Mode detection and safety monitoring in blood pressure measurement

1. A method for blood pressure measurement by means of an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate and pneumatically coupled to a first port and a second port of a blood pressure measurement apparatus having a pump for inflating the cuff pneumatically coupled to the second port, said blood pressure measurement to be conducted via a selected blood pressure measurement procedure, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating inflation of the inflatable cuff;

sensing a first pressure through a first pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the first port;

sensing a second pressure through a second pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the second port;

comparing the magnitude of the first pressure to the magnitude of the second pressure during an initial inflation period to determine a relative relationship between the respective magnitudes of the first pressure and the second pressure; and

continuing the blood pressure measurement procedure if the relative relationship between the respective magnitudes of the first pressure and the second pressure is characteristic of the selected blood pressure measurement procedure and cuff in use.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of aborting the blood pressure measurement procedure if the relative relationship between the respective magnitudes of the first pressure and the second pressure is not characteristic of the selected blood pressure measurement procedure.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of automatically switching to an alternate blood pressure measurement procedure if the relative relationship between the respective magnitudes of the first pressure and the second pressure is not characteristic of the selected blood pressure measurement procedure.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a set of options by which to conduct the blood pressure measurement including a first blood pressure measurement procedure associated with a dual lumen cuff configuration and a second blood pressure measurement procedure associated with a single lumen cuff configuration;

prior to initiating inflation of the inflatable cuff, selecting the first blood pressure measurement procedure from said set of options;

determining whether the magnitude of the second pressure significantly exceeds the magnitude of the first pressure;

continuing inflation of the cuff via said selected first blood pressure measurement procedure if the magnitude of the second pressure significantly exceeds the magnitude of the first pressure.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising the step of terminating inflation of the cuff if the magnitude of the second pressure does not significantly exceed the magnitude of the first pressure.

6. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising the step of continuing inflation of the cuff via said second blood pressure measurement procedure if the magnitude of the second pressure does not significantly exceed the magnitude of the first pressure.

7. A method for blood pressure measurement by means of an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate and pneumatically coupled to a first port and a second port of a blood pressure measurement apparatus having a pump for inflating the cuff pneumatically coupled to the second port, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a set of options by which to conduct the blood pressure measurement including a first blood pressure measurement procedure associated with a dual lumen cuff configuration and a second blood pressure measurement procedure associated with a single lumen cuff configuration;

initiating inflation of the inflatable cuff;

sensing a first pressure through a first pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the first port;

sensing a second pressure through a second pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the second port;

comparing the magnitude of the first pressure to the magnitude of the second pressure during an initial inflation period to determine whether the magnitude of the second pressure significantly exceeds the magnitude of the first pressure;

continuing inflation of the cuff via said first blood pressure measurement procedure if the magnitude of the second pressure significantly exceeds the magnitude of the first pressure; and

continuing inflation of the cuff via said second blood pressure measurement procedure if the magnitude of the second pressure does not significantly exceed the magnitude of the first pressure.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first blood pressure measurement procedure comprises a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure and the second blood pressure measurement procedure comprises a neonate blood pressure measurement procedure.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first blood pressure measurement procedure comprises measuring the blood pressure during a step deflation of the blood pressure cuff procedure and the second blood pressure measurement procedure comprises measuring the blood pressure during inflation of the cuff.

10. A blood pressure measurement method for protecting a neonate from mistaken application of a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure by means of an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a neonate vertebrate and pneumatically coupled to a first port and a second port of a blood pressure measurement apparatus having a pump for inflating the cuff pneumatically coupled to the second port, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating inflation of the inflatable cuff;

sensing a first pressure through a first pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the first port;

sensing a second pressure through a second pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the second port;

comparing the magnitude of the first pressure to the magnitude of the second pressure;

determining whether the magnitude of the first pressure and the magnitude of the second pressure are approximately equal;

continuing inflation of the cuff via said neonate blood pressure measurement procedure if the magnitude of the first pressure is approximately equal to the magnitude of the second pressure; and

terminating inflation of the cuff if the magnitude of the first pressure is not approximately equal to the magnitude of the second pressure whereby the neonate is protected from mistaken application of a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure.

11. As method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising the step of deflating the cuff.

12. A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in connection with an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate, said inflatable cuff being pneumatically coupled to said apparatus by at least one lumen, said apparatus comprising:

a pump selectively operable to inflate said inflatable cuff during an inflation period, said pump having an outlet pneumatically coupled to said at least one lumen;

a first pressure sensor operatively associated with said at least one lumen for sensing the pressure in said cuff during an inflation period;

a second pressure sensor operatively associated with said pump for sensing the pressure in said at least one lumen near the outlet of said pump;

an analysis module operatively associated with said first pressure sensor for receiving a first sensed pressure signal therefrom and with said second pressure sensor for receiving a second sensed pressure signal therefrom; and

a control module operatively associated with said pump and said analysis module;

said analysis module configured to compare the first sensed pressure to the second sensed pressure signal during the inflation period and to generate a first comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are not approximately equal to each other and to generate a second comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are approximately equal to each other, and

said control module configured to control the operation of said pump in response to receipt of one of either the first comparison signal or the second comparison signal from said analysis module to terminate inflation of the cuff in accord with the first blood pressure measurement procedure and proceed with inflation of the cuff in accord with the second blood pressure measurement procedure in the event that said control module receives the second comparison signal from said analysis module, and to terminate inflation of the cuff in accord with the second blood pressure measurement procedure and proceed with inflation of the cuff in accord with the first blood pressure measurement procedure in the event that said control module receives the first comparison signal from said analysis module.

13. A blood pressure measurement apparatus as recited in claim 12 further comprising a user interface operatively associated with said control module, said user interface providing for a user of said apparatus to select one of either a first blood pressure measurement procedure or a second blood pressure measurement procedure to be conducted by said control module.

14. A blood pressure measurement apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the first blood pressure measurement procedure is for measurement of the blood pressure on non-neonate vertebrates only.

15. A blood pressure measurement apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the second blood pressure measurement procedure is for measurement of the blood pressure on neonate vertebrates only.

16. A blood pressure measurement apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the first blood pressure measurement procedure is for measurement of the blood pressure via a dual lumen cuff only.

17. A blood pressure measurement apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the second blood pressure measurement procedure is for measurement of the blood pressure via a single lumen cuff only.

18. A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in connection with an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate, said inflatable cuff being pneumatically coupled to said apparatus by at least one lumen, said apparatus comprising:

a pump selectively operable to inflate said inflatable cuff during an inflation period, said pump having an outlet pneumatically coupled to said at least one lumen;

a first pressure sensor operatively associated with said at least one lumen for sensing the pressure in said cuff during an inflation period;

a second pressure sensor operatively associated with said pump for sensing the pressure in said at least one lumen near the outlet of said pump;

an analysis module operatively associated with said first pressure sensor for receiving a first sensed pressure signal therefrom and with said second pressure sensor for receiving a second sensed pressure signal therefrom;

a control module operatively associated with said pump and said analysis module; and

a user interface operatively associated with said control module, said user interface providing for a user of said apparatus to select one of either a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure or a neonate blood pressure measurement procedure to be conducted by said control module;

said analysis module configured to compare the first sensed pressure to the second sensed pressure signal during the inflation period and to generate a first comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are not approximately equal to each other and to generate a second comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are approximately equal to each other, and

said control module configured to control the operation of said pump in response to receipt of one of either the first comparison signal or the second comparison signal from said analysis module and to terminate inflation of the cuff by said pump in accord with the non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure in the event that said control module receives the second comparison signal from said analysis module.

19. A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in connection with an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate, said inflatable cuff being pneumatically coupled to said apparatus by at least one lumen, said apparatus comprising:

a pump selectively operable to inflate said inflatable cuff during an inflation period, said pump having an outlet pneumatically coupled to said at least one lumen;

a first pressure sensor operatively associated with said at least one lumen for sensing the pressure in said cuff during an inflation period;

a second pressure sensor operatively associated with said pump for sensing the pressure in said at least one lumen near the outlet of said pump;

an analysis module operatively associated with said first pressure sensor for receiving a first sensed pressure signal therefrom and with said second pressure sensor for receiving a second sensed pressure signal therefrom;

a control module operatively associated with said pump and said analysis module; and

a user interface operatively associated with said control module, said user interface providing for a user of said apparatus to select one of either a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure or a neonate blood pressure measurement procedure to be conducted by said control module;

said analysis module configured to compare the first sensed pressure to the second sensed pressure signal during the inflation period and to generate a first comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are not approximately equal to each other and to generate a second comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are approximately equal to each other, and

said control module configured to control the operation of said pump in response to receipt of one of either the first comparison signal or the second comparison signal from said analysis module and to continue inflation of the cuff by said pump in accord with the non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure so long as said control module receives the first comparison signal from said analysis module.

20. A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in connection with an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate, said inflatable cuff being pneumatically coupled to said apparatus by at least one lumen, said apparatus comprising:

a pump selectively operable to inflate said inflatable cuff during an inflation period, said pump having an outlet pneumatically coupled to said at least one lumen;

a first pressure sensor operatively associated with said at least one lumen for sensing the pressure in said cuff during an inflation period;

a second pressure sensor operatively associated with said pump for sensing the pressure in said at least one lumen near the outlet of said pump;

an analysis module operatively associated with said first pressure sensor for receiving a first sensed pressure signal therefrom and with said second pressure sensor for receiving a second sensed pressure signal therefrom;

a control module operatively associated with said pump and said analysis module; and

a user interface operatively associated with said control module, said user interface providing for a user of said apparatus to select one of either a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure or a neonate blood pressure measurement procedure to be conducted by said control module;

said analysis module configured to compare the first sensed pressure to the second sensed pressure signal during the inflation period and to generate a first comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are not approximately equal to each other and to generate a second comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are approximately equal to each other, and

said control module configured to control the operation of said pump in response to receipt of one of either the first comparison signal or the second comparison signal from said analysis module and to terminate inflation of the cuff by said pump in accord with the neonate blood pressure measurement procedure in the event that said control module receives the first comparison signal from said analysis module.

21. A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in connection with an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate, said inflatable cuff being pneumatically coupled to said apparatus by at least one lumen, said apparatus comprising:

a pump selectively operable to inflate said inflatable cuff during an inflation period, said pump having an outlet pneumatically coupled to said at least one lumen;

a first pressure sensor operatively associated with said at least one lumen for sensing the pressure in said cuff during an inflation period;

a second pressure sensor operatively associated with said pump for sensing the pressure in said at least one lumen near the outlet of said pump;

an analysis module operatively associated with said first pressure sensor for receiving a first sensed pressure signal therefrom and with said second pressure sensor for receiving a second sensed pressure signal therefrom;

a control module operatively associated with said pump and said analysis module; and

a user interface operatively associated with said control module, said user interface providing for a user of said apparatus to select one of either a non-neonate blood pressure measurement procedure or a neonate blood pressure measurement procedure to be conducted by said control module;

said analysis module configured to compare the first sensed pressure to the second sensed pressure signal during the inflation period and to generate a first comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are not approximately equal to each other and to generate a second comparison signal if the first and second sensed pressure signals are approximately equal to each other, and

said control module configured to control the operation of said pump in response to receipt of one of either the first comparison signal or the second comparison signal from said analysis module and to continue inflation of the cuff by said pump in accord with the neonate blood pressure measurement procedure so long as said control module receives the second comparison signal from said analysis module.