Patent ID: 11877832
Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A vital sign monitor, comprising:
an ultrasound transducer comprising:
a first element configured to transmit a first ultrasound beam toward a blood vessel and to detect a reflection of the first ultrasound beam from a first portion of a wall of the blood vessel; and
a second element configured to transmit a second ultrasound beam toward the blood vessel and to detect a reflection of the second ultrasound beam from a second portion of the wall of the blood vessel, the second ultrasound beam being nonparallel to the first ultrasound beam;
a processor configured to:
identify a change in a slant range at the first portion of the wall of the blood vessel by analyzing the reflection of the first ultrasound beam;
identify a change in a slant range at the second portion of the wall of the blood vessel by analyzing the reflection of the second ultrasound beam;
determine a pulse wave velocity of the blood vessel by determining a time period between the identification of the change in the slant range at the first portion of the wall of the blood vessel and the identification of the change in the slant range at the second portion of the wall of the blood vessel;
determine a velocity of blood flowing through the blood vessel; determine a blood pressure of the blood vessel by multiplying the pulse wave velocity of the blood vessel and the velocity of the blood flowing through the blood vessel; and
an output device configured to output an indication of the blood pressure.