Blood pressure measurement

1. A method for determining blood pressure in an artery of a vertebrate at a diastolic point and at a systolic point using an inflatable pressure cuff disposed about a limb of the vertebrate and connected to an inflation device and a pressure sensor through a single conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with said cuff and a proximal end in fluid communication with said inflation device and in pneumatic communication with said pressure sensor, comprising the steps of:

inflating said cuff by passing a flow of an inflation fluid through said single conduit;

sensing fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the diastolic point and at the systolic point;

determining a pressure differential between said cuff and said pressure sensor at the diastolic point and a pressure differential between said cuff and said pressure sensor at the systolic point; and

correcting, using a microprocessor, the sensed pressure at the diastolic point using the pressure differential at the diastolic point and correcting the sensed pressure at the systolic point for the pressure differential at the systolic point.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of determining a pressure differential between said cuff and said pressure sensor at the diastolic point and a pressure differential between said cuff and said pressure sensor at the systolic point comprises the steps of:

stopping the inflation of said cuff;

measuring the pressure differential between said cuff and said pressure sensor after a time delay following the stopping of the cuff inflation process; and

calculating the respective pressure differentials associated with the sensed pressures at the diastolic and systolic points as a function of the measured pressure differential.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of measuring the pressure differential between said cuff and said pressure sensor after a time delay following the stopping of the cuff inflation process comprises the steps of:

terminating the inflation of said cuff at a cuff pressure in excess of the systolic point;

sensing the fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit immediately prior to termination of the cuff inflation process;

providing a time delay after termination of the cuff inflation process sufficient for fluid pressure within said cuff and within the proximal end of said conduit to equalize;

sensing the fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the end of said time delay; and

subtracting the fluid pressure sensed at the end of the time delay from the fluid pressure sensed immediately prior to termination of the cuff inflation process.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the time delay is approximately one second.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of venting said cuff to atmosphere after said time delay.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of inflating said cuff to a cuff pressure in excess of the systolic point.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of sensing fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the diastolic point and at the systolic point comprises sensing fluid pressure at the diastolic point and at the systolic point during the step of inflating of said cuff.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of correcting the sensed pressure at the diastolic point for a pressure loss associated with the flow of an inflation fluid through said conduit comprises calculating the corrected diastolic blood pressure using the relationship:

P DIA =P 40DIA −ΔP DIA , where

P DIA is the corrected diastolic blood pressure;

P 40DIA is the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 when the diastolic point is reached during the cuff inflation process; and

ΔP DIA is the pressure differential between the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 and the cuff pressure when the diastolic point is reached.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of correcting the sensed pressure at the systolic point for a pressure loss associated with the flow of an inflation fluid through said conduit comprises calculating the corrected systolic blood pressure using the relationship:

P SYS =P 40SYS −ΔP SYS , where

P SYS is the corrected systolic blood pressure;

P 40SYS is the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 when the systolic point is reached during the cuff inflation process; and

ΔP SYS is the pressure differential between the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 and the cuff pressure when the systolic point is reached.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of deflating said cuff from a cuff pressure in excess of the systolic point prior to sensing fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the diastolic and systolic points.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of sensing fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the diastolic point and at the systolic point comprises sensing fluid pressure at the diastolic point and at the systolic point during the step of deflating said cuff.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of correcting the sensed pressure at the diastolic point for a pressure loss associated with the flow of a fluid through said conduit during the step of deflating said cuff comprises calculating the corrected diastolic blood pressure using the relationship:

P DIA =P 40DIA +ΔP DIA , where

P DIA is the corrected diastolic blood pressure;

P 40DIA is the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 when the diastolic point is reached during the step of deflating said cuff; and

ΔP DIA is the pressure differential between the cuff pressure and the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 when the diastolic point is reached.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of correcting the sensed pressure at the systolic point for a pressure loss associated with the flow of a fluid through said conduit during the step of deflating said cuff comprises calculating the corrected systolic blood pressure using the relationship:

P SYS =P 40SYS +ΔP SYS , where

P SYS is the corrected systolic blood pressure;

P 40SYS is the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 when the systolic point is reached during the step of deflating said cuff; and

ΔP SYS is the pressure differential between the cuff pressure and the pressure sensed at the sensor 40 when the systolic point is reached.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is a CPU, an NIBP, or a microcontroller.

15. A method for determining blood pressure in an artery of a vertebrate at a diastolic point and at a systolic point using an inflatable pressure cuff disposed about a limb of the vertebrate and connected to an inflation device and a pressure sensor through a single conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with said cuff and a proximal end in fluid communication with said inflation device and in pneumatic communication with said pressure sensor, comprising the steps of: inflating said cuff by passing a flow of an inflation fluid through said single conduit;

sensing fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the diastolic point and at the systolic point during the step of inflating said cuff;

terminating the inflation of said cuff at a selected measurement point;

measuring the pressure differential existing between said pressure sensor and said cuff at termination of the cuff inflation process;

calculating the respective pressure differentials between said pressure sensor and said cuff associated with the sensed pressures at the diastolic and systolic points as a function of the measured pressure differential; and

correcting, using a microprocessor, the sensed pressures at the diastolic and systolic points by subtracting the calculated diastolic pressure differential from the sensed pressure at the diastolic point and subtracting the calculated systolic pressure differential from the sensed pressure at the systolic point.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of measuring the pressure differential existing over said conduit at termination of the cuff inflation process comprises the steps of

sensing the fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit immediately prior to termination of the cuff inflation process;

providing a time delay after termination of the cuff inflation process sufficient for fluid pressure within said cuff and within the proximal end of said conduit to equalize;

sensing the fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the end of said time delay; and

subtracting the fluid pressure sensed at the end of the time delay from the fluid pressure sensed immediately prior to termination of the cuff inflation process thereby providing the measured pressure differential existing over said conduit at termination of the cuff inflation process.

17. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the pressure differential associated with the sensed pressure at the diastolic point as a function of the measured pressure differential is calculated using the relationship:

Δ P DIA =( F DIA /F M )Δ P M , where

ΔP DIA is said pressure differential between the pressure sensed at said sensor and the pressure within said cuff when the diastolic point is reached;

ΔP M is the actual measured pressure differential at said sensor at the measurement point;

F DIA is the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point; and F M is the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising the steps of measuring the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the

air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point; and

using the measured air flow rates in calculating said pressure differential at the diastolic point.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point are estimated.

20. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the pressure differential associated with the sensed pressure at the systolic point as a function of the measured pressure differential is calculated using the relationship:

Δ P SYS =( F SYS /F M )Δ P M , where

ΔP SYS is the pressure differential between said pressure sensor and said cuff pressure when the systolic point is reached;

ΔP M is the actual measured pressure differential at the sensor at the measurement point;

F SYS is the air flow rate through said conduit at the systolic point; and

F M is the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising the steps of

measuring the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point; and

using the measured air flow rates in calculating said pressure differential at the diastolic point.

22. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point are estimated.

23. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the pressure differential associated with the sensed pressure at the systolic point as a function of the measured pressure differential is calculated using the relationship:

ΔP SYS =ΔP M , where

ΔP SYS is the pressure differential between said pressure sensor and said cuff pressure when the systolic point is reached;

ΔP M is the actual measured pressure differential at the sensor at the measurement point.

24. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the microprocessor is a CPU, an NIBP, or a microcontroller.

25. A method for determining blood pressure in an artery of a vertebrate at a diastolic point and at a systolic point using an inflatable pressure cuff disposed about a limb of the vertebrate and connected to an inflation device and a pressure sensor through a single conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with said cuff and a proximal end in fluid communication with said inflation device and in pneumatic communication with said pressure sensor, comprising the steps of:

inflating said cuff by passing a flow of an inflation fluid from said inflation device through said conduit;

terminating the inflation of said cuff at a pressure exceeding the systolic point;

deflating said cuff by venting a flow of the inflation fluid from said cuff through said conduit;

measuring the pressure differential existing between said cuff and said pressure sensor at a selected measurement point during the step of deflating said cuff;

sensing fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the diastolic point and at the systolic point during the cuff deflation step;

calculating the respective pressure differentials between said pressure sensor and said cuff associated with the sensed pressures at the diastolic and systolic points as a function of the measured pressure differential; and

correcting, using a microprocessor, the sensed pressures at the diastolic and systolic points by adding the calculated diastolic pressure differential from the sensed pressure at the diastolic point and subtracting adding the calculated systolic pressure differential from the sensed pressure at the systolic point.

26. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the step of measuring the pressure differential between said pressure sensor and said cuff at a selected measurement point during the step of deflating said cuff comprises the steps of

pausing the deflation of said cuff at the selected measurement point;

sensing the fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit immediately prior to pausing of the cuff deflation process;

providing a time delay upon pausing of the cuff deflation process sufficient for fluid pressure within said cuff and within the proximal end of said conduit to equalize;

sensing the fluid pressure within the proximal end of said conduit at the end of said time delay; and

subtracting the fluid pressure sensed immediately prior to pausing of the cuff deflation process from the fluid pressure at the end of the time delay thereby providing the measured pressure differential existing over said conduit at pausing of the cuff deflation process.

27. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the pressure differential associated with the sensed pressure at the diastolic point as a function of the measured pressure differential is calculated using the relationship:

Δ P DIA =( F DIA /F M )Δ P M , where

ΔP DIA is said pressure differential between the pressure sensed at said sensor and the pressure within said cuff when the diastolic point is reached;

ΔP M is the actual measured pressure differential at said sensor at the measurement point;

F DIA is the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point; and FM is the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point.

28. A method as recited in claim 27 further comprising the steps of measuring the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the

air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point; and

using the measured air flow rates in calculating said pressure differential at the diastolic point.

29. A method as recited in claim 27 wherein the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point are estimated.

30. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the pressure differential associated with the sensed pressure at the systolic point as a function of the measured pressure differential is calculated using the relationship:

Δ P SYS =( F SYS /F M )Δ P M , where

ΔP SYS is the pressure differential between said pressure sensor and said cuff pressure when the systolic point is reached;

ΔP M is the actual measured pressure differential at the sensor at the measurement point;

F SYS is the air flow rate through said conduit at the systolic point; and

F M is the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point.

31. A method as recited in claim 30 further comprising the steps of

measuring the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point; and

using the measured air flow rates in calculating said pressure differential at the diastolic point.

32. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein the air flow rate through said conduit at the diastolic point and the air flow rate through said conduit at the measurement point are estimated.

33. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the pressure differential associated with the sensed pressure at the diastolic point as a function of the measured pressure differential is calculated using the relationship:

ΔP DIA =ΔP M , where

ΔP DIA is the pressure differential between said pressure sensor and said cuff pressure when the diastolic point is reached;

ΔP M is the actual measured pressure differential at the sensor at the measurement point.

34. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the microprocessor is a CPU, an NIBP, or a microcontroller.