System and Method for Non-Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement
AssigneeSperion Medical Devices, LLC
InventorDerrick Aguren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for continuous real time measurement of blood pressure in a subject is presented. The system includes a transducer assembly (e.g., having ultrasound array elements) in a cuff applied to the subject's body. The system measures physical characteristics such as geometry, elasticity and strain in a blood vessel as well as other external physical parameters. Computer modeling and signal processing of measured signals are used during inflation and/or deflation of the cuff to iteratively estimate the blood pressure of the subject.
Claims15
A system for non-invasive and real-time blood pressure measurement, comprising:
- a cuff configured and dimensioned to generally surround a limb of a patient, said cuff having mating ends to be mechanically secured about said limb;
- said cuff further having a plurality of ultrasound transducers disposed on or with respect to said cuff, and configured and placed to transmit and/or receive ultrasound energy into and/or out of said limb;
- a transducer driving circuit electrically coupled to said ultrasound transducers so as to drive each transmitting transducer with an electrical driving signal;
- a processor electrically coupled to said ultrasound transducers so as to receive an electrical response signal from each receiving transducer;
- a digital storage unit that stores data and program instructions allowing control of said electrical driving signals and processing said electrical response signals;
- said processor further having circuitry to receive said electrical response signals and to determine at least geometric data regarding a blood vessel in said limb therefrom and to determine an axial strain in said blood vessel as well as to execute said stored program instructions and to process said stored data, including processing said program instructions, geometric data and axial strain to estimate a blood pressure within said blood vessel;
- said processor further coupled to an output unit that conveys an output representative of said blood pressure parameter.
A method for non-invasive real-time measurement of a variable fluid pressure in a deformable vessel having deformable walls that deform responsive to transmural forces thereon including a transmural pressure defined by an internal pressure within said vessel and an external pressure outside said vessel, the method comprising:
- mechanically exercising said vessel through a plurality of phases of its geometry by controllably deforming said vessel walls during exercising of said vessel;
- measuring an elasticity of said vessel while mechanically exercising said vessel;
- measuring a geometry of said vessel while mechanically exercising said vessel;
- measuring an incremental strain in said vessel while mechanically exercising said vessel, and calculating an absolute strain therefrom;
- estimating at least one property of said vessel using said measured elasticity, geometry, incremental strain and a physical model of said vessel;
- validating one or more parameter solutions used in said physical model of said vessel that includes said estimated at least one material property;
- and
- estimating an interior pressure in said vessel using said physical model and a current measurement of said vessel's geometry, axial strain and external pressure.
A system for non-invasive and real-time pressure measurement of a fluid pressure within a deformable fluid conduit, comprising:
- an ultrasound array having a plurality of ultrasound transducers and disposed in a spatial configuration with respect to said fluid conduit, said ultrasound array configured and placed to acquire and track a position and geometry of said fluid conduit within a region of interest and further configured to transmit and/or receive ultrasound energy into and/or out of said fluid conduit;
- a transducer driving circuit electrically coupled to said ultrasound transducers of said array so as to drive each transmitting transducer with an electrical driving signal;
- a processor electrically coupled to said ultrasound transducers of said array so as to receive an electrical response signal from each receiving transducer;
- a digital storage unit that stores data and program instructions allowing control of said electrical driving signals and processing said electrical response signals;
- said processor further having circuitry to receive said electrical response signals and to determine at least geometric data regarding said fluid conduit, including data regarding deformation of said fluid conduit, and to determine an axial strain in said fluid conduit as well as to execute said stored program instructions and to process said stored data, including processing said program instructions, geometric data and axial strain to estimate a fluid pressure within said fluid conduit;
- said processor further coupled to an output unit that conveys an output representative of said fluid pressure parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.