Measurement of blood pressure

1. A blood pressure measurement device comprising:

a heat flow perfusion sensor; and

a microprocessor;

the heat flow perfusion sensor configured to calculate perfusion from measuring heat loss due to convection by blood flow in a human subject or animal body;

the heat flow perfusion sensor in integral combination with an occlusion means for restricting flow of blood in a portion of the human subject or animal body;

the heat flow perfusion sensor comprising: an outer portion and an inner portion wherein the inner portion is resiliently deformable, and the inner portion is configured to enable relative movement of the inner portion with respect to the outer portion;

the microprocessor operatively connecting to the blood pressure measurement device and configured to perform a curve-fitting algorithm or other modeling program to predict a minimum rate of heat loss from the perfusion data which is attained during at least one occlusion of the blood flow in the human subject or animal body, without requiring the occlusion to be maintained until a constant and stable rate of heat loss is reached and wherein the microprocessor further configured to calculate blood pressure of the human subject or animal body based in part on the minimum rate of heat loss.

2. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the occlusion means comprises an inflatable cuff.

3. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , comprising at least one heating means, which is configured, in use, to heat skin of the human subject or animal body that is in contact with the blood pressure measurement device to a temperature in excess of a normal skin temperature for the human subject or animal body.

4. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the inner portion is resiliently deformable because the inner portion is mounted on a resiliently deformable polymeric film.

5. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 4 , wherein the outer portion comprises an annular outer portion.

6. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , comprising a microphone or other electrical acoustic sensor configured to detect Korotkoff sounds and to provide a measurement of the blood pressure in the human subject or animal body.

7. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 6 , configured to use the blood pressure measurement so obtained to calibrate readings of the heat flow perfusion sensor.

8. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 6 , wherein the occlusion means is an inflatable cuff and the microphone or other electrical acoustic sensor is located within the inflatable cuff, or is remotely located but in fluidic connection with the inflatable cuff.

9. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , further comprising a thermostat or other temperature control means.

10. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor which performs a photoplethysmogram blood pressure pulse wave analysis of the human subject or animal body and/or a sensor which performs pulse oximetry analysis of the human subject or animal body.

11. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the heat flow perfusion sensor is located under the occlusion means and positioned in a thermally neutral location when the blood flow in the human subject or animal body is occluded.

12. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor is operably connected to actuate the occlusion means at a predetermined time interval and to actuate the occlusion means when blood pressure in the human subject or animal body, as determined by the heat flow perfusion sensor, falls outside a predetermined acceptable range.

13. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the curve-fitting algorithm or other model program predicts a minimum rate of heat loss during an initial occlusion of blood flow in the human subject or animal body.

14. The blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , wherein heat flow data obtained immediately after commencement of blood flow occlusion are disregarded or modified by the curve-fitting algorithm or other modeling program to omit unwanted artifacts.

15. A method of using the blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 for measuring blood pressure in the human subject or animal body, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning the blood pressure measurement device on the human subject or animal body and actuating the occlusion means at least once to restrict the blood flow in a portion of the human subject or animal body; and

(b) taking at least one reading with the heat flow perfusion sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of operating the heat flow perfusion sensor to provide a substantially continuous reading of blood pressure in the human subject or animal body.

17. A method of using the blood pressure measurement device of claim 1 , comprising the steps of detecting an abnormal circulatory condition in the human subject or animal body by attaching the blood pressure measurement device to the human subject or animal body; and using the blood pressure measurement device to monitor circulation in the human subject or animal body.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of continuously monitoring of mean arterial pressure in the human subject or animal body.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of detecting circulatory shock or sepsis in the human subject or animal body.