OSCILLOMETRIC NON-INVASIVE BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS IN PATIENTS EXPERIENCING ABNORMAL HEARTBEATS

1 . A method for implementation by one or more data processors, comprising:

acquiring, by at least one data processor, noninvasive blood pressure data using an inflatable cuff applied around a portion of a patient by inflating the cuff to a pressure above the patient's systolic blood pressure, and detecting a first oscillation pulse within the cuff during a deflation step;

acquiring, by at least one data processor, electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the patient by detecting an ECG waveform corresponding to a first heartbeat using an ECG lead coupled to the patient;

classifying, by at least one data processor, the ECG waveform as normal or not normal;

aligning, by at least one data processor, the first oscillation pulse to the ECG waveform corresponding to the first heartbeat if the ECG waveform is classified normal or rejecting the first oscillation pulse if the ECG waveform is classified not normal; and

calculating, by at least one data processor, the blood pressure using the aligned first oscillation pulse.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by at least one data processor, a second oscillation pulse within the cuff during a deflation step, wherein the second oscillation pulse neighbors the first oscillation pulse;

acquiring, by at least one data processor, electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the patient by detecting a second ECG waveform characterizing a second heartbeat using the ECG lead coupled to the patient;

classifying, by at least one data processor, the second ECG waveform as normal or not normal;

aligning, by at least one data processor, the second oscillation pulse to the second ECG waveform corresponding to the second heartbeat if the second ECG waveform is classified normal or rejecting the second oscillation pulse if the second ECG waveform is classified not normal; and

performing, by at least one data processor, oscillation pulse matching between the aligned first oscillation pulse and the aligned second oscillation pulse to identify whether the first oscillation pulse qualifies for inclusion in calculating the blood pressure calculation.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second oscillation pulse occurs within the same deflation step as the first oscillation pulse.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second oscillation pulse occurs within a different deflation step as the first oscillation pulse.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein pulse matching comprises identifying similarity between at least one of area, rise time, and pulse amplitude of the first and second oscillation pulses.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first oscillation pulse qualified for inclusion in calculating the blood pressure calculation is stored to an oscillation pulse profile.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the oscillation pulse profile comprises additional qualified oscillation pulses detected within the cuff.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising assessing, by at least one data processor, whether the oscillation pulse profile is complete.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising fitting, by at least one data processor, the completed oscillation pulse profile to a curve.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein calculating the blood pressure comprises calculating systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure of the patient from the oscillation pulse profile fit to the curve.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the blood pressure comprises calculating systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressures of the patient.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ECG waveform classified as not normal is selected from the group consisting of premature ventricular contraction (PVC), premature atrial contractions (PAC), atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), accessory pathway tachycardias, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia (V-tach), ventricular fibrillation, long QT syndrome, bradyarrhythmias, sinus node dysfunction, and heart block.

13 . A system comprising:

a noninvasive blood pressure monitor to provide noninvasive blood pressure data;

an electrocardiogram sensor to provide electrocardiogram data;

at least one data processor;

memory, coupled to the at least one data processor, storing instructions, which when executed, cause the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising:

acquiring noninvasive blood pressure data using the noninvasive blood pressure monitor, and detecting a first oscillation pulse;

acquiring electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the electrocardiogram sensor by detecting an ECG waveform corresponding to a first heartbeat using an ECG lead;

classifying the ECG waveform as normal or not normal;

aligning the first oscillation pulse to the ECG waveform corresponding to the first heartbeat if the ECG waveform is classified normal or rejecting the first oscillation pulse if the ECG waveform is classified not normal; and

calculating the blood pressure using the aligned first oscillation pulse.

14 . A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system, implement operations comprising:

acquiring noninvasive blood pressure data using an inflatable cuff a lied around a portion of a patient by inflating the cuff to a pressure above the patient's systolic blood pressure and detecting a first oscillation pulse within the cuff during a deflation step;

acquiring electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the patient by detecting an ECG waveform corresponding to a first heartbeat using an ECG lead coupled to the patient;

classifying the ECG waveform as normal or not normal;

aligning the first oscillation pulse to the ECG waveform corresponding to the first heartbeat if the ECG waveform is classified normal or rejecting the first oscillation pulse if the ECG waveform is classified not normal; and

calculating the blood pressure using the aligned first oscillation pulse.

15 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 14 , the operations further comprising:

detecting, by at least one data processor, a second oscillation pulse within the cuff during a deflation step, wherein the second oscillation pulse neighbors the first oscillation pulse;

acquiring, by at least one data processor, electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the patient by detecting a second ECG waveform characterizing a second heartbeat using the ECG lead coupled to the patient;

classifying, by at least one data processor, the second ECG waveform as normal or not normal;

aligning, by at least one data processor, the second oscillation pulse to the second ECG waveform corresponding to the second heartbeat if the second ECG waveform is classified normal or rejecting the second oscillation pulse if the second ECG waveform is classified not normal; and

performing, by at least one data processor, oscillation pulse matching between the aligned first oscillation pulse and the aligned second oscillation pulse to identify whether the first oscillation pulse qualifies for inclusion in calculating the blood pressure calculation.

16 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the second oscillation pulse occurs within the same deflation step as the first oscillation pulse.

17 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the second oscillation pulse occurs within a different deflation step as the first oscillation pulse.

18 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 15 , wherein pulse matching comprises identifying similarity between at least one of area, rise time, and pulse amplitude of the first and second oscillation pulses.

19 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first oscillation pulse qualified for inclusion in calculating the blood pressure calculation is stored to an oscillation pulse profile.

20 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the oscillation pulse profile comprises additional qualified oscillation pulses detected within the cuff.