Blood pressure motion sensing

A blood pressure monitor comprising:

• a blood pressure cuff including at least one bladder, said blood pressure cuff also including a first half of a mechanical pneumatic connector;
• a pump, said pump pneumatically coupled to said bladder, said pump configured to inflate said bladder;
• a valve, said valve pneumatically coupled to said bladder, said valve configured to cause a controlled deflation of said bladder;
• a pressure sensor, said pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to said bladder, said pressure sensor configured to measure a bladder pressure;
• one or more accelerometers, said one or more accelerometers electrically and mechanically configured to provide a motion signal from said one or more accelerometers responsive to and representative of a movement of said at least one blood pressure inflatable bladder;
• and
• an electronics circuit, said electronics circuit electronically coupled to said valve, said pump, said pressure sensor, and said one or more accelerometers,
• wherein said pump, said valve, said pressure sensor, said one or more accelerometers, and said electronics circuit are disposed within an electro-pneumatic package, and said electro-pneumatic package comprises a second half of a mechanical pneumatic connector and wherein said first half of said mechanical pneumatic connector is configured to mechanically connect to said second half of a mechanical pneumatic connector to provide a substantially air-tight semi-rigid mechanical and pneumatic direct coupling between said electro-pneumatic package and said blood pressure cuff and wherein said electronics circuit is configured to receive said motion signal from said one or more accelerometers during a blood pressure measurement.

A method for detecting a motion artifact in a non-invasive blood pressure measurement comprising the steps of:

• providing a blood pressure cuff having at least one bladder;
• providing a blood pressure monitor pneumatically coupled to said blood pressure cuff;
• providing at least one accelerometer mechanically disposed such that said at least one accelerometer substantially measures a motion of said at least one bladder;
• attaching said blood pressure cuff to a person;
• performing an oscillometric procedure using said blood pressure cuff;
• measuring a pressure and a motion of said at least one bladder during said oscillometric procedure;
• determining an effect of said motion on said non-invasive blood pressure measurement;
• and
• whereby a motion artifact greater than a pre-determined threshold is detected when present during a non-invasive blood pressure measurement.