressure to said cuff by activation of said solenoid;

(c) a first valve means connected between said pump and said cuff and being responsive to a first preselected pressure of said cuff for shutting off the flow of fluid from said pump to said cuff;

(d) a second valve means responsive to a second preselected pressure in said cuff for exhausting the pressurized fluid in said cuff to deflate said cuff.

3. A blood pressure monitoring device as recited in claim 2, wherein said monitoring unit includes:

(a) a blood pressure to electrical impulse converter located within said cuff;

(b) a memory circuit means located within said digital watch connected to said converter for receiving the electrical impulses therefrom for storage and recall display; and

(c) a display means located on said digital watch connected to said memory circuit means for displaying the blood pressure pulse readout either of a preset reading or of a reading that has been stored in the memory circuit means.

4. A blood pressure monitoring device as recited in claim 3, wherein said monitoring unit further includes:

(a) a transducer within said housing for converting heart pulses into electrical signals;

(b) a relatively high gain amplifier means located within said digital watch connected to said transducer for producing an output signal therefrom;

(c) means for amplifying the output signal into a greater current signal to be received by said memory circuit means; and

(d) an alarm means located within said digital watch for receiving the greater current signal from the memory circuit means when readings of the heart beat pulses are above and below normal readings programmed within said memory circuit means.