Method and apparatus for measuring values of physiological parameters

A method for obtaining a measurement of a subject's blood pressure, the method comprising:

• providing a blood pressure measurement device comprising an inflatable member;
• placing the inflatable member on a limb of the subject;
• causing the blood pressure measurement device to perform a sequence of a number of cycles, the sequence including an initial cycle and a plurality of additional cycles, each of the cycles comprising inflating and deflating the inflatable member and during at least a plurality of the additional cycles recording measurements of the subject's blood pressure;
• computing an estimate of the subject's blood pressure from a plurality of the recorded measurements wherein the plurality of measurements does not include a measurement obtained in the initial cycle;
• and,
• performing one or both of displaying the estimate on a display and recording the estimate.

An apparatus for measuring a physiological parameter of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• a measuring means for measuring a value of a physiological parameter;
• a controller connected to the measuring means, the controller adapted to cause the measuring means to make a sequence consisting of a number of measurements of the physiological parameter;
• a memory for receiving and storing measured values of the physiological parameter;
• calculation means for determining an estimate of the physiological parameter from a plurality of the measured values;
• and,
• a display for displaying the estimate;
• wherein the controller comprises a timer and a counter, the timer configured to set a time between sequential measurements in the sequence, the counter counting the measurements made by the measuring means;
• and,
• wherein the calculation means calculates the estimate without reference to an initial two or more of the measured values measured by the measuring means.

An apparatus for measuring a blood pressure of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable member;
• a pump connected to pressurize the inflatable member;
• a valve connected to vent the inflatable member;
• a pressure sensor connected to detect a pressure within the inflatable member;
• a controller connected to the pump and valve, the controller configured to perform a sequence of a predetermined number of cycles, the sequence including an initial cycle and a plurality of additional cycles, each of the cycles comprising operating the pump to inflate the inflatable member and operating the valve to deflate the inflatable member;
• a measurement system connected to receive a signal from the pressure sensor, the measurement system configured to compute a value for the subject's blood pressure based upon the signal from the pressure sensor during at least a plurality of the cycles and to record the computed values of the subject's blood pressure in a memory;
• a calculation system for determining an estimate of the blood pressure from a plurality of the measured values, the plurality of measured values corresponding to cycles which do not include the initial cycle;
• and,
• a display for displaying the estimate.

A program memory containing a software program the software program comprising instructions which, if executed by a processor in a blood pressure measurement device comprising a display and a blood pressure measurement subsystem, cause the processor to:

• control the blood pressure measurement subsystem to take a sequence comprising at least three blood pressure measurements, taken at spaced apart times, to obtain three or more measured values for the blood pressure;
• compute an estimate of the blood pressure from two or more of the measured values without using an initial group of one or more of the measured values in computing the estimate;
• and,
• display the estimate on the display.

A program memory containing a software program the software program comprising instructions which, if executed by a processor in a blood pressure measurement device comprising a display and a blood pressure measurement subsystem, cause the processor to:

• control the blood pressure measurement subsystem to perform a sequence comprising a number of cycles at spaced apart times, each cycle comprising one or more physical actions and, during at least two of the cycles, recording measured values of the subject's blood pressure;
• compute an estimate of the blood pressure from two or more of the measured values without using any measured values obtained during an initial one or more of the cycles in computing the best estimate;
• and,
• display the estimate on the display.