Blood pressure (bp) measurement using magneto rheological fluid and korotkoff signal feedback

A processor implemented method for Blood Pressure (BP) measurement, the method comprising:

• computing, via one or more hardware processors, an initial pressure exerted across each of a plurality of quadrants of an elastic cuff fitted on an arm of a subject, wherein the initial pressure exerted per quadrant is sensed by an inner layer of the elastic cuff comprising a plurality of piezoelectric sensors evenly placed across the plurality of quadrants, wherein the elastic cuff comprises an outer layer of a plurality of electromagnets placed evenly across the plurality of quadrants and a middle layer comprising a pre-compressed Magneto rheological (MR) fluid;
• computing, via the one or more hardware processors, an average pressure per quadrant by averaging the initial pressure sensed by each of a piezoelectric sensor among the plurality of sensors in associated quadrant;
• identifying, via the one or more hardware processors, a quadrant exerting a highest average pressure on the arm from among the plurality of quadrants, wherein the highest pressure is identified as an offset pressure value;
• actuating, via a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) circuit controlled by the one or more hardware processors, the plurality of electromagnets in remaining quadrants other than the quadrant of the highest average pressure to inflate the elastic cuff to create a pressure equivalent to the offset value in the plurality of quadrants enabling a clean fitting of the elastic cuff around the arm due to a viscosity change of the MR fluid under pressure, and
• initiating, via the one or more hardware processors, a Blood Pressure (BP) measurement cycle after detecting the pressure equivalent to the offset value in the plurality of quadrants, the BP measurement cycle comprising:
• actuating the plurality of electromagnets via the PWM circuit to inflate the elastic cuff at a steady inflation rate by increasing the pressure at a steady rate until a blood flow in the arm stops, wherein the blood flow is sensed for a no-blood-flow-sound via a microphone array placed within the elastic cuff;
• deactivating the plurality of electromagnets to deflate the elastic cuff by releasing the pressure at a steady deflate pressure rate and restarting the blood flow;
• detecting a start Korotkoff sound and a stop Korotkoff sound of the restarted blood flow via the microphone array;
• and
• estimating via a trained deep learning model a systolic BP and diastolic BP by processing a cuff pressure at the start Korotkoff sound and the stop Korotkoff sound sensed via a cuff pressure sensor.