Pressure waveform monitor
First Claim
1. A pressure waveform monitor for noninvasively monitoring the blood pressure waveform inside a blood vessel having, a lumen, comprising:
- a continuous, stress sensitive diaphragm for pressing against tissue covering the blood vessel, said diaphragm having a first length, said first length being greater than the lumen of said blood vessel, said diaphragm being continuously deformable along said first length in response to stresses in said tissue,sensor means displaced from said diaphragm for sensing deformations from predetermined portions along said first length of said diaphragm and for producing a vessel stress signal representing the deformation along each predetermined portion of said diaphragm, wherein said sensor means uses electromagnetic radiation reflected from said diaphragm for producing said stress signal, means for determining blood pressure from said vessel stress signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pressure waveform monitor noninvasively monitors the pressure waveform in an underlying vessel such as an artery. The apparatus comprises at least one continuous, relatively thin and narrow diaphragm mounted in a housing to be placed on the tissue overlying the vessel of interest. The diaphragm is longer than the diameter of the vessel for purposely monitoring pressure in the tissue adjacent the vessel of interest. The tonometer also comprises deformation sensor means for measuring deformation of the diaphragm both over the vessel and adjacent the vessel, and signal processing means for combining the waveform of the vessel as monitored by the part of the diaphragm over the vessel with the waveforms of adjacent tissue to accurately determine the actual pressure waveform in the vessel.
39 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A pressure waveform monitor for noninvasively monitoring the blood pressure waveform inside a blood vessel having, a lumen, comprising:
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a continuous, stress sensitive diaphragm for pressing against tissue covering the blood vessel, said diaphragm having a first length, said first length being greater than the lumen of said blood vessel, said diaphragm being continuously deformable along said first length in response to stresses in said tissue, sensor means displaced from said diaphragm for sensing deformations from predetermined portions along said first length of said diaphragm and for producing a vessel stress signal representing the deformation along each predetermined portion of said diaphragm, wherein said sensor means uses electromagnetic radiation reflected from said diaphragm for producing said stress signal, means for determining blood pressure from said vessel stress signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification