Method and measuring device for determining blood pressure

• US 7,963,921 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Original Assignee: Kaz USA Incorporated (Helen of Troy Limited)
• Inventors: Kressmann, Frank, Freund, Dirk, Giersiepen, Martin, Harttmann, Brigitte, Schnak, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Mallari; Patricia C
• Application Number:
  US09/582,471
• Time in Patent Office: 4,563 Days
• Field of Search: 600/490, 600493- 6, 600/500, 600/495
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0261 using hydrostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02156 Calibration means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method and a device for determining the blood pressure, in which a pressure sensor is applied to an individual'"'"'s limb to detect the blood pressure prevailing in said limb. According to the present invention, the orientation of the limb is detected by means of an orientation sensing unit, and the detected blood pressure is corrected in an evaluating unit in response to the limb'"'"'s detected orientation.

Claims

1. A method of measuring blood pressure using a wrist sphygmomanometer including a body and including a cuff attached to the body and wrapped around the wrist, said body being attached to the cuff in a manner to allow the body to be located on a thumb side of an arm when the wrist sphygmomanometer is fitted on the wrist, comprising:

fitting the wrist sphygmomanometer on a subject'"'"'s wrist;

placing the wrist with the wrist sphygmomanometer fitted thereon on the subject'"'"'s chest; and

reading a value detected by the wrist sphygmomanometer with the wrist placed on the chest, wherein a positioning system provides a first signal that indicates that the sphygmomanometer is at an appropriate measuring level and a second signal that guides the subject to the appropriate measuring level.

2. The method of measuring blood pressure of claim 1, wherein the first signal is an acoustic signal.

3. The method of measuring blood pressure of claim 1, wherein the first signal is a visual signal.

4. The method of measuring blood pressure of claim 3, wherein the first signal includes a red light indicating an inappropriate measuring level and a green light indicating an appropriate measuring level.

5. The method of measuring blood pressure of claim 1, wherein the first signal is provided at the start of, or during blood pressure measurement.

6. The method of measuring blood pressure of claim 1, wherein the second signal includes displaying arrows that guide a user to the appropriate measuring level.

7. The method of measuring blood pressure of claim 1, wherein the second signal includes a flashing light that guides a user to the appropriate measuring level.

8. A method of measuring blood pressure of a user using a wrist sphygmomanometer including a body, and a cuff attached to the body, comprising:

fitting the wrist sphygmomanometer on the user'"'"'s wrist including locating the body on a thumb side of the user'"'"'s arm;

placing the wrist on the user'"'"'s chest; and

reading a value detected by said wrist sphygmomanometer with the wrist placed on the chest; and

prompting the user to adopt an appropriate measuring position including displaying a visual signal on the display that guides the user to an appropriate measuring position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual signal includes arrows that guide the user to an appropriate measuring level.