Method and device for detecting occlusion/reopening of an artery and system for measuring systolic blood pressure

Abstract

This invention provides a method and a device for detecting occlusion and/or reopening of an artery of a body caused by a changing pressure applied on the artery as well as a system for measuring the systolic blood pressure of an artery of a body. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining a blood flow signal indicative of a change of the blood flow in the artery caused by the changing pressure, using a Doppler Ultrasound transducer attached to the exterior of the body; deriving, from the blood flow signal, at least one variable of a first variable indicative of the magnitude of the blood flow and a second variable indicative of the periodicity of the blood flow; and detecting the occlusion and/or reopening of the artery on the basis of the at least one variable. In this way, the occlusion/reopening of the artery can be detected automatically. Since the need to manually detect the occlusion and reopening of the artery by listening with a stethoscope or a Doppler probe is eliminated, the detecting result is more predictable and repeatable, and therefore also more accurate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.